Alaska’s Republican Rep. Don Young has represented the state for close to half a century, and he’ll get two more years after winning his reelection bid.
Young, 87, both the oldest member of Congress and the longest active member, having served since 1973, defeated Alyse Galvin, who ran as an independent along Democratic lines.
“I want to thank every single Alaskan who took the time to vote, regardless of their political affiliation or preference of candidates,” Young said in a statement. “You are the backbone of our democracy.”
In the lead-up to the election, Democrats began to see a sliver of an opportunity to win back a seat that hasn’t been blue since Rep. Nick Begich was presumed dead during his tenure in Congress in 1972, given Young’s propensity for politically incorrect remarks.
Young and Galvin, an educator, also ran against one another in 2018. It was one of Young’s closest races, winning the election by fewer than 20,000 votes, according to the New York Times.
