The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-10-18
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERTSCOPE

be the largeset vote ever cast h Alaska history when all returns are in from the October general election, the Republican party made its greatest comeback in more than a decade. Rolling through the Second and Fourth Divisions on what virtually was a COP land slide and picking up legislative seats in both the First and Third, the Republicans captured l4 of the 24 House seats and six of the 16 Territorial Senate seats. With one Republican holdover, Senator John Butrovich of Fairbanks GOPers will have seven votes in the up- per house when the Legislature convenes next January 27 and clear cut control of the House. In addition, the Grand Old Party will take over one Territorial office next April 1. Republican Henry A. Benson of Anchorage having hand fly defeated incumbent Democrat Walter P. Sharpe of Juneau fer Labor commissioner.
 In face of this pronounced Re- publican uprising. Delegate Bob Bartlett, Democrat, running for his second term, had polled one of the biggest votes ever given a candi- date for Delegate to Congress, de- feating his Republican opponent better than two to one. Returns from 147 precincts of the 193 ia the Territory gave Bartlett a vote of 10,231 as compared with 4,398 for Peterson. The total vote cast would be well over 15.OO0. Largest heretofore was in 1882 when Tony Dimond beat Judge WickeTsham in the Democratic landslide, bringing out total vote for Delegate of 13,769.
 Also carrying the Democratic banner to victory was Treasurer Oscar c. Olson, who, running for his fourth term, defeated Republi- can Cash Go e by better than 1000 votes. Returns from the 147 pre- cincts reporting thus far give Ol- son 7,773 and Cole 6,352 Vote for the same number of precincts for Labor Commissioner give Benson 6.26G and Sharpe 5.159. Ross Kim ball, independent candidate for La bor Commissioner, boiled 2,615.
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 In the Senate contests, First Di- vision elected Republican L. P. Dawes of Juneau and Democrat Frank Peratrovich. The Second went all out Republican, easily electing William Munz and Charles Jones, both Republicans. Jones, in- cidentally was a member of the first Legislature in 1913. The Third Division split even like the First, electing Gunnard Engsbreth, Republican, c7l Victor c. Rivers, Democrat River was formerly a member of the 'elate from the Fourth It WIS in the Fourth the COP really showed it's strength. Andrew Nerland and E. E. Collins, Republicara were beating their Democratic opponents, Representa- tive Jesse ! ander and Warren Tay- Tor better than two to one With 34 of the 5G precincts in the Fourth reporting Nerland had nearly f1 many votes as Lander and Tayl"r combined and Collins was a close second. Collins, prominent attorney in Fairbanks, was Speaker of the first House Of Representative in 1913.
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 In the House races. the Repub- licans took three of eight seats in the First, three of four in the Sen ond, five of seven in the Third and four of five in the Fourth. Major Democratic strength obvi- ous'y lay in the First Division where Wrangell's James Nolan was leading the field, as he had in the primary. With returns from 46 Of the First's 53 precincts in, Jim had boiled 2924 votes, being trailed by comedy Anita Garnick Republican of Juneau with 2915, Nobody else was within shooting dis ance of the 29O0 bracket. Jim or Anita could take bow when the final tally of the remaining seven precincts and absentee bal lots were in.
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 Here's the incomplete legislative returns which show ultimate rn- suits with few exceptions;
 FIRST DIVISION
 46 out of 53 precincts
 (First two elected