Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, speaks during an interview Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, about his bill, SB 63, to prohibit smoking in public places.

Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, speaks during an interview Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, about his bill, SB 63, to prohibit smoking in public places.

Official results: Micciche, Carpenter narrowly win primary elections

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to show the correct difference of votes in the District O race between Sen. Peter Micciche and Ron Gillham.

Two, too-close-to-call primary races on the central peninsula have come to an end with official election results released by the Alaska Division of Elections Friday afternoon. For the Senate District O race, incumbent Sen. Peter Micciche won by 72votes. For House District 29, Ben Carpenter won by 12 votes.

After the Aug. 21 election, the Alaska Division of Elections conducted a 10-day count of absentee and questioned ballots. Last Friday, the Alaska Division of Elections said they needed the holiday weekend to wait for more election materials, the Clarion reported last week.

“While the Division’s goal was to certify (results) this weekend, we are working to ensure we give every detail the attention it needs to make sure Alaskans can feel fully confident in our final tally of the results,” said State Elections Director Josie Bahnke in the Aug. 31 Alaska Division of Elections release.

The two central peninsula primary races couldn’t be called until all votes were accounted for.

The morning after the primary election, incumbent Sen. Peter Micciche was only nine votes behind Ron Gillham in the Republican primary race for the Senate seat in District O. With no other contenders for the Senate seat, Micciche will be unchallenged in the Nov. 6 general election.

Micciche has been serving in the Alaska State Senate since 2013 and served as the Senate majority leader this legislative session. He was not immediately available for comment.

Gillham said he was in awe of the way the election came out.

“I thought it was going to be a close election, and it was,” Gillham told the Clarion Tuesday afternoon. “Congratulations to Peter.”

Initial results in House District 29 — which encompasses the northern peninsula, including Nikiski, Hope and Seward — showed Republican candidate Wayne Ogle of Nikiski leading by only three votes over Ben Carpenter, also of Nikiski. Carpenter and Democratic nominee, Shawn Butler of Hope, will vie to fill the seat of Mike Chenault — who was House Speaker for eight years — in November’s general election.

Carpenter said he wanted to thank residents for coming out to vote.

“We’re obviously happy with the results,” he said. “Now we begin the task of communicating the message of our conservative values.”

Carpenter said he hopes to balance the budget, improve security in Alaska’s communities and reduce the cost of government.

“What I heard from people were concerns about security both fiscally and financially,” Carpenter said.

Ogle was not immediately available for comment, but the Juneau Empire reported that Ogle requested a recount earlier in the day Tuesday. Under state law, any race decided by fewer than 20 votes or 0.5 percent of the votes cast is eligible for a state-funded recount. The recount will take place Thursday or Friday, the Empire reported.

On the southern peninsula in House District 31, Sarah Vance defeated John Cox by 100 votes. Vance will face Democratic nominee Paul Seaton in November.

Reach Victoria Petersen at vpetersen@peninsulaclarion.com.

House District 29 candidates Ben Carpenter, Shawn Butler and Wayne Ogle discuss their platforms at a forum in a joint Kenai and Soldotna chamber luncheon on Wednesday, in Kenai. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)                                House District 29 candidates Ben Carpenter, Shawn Butler and Wayne Ogle discuss their platforms at a forum in a joint Kenai and Soldotna chamber luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

House District 29 candidates Ben Carpenter, Shawn Butler and Wayne Ogle discuss their platforms at a forum in a joint Kenai and Soldotna chamber luncheon on Wednesday, in Kenai. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion) House District 29 candidates Ben Carpenter, Shawn Butler and Wayne Ogle discuss their platforms at a forum in a joint Kenai and Soldotna chamber luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

More in News

Syverine Bentz, coastal training program coordinator for the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, displays a board of ideas during a Local Solutions meeting focused on salmon at the Cook Inletkeeper Community Action Studio in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
In search of salmon solutions

Cook Inletkeeper hosts meeting to develop community project to help salmon.

Lisa Gabriel, left, watches as beach seine nets are pulled from the waters of Cook Inlet at a test site for the gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
CFEC to consider seines for east side setnet fishery

The change is contingent on the State Board of Fisheries approving the gear during their March meeting.

A map of 2025 construction projects scheduled for the Kenai Peninsula. (Provided by Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities)
Department of Transportation announces construction plans

Most of the projects include work to various major highways.

Seward City Hall is seen under cloudy skies in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Seward adds full-time staffer for recently restarted teen rec room

Seward’s Parks and Recreation Department reclaimed responsibility for teen programming at the start of this year.

Gavin Ley stands with the “Go-Shopping Kart” he designed and built in his career and technical education courses at Nikiski Middle/High School in Nikiski, Alaska, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski students learn professional skills through technical education

Career and technical education gives students opportunity to learn skills, express themselves creatively, work cooperatively and make decisions.

Nikiski teachers, students and parents applaud Nikiski Middle/High Principal Mike Crain as he’s recognized as the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals 2025 Region III Principal of the Year by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education during their meeting in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski principal named Region III principal of the year

Crain has served as Nikiski’s principal for three years.

An 86 pound Kenai River king salmon is measured in Soldotna, Alaska, on June 29, 1995. (M. Scott Moon/Peninsula Clarion File)
Kenai River king salmon fishing closed entirely for 3rd year

Kenai River king salmon were designated a stock of management concern in 2023.

The Kenai Peninsula College Main Entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
University of Alaska Board of Regents to meet in Soldotna

The last time the board met on the Kenai Peninsula was April 2012.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education member Penny Vadla and student representative Emerson Kapp speak to the joint Alaska House and Senate education committees in Juneau, Alaska, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. (Screenshot courtesy Gavel Alaska/KTOO)
KPBSD among dozens of districts to deliver in-person testimony to Alaska Legislature

Districts spotlighted programs already lost over years of stagnant funding that hasn’t met inflationary pressure.

Most Read