Candidate touts signs for advancing in Alaska Senate race

JUNEAU, Alaska — Buzz Kelley, a Republican candidate who has not reported raising any money, has advanced to the November general election in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race.

Kelley joins Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican Kelly Tshibaka and Democrat Pat Chesbro in advancing from last week’s primary. The top four vote-getters in the open primary advance to the general election in which ranked voting will be used. State elections officials released updated vote counts late Friday.

Kelley did not respond to emails or a message sent through his website from The Associated Press. But he told the Anchorage Daily News recently that his success could be due to his 12 campaign signs, one of which he has welded to the top of his vehicle.

While Tshibaka’s slogan is “Kelly for Alaska,” Buzz Kelley said it seemed “a bit of a stretch” that Tshibaka supporters mistakenly voted for him.

“There is probably the possibility that some of those people had intended to vote for Kelly Tshibaka,” he told the newspaper. “But it’s also possible people have looked at my website and say, ‘Hey, I kind of like some of that stuff. I think I’ll color in Buzz’s oval.’”