State Senator, Senate District E
August 18, 2026 · State Senate District E; Alaska · State senate district · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: High · 79 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 35,592 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(40,435 ÷ 35,592) ÷ ln(40,435 ÷ 34,426) = 79.3, comparing state senate districts in AK (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
High representation + unknown decisiveness → High vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Cathy Giessel
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Cathy Giessel is the incumbent Alaska state senator for Senate District E and the Senate majority leader. A registered nurse and advanced nurse practitioner, she has served in the Alaska Senate since 2011, including earlier service representing prior district configurations.
Gretchen W. Stoddard
Nonpartisan · declared
Gretchen W. Stoddard is a candidate for Alaska State Senate District E in the 2026 primary election.
Jason "Jace" White
Nonpartisan · declared
Jason "Jace" White is a candidate for Alaska State Senate District E in the 2026 primary election.
Leo B. Schafer
Nonpartisan · declared
Leo B. Schafer is a candidate for Alaska State Senate District E in the 2026 primary election.
Election sources
Source: elections.alaska.gov
Source: elections.alaska.gov