2006 Alaska gubernatorial election#Republican primary

• John Binkley, Fairbanks businessman and former State Senator from Bethel
• Gerald Heikes
• Merica Hlatcu
• Frank Murkowski, incumbent Governor since 2003
• Sarah Palin, former mayor of Wasilla (1996{{Endash}}2003) and chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (2003{{Endash}}04)

Incumbent Frank Murkowski (R), first elected governor in 2002, ran for reelection but was defeated in a landslide in the Republican primary by former Wasilla mayor Sarah Palin on August 22, 2006. Murkowski's approval rating at the time of the election was 19%.{{Cite web |title=SurveyUSA {{!}} APPROVAL RATINGS FOR ALL 50 GOVERNORS AS OF 08/22/06 |url=http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/50StateGovernor060822State.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311032717/http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/50StateGovernor060822State.htm |archive-date=2007-03-11 |access-date=2005-07-18 |website=SurveyUSA |language=en-US}} Murkowski also faced opposition from former state lawmaker and Fairbanks businessman John Binkley.

{{Election box begin no change | title=2006 Republican primary for Alaska governor{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.alaska.gov/06prim/data/results.htm |access-date=February 11, 2010 |title=STATE OF ALASKA - 2006 PRIMARY ELECTION AUGUST 22, 2006 OFFICIAL RESULTS|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304115107/http://www.elections.alaska.gov/06prim/data/results.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2010 }}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party of Alaska

|candidate = Sarah Palin

|Experience = Mayor of Wasilla

|votes = 51,443

|percentage = 50.59

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party = Republican Party of Alaska

|candidate = John Binkley

|votes = 30,349

|percentage = 29.84

|

|Experience = State Senator

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party = Republican Party of Alaska

|candidate = Frank Murkowski (incumbent)

|votes = 19,412

|percentage = 19.09

|

|Experience = Incumbent Governor

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party = Republican Party of Alaska

|candidate = Gerald Heikes

|votes = 280

|percentage = 0.28

|

|Experience = None

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party = Republican Party of Alaska

|candidate = Merica Hlatcu

|votes = 211

|percentage = 0.21

|

|Experience = None

}}

{{Election box total no change

|votes = 101,695

|percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

• Eric Croft, State Representative from Spenard, Anchorage
• Tony Knowles, former Governor of Alaska (1995{{Endash}}2003)
• Bruce Lemke

Former two-term Governor Tony Knowles and state lawmaker Eric Croft competed for the Democratic ticket for governor. Knowles had a substantial lead over Croft, both at the polls and with fund raising.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2006 Democratic primary for Alaska governor{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.alaska.gov/06prim/index.shtml |title=PRIMARY ELECTION August 22, 2006 Primary Election Results|access-date=February 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081127075004/http://www.elections.alaska.gov/06prim/index.shtml |archive-date=November 27, 2008 }}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Alaska Democratic Party

|candidate = Tony Knowles

|Experience = Former Governor

|votes = 37,316

|percentage = 74.63

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party = Alaska Democratic Party

|candidate = Eric Croft

|votes = 11,952

|percentage = 23.90

|

|Experience = None

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party = Alaska Democratic Party

|candidate = Bruce Lemke

|votes = 732

|percentage = 1.46

|

|Experience = None

}}

{{Election box total no change|

|votes = 50,000

|percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box end}}

• Andrew Halcro, president and CEO of Avis Alaska and former State Representative from Anchorage (Independent)
• Tony Knowles, former Governor of Alaska (1995{{Endash}}2003) (Democratic)
• David Massie (Green)
• Sarah Palin, former mayor of Wasilla (1996{{Endash}}2003) and chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (2003{{Endash}}04) (Republican)
• Billy Toien, candidate for governor in 2002 (Libertarian)
• Don Wright, bush pilot and perennial candidate (Alaska Independence)

Republican candidate Sarah Palin, Democratic candidate Tony Knowles, and independent candidate Andrew Halcro faced each other in the general election. Anchorage businessman Andrew Halcro ran as an Independent in the race for governor. Halcro has served in the Alaska State legislature in the past, and is known as a fiscal hawk. Halcro collected about 4,000 signatures to be placed on the general election ballot without party affiliation. Despite Knowles' experience, Palin was able to win.

{{Election box begin | title = 2006 Alaska gubernatorial election}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Sarah Palin

| votes = 114,697

| percentage = 48.33%

| change = −7.6%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Tony Knowles

| votes = 97,238

| percentage = 40.97%

| change = +0.3%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

| party = Independent

| candidate = Andrew Halcro

| votes = 22,443

| percentage = 9.46%

| change = n/a}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

| party = Alaskan Independence Party

| candidate = Don Wright

| votes = 1,285

| percentage = 0.54%

| change = −0.4%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

| party = Alaska Libertarian Party

| candidate = Billy Toien

| votes = 682

| percentage = 0.29%

| change = −0.2%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

| party = Green Party (United States)

| candidate = David Massie

| votes = 593

| percentage = 0.25%

| change = −1.0%}}

{{Election box write-in with party link|

| votes = 384

| percentage = 0.16%

| change = +0.1%}}

{{Election box plurality|

| votes = 17,459

| percentage = 7.36%

| change =}}

{{Election box turnout|

| votes = 238,307

| percentage = 51.1%

| change = }}

{{Election box hold with party link|

| winner = Republican Party (United States)

| swing = −7.6%}}

{{Election box end}}

• 2006 United States gubernatorial elections

• Christiansen, Scott. [https://archive.today/20060113224455/http://www.anchoragepress.com/archives-2005/coverstoryvol14ed24.shtml Grooming the gov: Frank Murkowski seems to be in an endless battle with reporters. That may be just the way he likes it.] Anchorage Press. June 22, 2005.
• Moore, Jason. [http://www.ktuu.com/CMS/anmviewer.asp?a=13835&z=4 Croft takes first step into governor's race]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. KTUU. June 16, 2005.
• [http://elect.alaska.net/data/results.htm State of Alaska Division of Elections results]

• [http://gov.state.ak.us/ Office of the Governor of Alaska]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061028035152/http://www.palinforgovernor.com/ Sarah Palin for Governor]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060222004933/http://www.ericcroft.com/ Eric Croft for Governor]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060203173632/http://ethanberkowitz.com/ Ethan Berkowitz for Lt. Governor]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061031100220/http://tonyknowles.com/ Tony Knowles for Governor]

{{Alaska gubernatorial elections}}

{{2006 United States elections}}

{{Notable third party performances in United States elections}}

{{Sarah Palin}}

2006

Governor

Alaska

Category:Sarah Palin

Category:November 2006 in the United States