Alaska governor says he quit race to boost Democrat

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alaskas-independent-governor-drops-election-043757868.html


JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Bill Walker's surprising announcement that he was quitting his bid for re-election with less than 21 days to go was an effort to boost Democratic rival Mark Begich's chances of beating Republican Mike Dunleavy.

Walker, the only independent governor in the country, said Friday he could not win a three-way race and that Alaskans deserve a choice other than Dunleavy. There are a lot of things he and Begich don't agree on, but Walker said Begich would be better for Alaska.

Whether Begich can overtake the presumed front-runner remains to be seen with two-and-a-half weeks before the election. Begich, who said his campaign was "inundated" with calls after Walker's announcement, thinks he can win.