President Donald Trump is urging Alaskans to vote for the Republican ticket in November, and he used the moment to take a swipe at the way the state runs its elections.
In a Thursday post on Truth Social, the president questioned why three Republicans are facing off against a single Democrat in the state’s November gubernatorial election. He called the system “stupid.”
Trump also made clear he wants to see the system scrapped.
“We have the Corrupt Ranked Choice System of Voting, which shouldn’t be allowed in our Country and will, hopefully, be repealed in the November Vote,” Trump wrote.
The system the president criticized was put in place by Alaska voters themselves. In 2020, Alaskans approved a ballot measure creating a nonpartisan primary election system. Under that system, the top four vote-getters in the primary advance to the general election, which is then tallied using ranked-choice voting.
That setup is what allows multiple candidates from the same party to land on the general election ballot, as is the case in this year’s race for governor, where three Republicans and one Democrat are competing.
There is no evidence that ranked-choice voting is corrupt.
Alaska is one of two states that use the system statewide, along with Maine. New York City and Washington, D.C., also use ranked-choice voting for their primary elections.
Beyond his criticism of the voting system, Trump used the post to throw his weight behind two Republicans on the Alaska ballot.
The president voiced his support for incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, who is seeking to hold his seat, and for Republican Nick Begich, who is running for Alaska’s at-large House seat.
“Alaska needs Senator Dan S. Sullivan in the Senate, and Congressman Nick Begich, in Congress — That is a fantastic team,” Trump said.
The president’s endorsement comes as the Senate race has turned competitive in a state that has historically voted red.
Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) forecasts that the Senate race leans in favor of Peltola, a sign that Republicans could face a tougher fight than usual to keep the seat.
The outlook is brighter for the GOP in the race for the House. DDHQ said Begich is likely to win the at-large seat.
Trump’s post combined two of his priorities in the state: boosting Republican candidates up and down the ballot and pushing to end the ranked-choice system he has labeled corrupt. In his post, the president expressed hope that voters will repeal the system in November.
With the Senate race competitive and the House seat leaning toward Begich, the president is betting that his backing of Sullivan and Begich, along with his attacks on the voting system, will resonate with Alaska voters when they head to the polls in November.
