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1968 United States Senate election in Alaska

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1968 United States Senate election in Alaska

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →
 
Nominee Mike Gravel Elmer Rasmuson Ernest Gruening
(write-in)
Party Democratic Republican Democratic
Popular vote 36,527 30,286 14,118
Percentage 45.13% 37.42% 17.44%

Gravel:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Rasmuson:      40–50%
Gruening:      30–40%

U.S. senator before election

Ernest Gruening
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Mike Gravel
Democratic

The 1968 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 5, 1968. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening ran for a second full term in office but finished behind Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives Mike Gravel in the Democratic primary. Gruening launched a write-in bid for the seat in the general election, but finished third to Gravel and Republican former Anchorage mayor Elmer Rasmuson.

Gravel would later lose the primary in 1980 to Gruening's grandson Clark.

This would be the first of 3 times where the incumbent holder of Alaska's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat was defeated in the primary while running for re-election.

Future Senator Ted Stevens also ran in the Republican primary, but lost to Rasmuson by around 1,000 votes. When incumbent Democratic Class 2 Senator Bob Bartlett died that December, Governor Wally Hickel appointed Stevens to the vacant seat, giving Stevens a seniority advantage of 10 days over the incoming Gravel.

Primary election

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Democratic

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Results

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U.S. Senate Democratic primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mike Gravel 17,971 52.9
Democratic Ernest Gruening (incumbent) 16,015 47.1
Total votes 33,986 100.00

Republican

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Results

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U.S. Senate Republican primary results[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Elmer Rasmuson 10,320 53.1
Republican Ted Stevens 9,111 46.9
Total votes 19,431 100.00

General election

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1968 United States Senate election in Alaska[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Mike Gravel 36,527 45.13%
Republican Elmer Rasmuson 30,286 37.42%
Write-in Ernest Gruening (incumbent) 14,118 17.44%
Total votes 80,931 100.00%
Democratic hold Swing

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Our Campaigns - AK US Senate - Open Primary Race - Aug 27, 1968".
  2. ^ "Our Campaigns - AK US Senate Race - Nov 05, 1968".