2002 United States Senate election in Alaska

The 2002 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican United States Senator Ted Stevens ran for and won a seventh term (a sixth full term) in the United States Senate. He faced perennial candidate Frank Vondersaar, the Democratic nominee, journalist Jim Sykes, the Green Party nominee, and several other independent candidates in his bid for re-election. Ultimately, Stevens crushed his opponents to win what would be his last term in the Senate, allowing him to win the highest percentage of the vote in any of his elections. This would be the last Senate election in the state until 2020 when the winning candidate received a majority of the vote.

2002 United States Senate election in Alaska

← 1996November 5, 20022008 →
 
NomineeTed StevensFrank VondersaarJim Sykes
PartyRepublicanDemocraticGreen
Popular vote179,43824,13316,608
Percentage78.17%10.51%7.24%

Results by state house district
Stevens:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. senator before election

Ted Stevens
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Ted Stevens
Republican

On the same night, Frank Murkowski was elected as Governor of Alaska. He would resign from Alaska's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat and then appoint his daughter, Lisa Murkowski, to fill the vacancy on December 20.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticFrank Vondersaar 18,256 66.27%
DemocraticTheresa Obermeyer9,29233.73%
Total votes27,548 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanTed Stevens (Incumbent) 64,315 88.94%
RepublicanMike Aubrey7,99711.06%
Total votes72,312 100.00%

Alaskan Independence Party primary

Candidates

  • Jim Dore, conservative activist

Results

Alaskan Independence Party primary results[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
IndependenceJim Dore 2,665 100.00%
Total votes2,665 100.00%

Green Party primary

Candidates

  • Jim Sykes, journalist
  • Thomas M. Higgins, theater technician
Green Party primary results[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
GreenJim Sykes 1,182 76.65%
GreenThomas M. Higgins36023.35%
Total votes1,542 100.00%

Libertarian Party primary

Candidates

  • Leonard Karpinski

Results

Libertarian Party primary results[1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
LibertarianLeonard Karpinski 558 100.00%
Total votes558 100.00%

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[2]Safe RNovember 4, 2002

Results

2002 United States Senate election in Alaska[3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
RepublicanTed Stevens (Incumbent) 179,438 78.17% +1.46%
DemocraticFrank Vondersaar24,13310.51%+0.17%
GreenJim Sykes16,6087.24%−5.29%
IndependenceJim Dore6,7242.93%
LibertarianLeonard Karpinski2,3541.03%
Write-ins2910.13%
Majority155,30567.66%+3.47%
Turnout229,548
Republican holdSwing

See also

References