Independent Bill Hill Challenges Rep. Nick Begich in Alaska's House Race
Bill Hill, running as an independent, is challenging Republican Congressman Nick Begich for Alaska's lone U.S. House seat in the general election on 3 November, according to The Guardian. The race has drawn growing attention in its final weeks, and the Cook Political Report has moved it from "likely Republican" to "leans Republican."
Hill is an Alaska Native commercial fisher who has also worked in education and construction. His campaign website describes him as a Dena'ina Athabascan from Naknek, and the site brands him "Independent for All Alaskans." His campaign has centred on making life more affordable for working-class Alaskans.
Begich is an ally of President Donald Trump. After the August primary, which had a 15-candidate field, Hill was the clear lead challenger to Begich, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The two men met in a debate in Anchorage on 14 October.
Recent polls have shown Hill trailing Begich by single digits. The campaign gained momentum in the final weeks before the vote, according to The Guardian. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party's House campaign arm, added the race to its "red to blue" program in September. The Democratic Party has since coalesced behind Hill, a move The Guardian reported in late October.
Hill has not specified whether he would caucus with Democrats if elected. A caucus is a group of lawmakers who vote together inside Congress.
Alaska's House contest uses a four-way ranked-choice system, meaning voters rank the candidates in order of preference rather than choosing only one. The U.S. House Clerk's list of 2026 nominations identifies Begich as the Republican candidate and lists Hill as a nonpartisan candidate.
Campaign finances have also drawn attention. Alaska Beacon reported that Hill disclosed assets valued at as little as $119,000.
In late October, Hill was also informing voters about a candidate who is in federal prison and ineligible for the seat, according to Alaska Beacon.
