This morning's tally for AK Rep seat has Perolta (D) at 37, Pailn (R) at 32, and Begich (D in an R suit) at 28.
By the rules of ranked choice, since no candidate got over 50, only the top 2 candidates are kept, and all votes for Begich are distributed based on whomever was the #2 choice of the voter. So if someone ranked Begich 1, Palin 2, then their vote goes to Palin. The anti-trumpers most likely put Begich 1 and the Democrat 2, so all their votes go to Perolta. The anti-Sarah Rinos probably didn't put a #2 choice after Begich so they don't factor into the distribution.
AK GOP also pushed for mail-in votes this year, so we still have a few weeks before its all settled out. What a mess.
I'm betting Begich never ran to win, just to make sure Palin lost, and was funded and backed not just by the Rinos but Dems as well. Perolta ran uncontested for Dems. I think this was the strategy from the beginning, and will be how the Rino/Dem party tries to block America First candidates anywhere ranked choice is practiced.