Alaska's House and Senate contests are set for November's general election, after the results in the state's nonpartisan top-four primary put fringe candidates on the ballot.
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce debut their new dog as Alaska’s ranked-choice voting puts longshots on ballot
The news offers Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s new dog a debut, while Alaska’s ranked-choice voting opens the door for unlikely candidates. The mechanism is the same: the crowd decides who gets the spotlight, but the outcome isn’t always the expected one. The primetime slot goes to whoever brings the numbers, whether it’s a pop star’s puppy or a ballot underdog. The walk from the red carpet to the voting booth is shorter than it looks. The stakes are the same—who gets attention, who gets a shot, and who gets written off as a longshot. In both cases, the crowd’s choice is the headline, not the result. The underdog gets their moment, but the system makes sure the spotlight stays on the show, not the stakes.
“Taylor Swift’s new dog gets a primetime debut, while Alaska’s voting system lets the underdogs onto the ballot. The show goes to whoever draws the crowd, not necessarily the winner.”
“America loves its celebrities, and longshot candidates show democracy at work. Everyone gets their moment, even if it’s just a moment with a puppy. Did I say puppy? I meant opportunity. The process works, doesn’t it?”
The receipts
The newlyweds reveal their new dog, Wendy, for the first time in a new Tommy Hilfiger Fall 2026 campaign.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.