Alaska: All votes for Gov, Lt. Gov will count

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Latest on the Alaska governor’s race (all times local):

4:15 p.m.

The Division of Elections says a vote for any candidate for governor and lieutenant governor in Alaska will be counted in next month’s election.

That includes Gov. Bill Walker and former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott. Their names remain on the ballot though Walker ended his re-election campaign and Mallott resigned his office.

The date for candidates to withdraw from the ballot was Sept. 4.

Walker ended his re-election bid Friday, days after Mallott resigned over what Walker described as an inappropriate overture to a woman. Walker said it had been a tough week and that talks with Democratic challenger Mark Begich also factored in to his decision.

Walker said he concluded he couldn’t win against Begich and Republican Mike Dunleavy and thought Begich would be better for Alaska than Dunleavy.

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12:50 p.m.

Alaska’s largest labor organization is supporting Democrat Mark Begich for governor.

The Alaska AFL-CIO in August endorsed Gov. Bill Walker’s re-election bid. But Walker, an independent, announced Friday that he was ending his campaign.

Walker’s announcement followed the resignation of his lieutenant governor for what Walker described as an inappropriate overture to a woman, and talks between Walker and Begich about the race.

Walker said he concluded he could not win against Begich and Republican Mike Dunleavy. He said he thought Begich would be better for Alaska than Dunleavy.

Vince Beltrami, president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, said the union will “dig in with every ounce of energy” to help Begich win.

Dunleavy on Monday announced he’d been endorsed by Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young and Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.

AP-WF-10-23-18 0020GMT