Dave Bronson

Tom Begich, who finished second among Democrats in Alaska's gubernatorial primary with 20.8% of the vote, has dropped out of the race and endorsed fellow Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, the top vote-getter overall at 22.5%. The withdrawal leaves Kreiss-Tomkins as the sole Democrat on the November ranked-choice ballot to succeed term-limited Governor Mike Dunleavy.

On the Republican side, consolidation has been harder to achieve. Candidate Dave Bronson, who reportedly signed a pledge to withdraw if he didn't win a primary majority, has said he will stay in the race despite finishing behind businesswoman Bernadette Wilson. That raises the possibility of three Republicans splitting the conservative vote against a single, consolidated Democratic candidate under Alaska's top-four ranked-choice system. Candidates have until August 31 to withdraw before the ballot is finalized. A separate ballot measure to repeal ranked-choice voting is also before Alaska voters this November.

Alaska voters headed to the polls Tuesday in primaries shaping contests for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and the legislature, alongside a Florida primary seen as an early indicator for control of Congress. The marquee Alaska race pits Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan against Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola, one of 16 candidates in the all-party primary; the top four finishers advance to a November general election decided by ranked choice voting. A same-named challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., also qualified for the ballot after Republicans failed in court to remove him, and the Justice Department is reportedly investigating whether he entered the race to confuse voters and split support from the incumbent.

Rep. Nick Begich is seeking a second term against independent challenger Bill Hill, while 17 candidates compete to succeed term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Voters are also deciding a ballot measure on campaign contribution limits. Some polls show Peltola leading in a state that typically favors Republicans, and Democrats view Alaska as a key opportunity as they seek to flip four seats to win Senate control.