AK: Worth Staying Up To See

By Christopher Lee

Alaska won't report the results of its Super Tuesday party caucuses until close to midnight EST, but the vote offers something for political junkies that might be worth staying up late to see.

Two lesser-known candidates have a chance to make a better than average showing here -- former Alaska senator Mike Gravel (D) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

For Gravel, who has barely registered in primary contests to date, today offers a chance to get in front of the voters who know him best. Still, he'll need an unprecedented showing to pick up any of the state's 18 Democratic delegates. Candidates must win at least 15 percent of the vote to earn any delegates at all.

Paul could benefit from Alaska residents' libertarian streak. The state -- with an economy heavily dependent on oil, gas, minerals and timber, much of it on federally controlled land -- is generally wary of Washington's long reach. At stake are 26 delegates to the Republican National Convention that will be awarded based on the percentage of the vote won by each candidate.