An Alaska Native will become the first Indigenous woman to represent her state in the US Congress after defeating a field that included former governor Sarah Palin in the special election.
Yup'ik woman Mary Peltola, a Democratic former state lawmaker, won the special election to fill Alaska's sole House of Representatives seat, the Alaska Division of Elections announced on Wednesday.
She defeated Republican Palin by 51.47 per cent to 48.53. Palin is widely known for her unsuccessful vice presidential run with John McCain in 2008.
Peltola will finish the remainder of the term of Republican Representative Don Young, who died earlier this year, and will face re-election in November.
She is the first Alaska Native to represent a state where almost 20 per cent of the population is Indigenous, the highest proportion in the United States.
Palin's campaign for the House seat was her first run for public office after the McCain loss. She is seen as having helped open the door to a more far-right wing of the Republican Party.
Sarah Palin and Mary Peltola on stage during a forum for U.S. House candidates at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association annual conference. Source: AP
During her campaign, Peltola ran as "Alaska's best shot at keeping an extremist from winning," according to her campaign website. She highlighted her status as "the only candidate in this race who isn't a multi-millionaire".
The election is the first one run under the state's new ranked choice system, with voters listing candidates in order of preference on the ballot. A candidate must clear 50 per cent of the vote to be declared the winner.
The special election was called after the death of Young, 88, who was first elected in 1973.
The winner of the special election will serve out Young's term, which expires at the end of this year. Palin, Peltola and Republican Nick Begich III will vie in a November 8 election to fill the seat for the next two years.
