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            Alaska's new legislative districts will stay in place for this year's elections unless a new legal challenge succeeds or the U.S Justice Department doesn't agree. Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens says it appears there are a number of instances with two good candidates - sometimes both incumbents - being forced to run against each other.

-- (Stevens 1               25 sec              "So I'm sorry to see that ... just the way it's going to happen.")

            Currently there's a 10-10 tie between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. Alaska Republican Party Chair Randy Ruederich stated earlier this year that the party will try to have elected a clear majority in the Senate because he does not think the bipartisan coalition, headed by Senator Stevens, is conservative enough. Stevens says he doesn't see a major swing either way:

-- (Stevens 2               23 sec              "I'm not a very good judge of ... we'll see how things turn out.")

            Stevens' new district stretches from Yakutat to Nelson Island, and includes Cordova, where Robert Henrich has filed as a Democrat to challenge Stevens in the general election:

-- (Stevens 3               17 sec              "It's ok. It's good to have ... and I'm anxious to do that.")

            The state primary election is August 28^th. And though there are no primary races in the Kodiak area, there will be an important ballot questions regarding coastal zone management on the ballot. The general election is November 6^th.