could the 3rd part candidate keep top voter getter under 50% and result in a January runoff?
I did not write that clearly.
The Tea Party “favorite” is a Republican, and he is running in the GOP primary in August.
I don’t know what the Alaskan Republicans do if no one gets a majority in their August primary.
There are NO RUN-OFFS in a General Election. The top vote-getter wins; that simple. Clinton was elected two times and never got 50% of the vote.