2016 Alaska Republican presidential caucuses explained

Election Name:2016 Alaska Republican presidential caucuses
Color5:98d5e9
Map Size:305px
Color1:d4aa00
Color2:283681
Candidate4:Marco Rubio
Candidate5:Ben Carson
Color4:c60e3b
Percentage5:10.83%
Percentage2:33.64%
Percentage4:15.16%
Popular Vote4:3,488
Popular Vote5:2,492
Home State4:Florida
Home State5:Virginia
Delegate Count4:5
Popular Vote2:7,740
Country:Alaska
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2012 United States presidential election in Alaska
Previous Year:2012
Next Election:2020 United States presidential election in Alaska
Next Year:2020
Delegate Count2:11
Candidate1:Ted Cruz
Home State1:Texas
Delegate Count1:12
Popular Vote1:8,369
Percentage1:36.37%
Candidate2:Donald Trump
Home State2:New York
Delegate Count5:0
Elected Members:AL
Outgoing Members:NV
Votes For Election:28 pledged delegates to the Republican National Convention

The 2016 Alaska Republican presidential caucuses took place on March 1, 2016 as part of "Super Tuesday." Senator Cruz won the state's caucuses by less than 1,000 votes, despite Trump enjoying the endorsement of former Governor and 2008 Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, the 9th Governor of Alaska.

While Cruz performed best in the state's urban legislative districts, Trump won rural precincts in the Alaska Bush. Alaska was the only state where neurosurgeon Ben Carson carried a jurisdiction over the course of the primary, albeit one of the country's least populated.

Polling

Poll sourceDate1st2nd3rdOther
Caucus resultsMarch 1, 2016Ted Cruz 36.37%Donald Trump 33.64%Marco Rubio 15.16%Ben Carson 10.83%, John Kasich 3.99%, Other 0.01%
Alaska Dispatch News/Ivan Moore Research[1] Margin of error: –

Sample size: 651

January 23, 2016Donald Trump
27.9%
Ted Cruz23.8%Ben Carson8.5%Jeb Bush 7.3%, Marco Rubio 6.9%, Chris Christie 3.3%, Rand Paul 3.0%, John Kasich 1.7%, Other 4.1%, Undecided 13.4%
Public Policy PollingMargin of error: ± 5.3%

Sample size: 337

July 31 – August 3, 2014Ted Cruz
16%
Rand Paul
15%
Mike Huckabee
14%
Chris Christie 12%, Jeb Bush 12%, Sarah Palin 11%, Scott Walker 7%, Paul Ryan 6%, Marco Rubio 5%, Someone else/Not sure 4%
Public Policy PollingMargin of error: ± 5.5%

Sample size: 313

May 8–11, 2014Ted Cruz
15%
Jeb Bush
14%
Chris Christie
14%
Sarah Palin 12%, Rand Paul 11%, Mike Huckabee 11%, Paul Ryan 4%, Scott Walker 4%, Marco Rubio 3%, Someone else/Not sure 11%
Chris Christie
16%
Jeb Bush
15%
Ted Cruz
15%
Rand Paul 14%, Mike Huckabee 10%, Paul Ryan 5%, Scott Walker 5%, Marco Rubio 4%, Someone else/Not sure 16%
Magellan StrategiesMargin of error: ± 7%

Sample size: 190

April 14, 2014Ted Cruz
16%
Rand Paul
15%
Jeb Bush
13%
Mike Huckabee 12%, Chris Christie 11%, Marco Rubio 7%, Scott Walker 6%, John Kasich 1%, Undecided 19%
Public Policy PollingMargin of error: ± 4.7%

Sample size: 442

January 30 – February 1, 2014Rand Paul
15%
Ted Cruz
13%
Sarah Palin
13%
Jeb Bush 12%, Mike Huckabee 11%, Chris Christie 10%, Marco Rubio 6%, Paul Ryan 4%, Scott Walker 4%, Someone Else/Undecided 12%
Ted Cruz
16%
Jeb Bush
14%
Rand Paul
14%
Mike Huckabee 13%, Chris Christie 9%, Marco Rubio 8%, Paul Ryan 7%, Scott Walker 5%, Someone Else/Undecided 15%
Public Policy PollingMargin of error: ± 4.4%

Sample size: 507

July 25–28, 2013Rand Paul
18%
Sarah Palin
14%
Chris Christie13%Jeb Bush 11%, Marco Rubio 9%, Paul Ryan 9%, Ted Cruz 8%, Rick Santorum 5%, George Zimmerman 2%, Someone Else/Undecided 12%
Rand Paul
20%
Jeb Bush15%Chris Christie14%Paul Ryan 14%, Marco Rubio 10%, Ted Cruz 9%, Rick Santorum 6%, Someone Else/Undecided 12%
Public Policy PollingMargin of error: ± 4.2%

Sample size: 537

Feb. 4–5, 2013Marco Rubio
18%
Mike Huckabee
14%
Rand Paul12%Chris Christie 11%, Paul Ryan 10%, Jeb Bush 9%, Sarah Palin 9%, Bobby Jindal 6%, Rick Perry 1%, Someone Else/Undecided 10%

Results

Delegates were awarded to candidates who got 13% or more of the vote proportionally.

Controversy

At the Republican National Convention, Alaska's floor votes were all recorded for Donald Trump by the convention secretary, even though the Alaska delegation read their votes according to the results of the caucuses- 12 for Cruz, 11 for Trump and 5 for Rubio. An Alaska delegate challenged the results as recorded.[2] However, RNC chair Reince Priebus defended the actions of the convention secretary, saying that the delegates were bound to Trump.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 23 January 2016 . ADN poll: Alaskans like Trump, Sanders for president .
  2. Web site: Chairman of Alaska's Rep party said he doesn't know why 28 delegates went @realDonaldTrump but "it's going to be corrected in record" @ktva. Carlson. Emily. Twitter. July 23, 2016.
  3. News: Kopan. Tal. Payson-Denny. Wade. Why Alaska's delegates were counted for Donald Trump. CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.. July 23, 2016.