““Alaska has elected only four Democratic senators since it entered the union in 1959 and just one since 1980.” — Ronald Brownstein, CNN analysis, “If a blue wave is coming, here are the races where it will start,” Nov. 1, 2026”
The claim: ““Alaska has elected only four Democratic senators since it entered the union in 1959 and just one since 1980.” — Ronald Brownstein, CNN analysis, “If a blue wave is coming, here are the races where it will start,” Nov. 1, 2026”
Why we rated it this way: The Senate's list of Alaska senators shows four Democrats since statehood: Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening, who took office in 1959, Mike Gravel, who served from 1969 to 1981, and Mark Begich, who served from 2009 to 2015. Gravel's last election was in 1974, so Begich, elected in 2008, is the only Democrat Alaska has sent to the Senate since 1980.
See the evidenceWhat would change our rating: A Senate record showing another Democrat who represented Alaska, or a Democratic Alaska senator elected after 1980 besides Begich, would move this toward Contradicted.
Our read
The Senate's list of Alaska senators shows four Democrats since statehood: Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening, who took office in 1959, Mike Gravel, who served from 1969 to 1981, and Mark Begich, who served from 2009 to 2015. Gravel's last election was in 1974, so Begich, elected in 2008, is the only Democrat Alaska has sent to the Senate since 1980.
Broadcast
Picture to come
Nov 1, 2026, 11:05 PM CST
Sources
Script
Narration script. If a face or a voice delivers this, the anchor is synthetic.
Late Check. CNN says Alaska has elected only four Democratic senators since statehood, and just one since 1980. The Senate's own list shows Bartlett, Gruening, Gravel and Begich, with Begich the only one since 1980. Verdict: matches record.
Corrections
None on file.