AK-Gov: Incumbent Gov. Bill Walker is a ‘distant third’ in latest poll of three-way race

Incumbent Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) is trailing a "distant third" according to the latest poll presented by the Alaska Correctional Officers Association and conducted by Alaska Survey Research.

The general election in November will be a three-way race between Walker, former Alaska Sen. Mark Begich (D), and an as-yet determined Republican. The filing deadline for candidates was June 1. The primary election is Aug. 21.

Who's running, anyway?

Walker, an independent, is seeking re-election to a second term.

Former Sen. Mark Begich is running as a Democrat.

Businessman and Chairman of BIPAC Scott Hawkins, former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, and former Republican state Sen. Mike Dunleavy are running for the Republican spot.

You can read more about all four men here and here.

What were the findings of the poll?

The poll's respondents were asked their feelings about Walker, Begich, and Dunleavy.

According to the poll's findings, Walker would take 23 percent of the vote if the election were held Tuesday.

Begich would take 33 percent of the vote, and Dunleavy  would take 38 percent of the vote.

According to the findings, 6 percent of respondents were undecided.

The poll also included favorability ratings for the three men:

• 42 percent of respondents viewed Walker positively, while 39 percent viewed him negatively. 14 percent of respondents were "neutral" when it came to Walker, and 5 percent didn't even know who he was.
• 49 percent of respondents viewed Begich positively, while 35 percent viewed him negatively. 11 percent of respondents were "neutral" when it came to Begich, and 4 percent didn't know who the former senator was.
• 34 percent of respondents viewed Dunleavy positively, while 22 percent viewed him negatively. 20 percent of respondents were "neutral" when it came to Dunleavy, and 23 percent didn't know who he was.

Alaska Survey Research conducted the poll June 15-21 and surveyed 654 registered Alaska voters. The poll's margin of error is approximately 3.8 percent.

You can view the poll's full results here.

So who’s going to win?

According to an April Morning Consult Poll, Walker’s approval rating has dropped below 30 percent.

A June prediction from the far-left Daily Kos reported that a Republican will likely unseat Walker.

A June Inside Elections prediction said the election would “tilt Republican.”

A March Ivan Moore Research poll showed Walker leading Dunleavy in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup by a margin of 51 percent to 44 percent. Another March poll, by the same firm, showed Begich leading Dunleavy in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup by a margin of 53 percent to 42 percent.