United States Senate election in Alaska, 1980
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The Alaska United States Senate election of 1980 coincided with a large Republican Party victory across the country, including winning a majority in the Senate and Presidency. Alaska's Class III Senate seat, held by Democrat Mike Gravel, was one of several Republican pickups that year.
Gravel was defeated in the Democratic primary by state Rep. Clark Gruening. Gruening in turn was defeated by Republican Frank Murkowski in the general election.
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[edit] Democratic nomination
First elected in 1968, by 1980 two-term Democratic incumbent Mike Gravel had become noted for a filibuster that attempted to end the the draft during the Vietnam War, and for including the full text of the Pentagon Papers in the Congressional Record.
Although Gravel actively campaigned to be the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1972, and was easily reelected to the Senate in 1974, he was nonetheless considered vulnerable in 1980 due to schisms created among Alaska Democrats stemming from his contentious 1968 primary defeat of former Sen. Ernest Gruening.
In 1980 Gravel's main primary opponent was Gruening's grandson, Clark Gruening. A third minor candidate, Michael Beasley, also contested the Democratic nomination.
Gravel never established a firm party base in Alaska despite having served two full terms in the Senate.[1] A group of Democrats, including future Gov. Steve Cowper,[2] campaigned against Gravel, with Gravel's actions with respect to 1978 and 1980 Alaskan lands bills a major issue.[3][4]
The sources of Gravel's campaign funds, some of which came from political action committees outside the state, also became an issue in the contest.[4] Another factor may have been Alaska's primary system, which allows unlimited cross-over voting across parties and from its large unaffiliated electorate;[2] Republicans believed Gruening would be an easier candidate to defeat in the general election.[4] Gravel would later comment that by the time of his primary defeat, he had alienated "almost every constituency in Alaska."[3]
In the August 26, 1980, primary Gruening defeated Gravel by 11 percentage points.
Primary results[5]:
- Gruening - 39,719 (54.89%)
- Gravel - 31,504 (43.53%)
- Beasley - 1,145 (1.58%)
Unlike Ernest Gruening after his primary defeat 12 years earlier, Gravel did not run as write-in independent candidate in the general election.
[edit] Republican nomination
Candidates:
- Arthur R. Kennedy
- David J. Moe
- 1970 Congressional candidate Frank Murkowski
- Donald L. Smith
- Morris Thompson
- 1978 gubernatorial candidate Don Wright
Primary results (set the same day as Democratic)[6]
- Murkowski - 16,292 (58.96%)
- Kennedy - 5,527 (20.00%)
- Thompson - 3,635 (13.16%)
- Smith - 896 (3.24%)
- Wright - 824 (2.98%)
- Moe - 458 (1.66%)
[edit] General election
Murkowski defeated Gruening by a nearly seven-point margin.[7]
- Frank Murkowski (R) - 84,159 (53.69%)
- Clark Gruening (D) - 72,007 (45.93%)
- Write-ins - 596 (0.38%)
After the loss of Gravel's seat, no Alaska Democrat would win a Congressional race again until Mark Begich's narrow, protracted triumph in Alaska's 2008 Senate election.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Robert KC Johnson, "Not Many Senators Have Found Themselves in Joe Lieberman's Predicament", History News Network, August 7, 2006. Accessed July 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Wallace Turner, "Side Issues Figure in Tricky Alaska Primary", The New York Times, July 6, 1982. Accessed July 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Alex Koppelman, "Don't worry, be Mike Gravel", Salon.com, May 7, 2007. Accessed July 4, 2007.
- ^ a b c Wallace Turner (1980-08-28). "Gravel Loses a Bitter Fight In Senate Primary in Alaska" (fee required). The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0817FA355F12728DDDA10A94D0405B8084F1D3. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
- ^ Our Campaigns - AK US Senate - D Primary Race - Aug 26, 1980
- ^ Our Campaigns - AK US Senate - R Primary Race - Aug 26, 1980
- ^ Our Campaigns - AK US Senate Race - Nov 04, 1980
- ^ Kane, Paul (2008-11-19). "Ted Stevens Loses Battle For Alaska Senate Seat". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111803227.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
