The 2006 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 7, 2006. The former mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin, defeated incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary, and then went on to defeat former governor Tony Knowles in the general election. Palin became the first governor of the state to be born after Alaskan statehood.
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Palin would later become the unsuccessful Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, before resigning as governor in 2009.
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%. Murkowski also faced opposition from former state lawmaker and Fairbanks businessman John Binkley.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sarah Palin | 51,443 | 50.59 | |
| Republican | John Binkley | 30,349 | 29.84 | |
| Republican | Frank Murkowski (incumbent) | 19,412 | 19.09 | |
| Republican | Gerald Heikes | 280 | 0.28 | |
| Republican | Merica Hlatcu | 211 | 0.21 | |
| Total votes | 101,695 | 100.00 | ||
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]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tony Knowles | 37,316 | 74.63 | |
| Democratic | Eric Croft | 11,952 | 23.90 | |
| Democratic | Bruce Lemke | 732 | 1.46 | |
| Total votes | 50,000 | 100.00 | ||
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.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[3] | Tossup | November 6, 2006 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[4] | Lean R | November 6, 2006 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[5] | Lean R | November 2, 2006 |
| Real Clear Politics[6] | Lean R | November 6, 2006 |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sarah Palin (R) |
Tony Knowles (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen | November 3, 2006 | 45% | 44% |
| Rasmussen | October 9, 2006 | 47% | 40% |
| Rasmussen | September 8, 2006 | 52% | 38% |
| Rasmussen | August 3, 2006 | 51% | 38% |
| Ivan Moore Research | June 7, 2006 | 39% | 43% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sarah Palin | 114,697 | 48.33% | −7.6% | |
| Democratic | Tony Knowles | 97,238 | 40.97% | +0.3% | |
| Independent | Andrew Halcro | 22,443 | 9.46% | n/a | |
| Independence | Don Wright | 1,285 | 0.54% | −0.4% | |
| Libertarian | Billy Toien | 682 | 0.29% | −0.2% | |
| Green | David Massie | 593 | 0.25% | −1.0% | |
| Write-in | 384 | 0.16% | +0.1% | ||
| Plurality | 17,459 | 7.36% | |||
| Turnout | 238,307 | 51.1% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | −7.6% | |||
