Hill Narrowly Leads Begich in Alaska House Race
Independent Bill Hill holds a slim preliminary lead over Republican Rep. Nick Begich as tens of thousands of ballots remain uncounted.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Independent Bill Hill led Republican Rep. Nick Begich in preliminary results for Alaska's U.S. House seat, with 47.3% of the vote to Begich's 44.1% after more than 11% of precincts reported. Tens of thousands of ballots remain to be counted.
Why it matters
Because no candidate has yet cleared 50% of first-choice votes, the outcome will be decided in a ranked choice tabulation, leaving the final result uncertain until mid-November. Hill has declined to say which party he would caucus with if elected, adding to the uncertainty for Alaska's congressional representation.
Preliminary tallies show Hill at 47.3% and Begich at 44.1%, with more than 11% of precincts reporting and tens of thousands of ballots still uncounted. Because neither candidate has reached 50% of first-choice votes, a ranked choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18.
The players
Bill Hill
Hill is an independent candidate and retired educator from Southwest Alaska who is running his first statewide race and has declined to say which party he would caucus with if elected.
Nick Begich
Begich is the Republican U.S. representative from Alaska seeking reelection to the House seat, and he has been a longtime figure in the state's congressional delegation.
Alaska Democratic Party
The Alaska Democratic Party is the state affiliate of the national Democratic Party and endorsed Hill in the House race.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the official House campaign arm of the Democratic Party and endorsed Hill in this race.
The details
Hill, a fisherman and retired educator from Southwest Alaska running his first statewide race, was endorsed by the Alaska Democratic Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. More than $30 million has been spent on the race by campaign committees and outside groups, including $5.7 million from Wheel Dog PAC supporting Hill and $2.7 million opposing Begich.
Timeline
August 2026: The open primary narrowed the field from 15 candidates to four.
November 3, 2026: The general election was held and preliminary vote tallies were reported.
November 18, 2026: Ranked choice tabulation is scheduled.
November 25, 2026: Results are set to be certified.
Season Trajectory
Alaska's ranked choice system, approved by voters in 2020, is being applied here to a four-candidate general election that produced no first-round majority. The outcome will test how the system resolves a close contest in a state where a single at-large House seat carries significant national weight.
Because the ranked choice count will decide the seat, voters should expect the final winner to remain unknown until mid-November. The outcome determines which candidate represents Alaska in the U.S. House for the next term.
The takeaway
Close races under ranked choice voting can take weeks to resolve, so readers should watch the official tabulation schedule rather than preliminary totals.
What happens next
Ranked choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18, 2026, and certification of results is set for November 25, 2026.
Further reading
Track the latest developments in the Elections section for more on Alaska's ranked choice count.
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