ANCHORAGE — Independent candidate Bill Walker widened his slim lead over Republican Gov. Sean Parnell Tuesday in Alaska’s tight gubernatorial race.

Alaska elections workers began counting more than 53,000 absentee and questioned ballots Tuesday.

With a little less than one-third of those ballots counted by early evening, Walker was ahead by nearly 4,000 votes over Parnell among all ballots counted since the Nov. 4 election.

The race remained too close to call, however.

ANCHORAGE — The candidates in Alaska’s gubernatorial race were laying low Wednesday following an extremely close election that put independent challenger Bill Walker ahead of Republican incumbent Sean Parnell by slightly more than 3,000 votes.

Thousands of early and absentee ballots remain uncounted, and the race is too close to call.

ANCHORAGE — Voters on Tuesday will determine who will win the increasingly tight race between Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell and his independent opponent, Bill Walker.

The Republican incumbent got a last-minute election boost from former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who attended a rally for Parnell and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan in Anchorage on Monday.

Walker received his own high-profile backing from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee, who urged voters Monday to support Walker.

ANCHORAGE — The campaigns for Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell and independent candidate Bill Walker are each launching their final push ahead of Tuesday’s election.

The tightening race has seen the Republican incumbent defending his handling of sexual assault allegations and other misconduct in the Alaska National Guard while his opponent has gained momentum since joining forces with a Democrat.

Both sides express confidence of victory and say volunteers are fanning out across the state to rally for the candidates.