A few days ago, I wrote a piece about Senate District K in Anchorage, the most contested Senate District in the state. So I thought I should write about the least contested district. Not one of the three legislators—the Senate seat and two House seats–in Senate District S is being challenged.

Senate District S covers a large swath of land in Western Alaska, including the population centers of Bethel, Dillingham and Dutch Harbor. The races may not be competitive, but the issues are enormous and contentious: fisheries, Arctic development and the Pebble Mine, to name just a few.

The incumbent, Democrat Sen. Lyman Hoffman, is one of the two longest serving legislators in Juneau. He was first elected to the legislature in 1986, and has proven his mettle time and again. He’s a power house in or out of the majority.

Reps. Bryce Edgmon and Bob Herron represent House Districts 37 and 38 respectively. Both are Democrats, and have organized with the Republican majority caucus in the past, and both have been legislative staffers prior to their elections, working closely with constituents they now represent. Edgmon’s first race for his legislative seat in 2006 ended in a tie vote that was resolved, in his favor, by a flip of a coin. Herron is Senator Hoffman’s brother-in-law. Neither House member is challenged this election.

Current state of the race: Smart money might want to bet on a landslide win for the incumbents. Feel comfortable to give odds.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com