1962 Alaska gubernatorial election

The 1962 Alaska gubernatorial election happened on November 6, 1962, to choose the Governor of Alaska. The person who was already governor, William A. Egan from the Democratic party, won the election again. He beat his opponent, Mike Stepovich, who was from the Republican party and had been the former governor of the Alaska Territory.

Before the big election, there were smaller elections called primaries. In these, Egan beat two other candidates, George Byer and Warren A. Taylor. Stepovich also had to face two candidates in his primary and he beat Howard Wallace Pollock and Jack Coghill.

This election was important because it showed that Egan was popular enough to keep his job as governor for another term. It was one of the first big elections after Alaska became a state in 1959. For more information about elections happening around the same time, you can look at the 1962 United States gubernatorial elections.

Candidates

In the 1962 Alaska gubernatorial election, several people wanted to become governor.

On the Democratic side, the candidates were David Newton Boyer, a business owner from Kenai Peninsula; George H. Byer, former Mayor of Anchorage; William A. Egan, the current governor; and Warren A. Taylor, a lawyer from Fairbanks who also worked in the state government.

For the Republicans, the candidates included John B. Coghill, a business owner and state senator from Nenana; Milo H. Fritz, a doctor from Anchorage; Verne O. Martin, another lawyer from Anchorage; Howard Pollock, an attorney and state senator; and Mike Stepovich, a lawyer and former governor of the area.

After the primary election, Robert W. Hamilton ran as a write-in candidate. He owned a gas station and had been a teacher and road construction foreman. Some people wondered if his campaign followed the rules because Alaska was a new state. We don’t know how many people voted for him because the results weren’t published.

Results

In 1962, Alaska held an election to choose its governor. The current governor, William A. Egan from the Democratic party, won again. He beat his opponent, Mike Stepovich, who was from the Republican party and had been the former governor of the Alaska Territory.

Before the big election, both Egan and Stepovich had to win smaller elections called primaries. Egan beat two other candidates, George Byer and Warren A. Taylor. Stepovich beat Howard Wallace Pollock and Jack Coghill.