The 1968 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 5, 1968. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ernest Gruening ran for a second full term in office but finished behind Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives Mike Gravel in the Democratic primary. Gruening launched a write-in bid for the seat in the general election, but finished third to Gravel and Republican former Anchorage mayor Elmer Rasmuson.

1968 United States Senate election in Alaska

← 1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →

Nominee Mike Gravel Elmer Rasmuson Ernest Gruening (write-in) Party Democratic Republican Democratic Popular vote 36,527 30,286 14,118 Percentage 45.13% 37.42% 17.44%

Results by state house district Gravel:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% Gruening:      30–40%

U.S. senator before election Ernest Gruening Democratic Elected U.S. Senator Mike Gravel Democratic

Gravel would later lose the primary in 1980 to Gruening's grandson Clark.

This would be the first of 3 times where the incumbent holder of Alaska's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat was defeated in the primary while running for re-election.

Future Senator Ted Stevens also ran in the Republican primary, but lost to Rasmuson by around 1,000 votes. When incumbent Democratic Class 2 Senator Bob Bartlett died that December, Governor Wally Hickel appointed Stevens to the vacant seat, giving Stevens a seniority advantage of 10 days over the incoming Gravel.