Editing Alaska (section)

===State politics===
{{Main|Politics of Alaska}}
{{Further|Political party strength in Alaska|Alaska political corruption probe}}
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="font-size:95%;"
|+ Alaska vote|Gubernatorial election results<ref name="Leip, David">{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=General Election Results—Alaska|publisher=United States Election Atlas|access-date=November 18, 2016|last=Leip|first=David|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604224433/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|archive-date=June 4, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Democratic Party (Alaska)|Democratic]]
! [[Republican Party (Alaska)|Republican]]
! Others
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1958 Alaska gubernatorial election|1958]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''59.6%''' ''29,189''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.4% ''19,299''
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1962 Alaska gubernatorial election|1962]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.3%''' ''29,627''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|47.7% ''27,054''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1966 Alaska gubernatorial election|1966]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|48.4% ''32,065''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.0%''' ''33,145''
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1970 Alaska gubernatorial election|1970]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.4%''' ''42,309''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.1% ''37,264''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1974 Alaska gubernatorial election|1974]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|47.4% ''45,553''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''47.7%''' ''45,840''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1978 Alaska gubernatorial election|1978]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|20.2% ''25,656''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''39.1%''' ''49,580''
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1982 Alaska gubernatorial election|1982]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''46.1%''' ''89,918''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.1% ''72,291''
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1986 Alaska gubernatorial election|1986]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''47.3%''' ''84,943''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.6% ''76,515''
|-
| {{Party shading/Constitution}}|[[1990 Alaska gubernatorial election|1990]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|30.9% ''60,201''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|26.2% ''50,991''
| {{Party shading/Constitution}}|'''38.9%''' ''75,721''{{efn|Wally Hickel would rejoin the Republican party after winning the election as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party.}}
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1994 Alaska gubernatorial election|1994]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''41.1%''' ''87,693''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|40.8% ''87,157''
|-
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1998 Alaska gubernatorial election|1998]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.3%''' ''112,879''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|17.9% ''39,331''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2002 Alaska gubernatorial election|2002]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|40.7% ''94,216''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''55.9%''' ''129,279''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2006 Alaska gubernatorial election|2006]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|41.0% ''97,238''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''48.3%''' ''114,697''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2010 Alaska gubernatorial election|2010]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|37.7% ''96,519''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.1%''' ''151,318''
|-
| {{Party shading/Nonpartisan}}|[[2014 Alaska gubernatorial election|2014]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|0.0% '''0'''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.9% ''128,435''
| {{Party shading/Nonpartisan}}|'''48.1%''' ''134,658''{{efn|[[Byron Mallott]], the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, suspended his campaign and became the running mate of [[Bill Walker (American politician)|Bill Walker]], an independent who left the Republican Party. They won the election with 48.1% or 134,658 votes.}}
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2018 Alaska gubernatorial election|2018]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|44.4% ''125,739''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.4%''' ''145,631''
|-
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2022 Alaska gubernatorial election|2022]]
| {{Party shading/Democratic}}|24.2% ''63,755''
| {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.3%''' ''132,392''
|}

Although in its early years of statehood Alaska was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] state, since the early 1970s it has been characterized as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]-leaning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://election.nationaljournal.com/states/ak.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115144037/http://election.nationaljournal.com/states/ak.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 15, 2006 |title=National Journal Alaska State Profile |publisher=Election.nationaljournal.com |access-date=June 2, 2010 }}</ref> Local political communities have often worked on issues related to land use development, fishing, tourism, and individual rights. [[Alaska Natives]], while organized in and around their communities, have been active within the [[Alaska Native Regional Corporations|Native corporations]]. These have been given ownership over large tracts of land, which require stewardship.

Alaska was formerly the only state in which possession of one ounce or less of marijuana in one's home was completely legal under state law, though the federal law remains in force.<ref name=seattle_times>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003118645_webpot10.html |title=Judge rules against Alaska marijuana law |access-date=May 22, 2008 |last=Volz |first=Matt |date=July 11, 2006 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617044034/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003118645_webpot10.html |archive-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The state has an independence movement favoring a vote on secession from the United States, with the [[Alaskan Independence Party]].<ref name="AIPqa">{{cite web|url=http://www.akip.org/faqs.html|title=Questions And Answers—About Alaskan Independence|year=2006|publisher=Alaskan Independence Party|access-date=January 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104011721/http://www.akip.org/faqs.html|archive-date=January 4, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Six [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and four [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] have served as governor of Alaska. In addition, Republican governor [[Wally Hickel]] was elected to the office for a second term in 1990 after leaving the Republican party and briefly joining the Alaskan Independence Party ticket just long enough to be reelected. He officially rejoined the Republican party in 1994.

Alaska's [[2014 Alaska Measure 2|voter initiative making marijuana legal]] took effect on February 24, 2015, placing Alaska alongside Colorado and Washington, as well as Washington D.C., as the first three U.S. states where recreational marijuana is legal. The new law means people over 21 can consume small amounts of cannabis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388673136/marijuana-is-now-legal-in-alaska-the-third-u-s-state-to-ok-pot |title=Marijuana Is Now Legal in Alaska, The 3rd U.S. State With Legal Pot |access-date=February 25, 2015 |last=Chappel |first=Bill |date=February 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224213811/http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388673136/marijuana-is-now-legal-in-alaska-the-third-u-s-state-to-ok-pot |archive-date=February 24, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The first legal marijuana store opened in Valdez in October 2016.<ref>Andrews, Laurel,[https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2016/10/29/anticipation-builds-as-alaskas-first-marijuana-store-set-to-open-to-the-public/ Marijuana milestone: Alaska's first pot shop opens to the public in Valdez] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116020638/https://www.adn.com/alaska-marijuana/2016/10/29/anticipation-builds-as-alaskas-first-marijuana-store-set-to-open-to-the-public/ |date=November 16, 2016 }} ''[[Alaska Dispatch News]], October 29, 2016''</ref>