Familiar Faces in Rural Alaska House Race as Candidates Vow to Tackle Key Issues

The Yukon-Kuskokwim hub of Bethel is the largest community in Alaska House District 38, where a legislative contest is underway. Here, voters will choose between two well-known candidates with a similar policy outlook. Current Rep. Nellie Jimmie of Toksook Bay faces the former incumbent, CJ McCormick, whom she defeated two years prior. Both are Democrats, which means regardless of who wins, the party dynamics in the House are unlikely to shift significantly.

In the recent August primary, McCormick narrowly bested Jimmie, capturing 32% of the votes compared to her 29%. Another candidate, Willy Keppel, a Republican, has been running for legislative office since 2002 and received 24% of the votes in the primary. Jimmie’s campaign has garnered an endorsement from former candidate Joseph Amik, who suspended his campaign due to health reasons and previously received 14.7% of the primary vote.