Alaska's midterm races have held intrigue on many fronts: A nationally watched Senate race, the incumbent governor unexpectedly dropping out at the last minute and a congressman who could be ousted after 45 years in office.

But a bizarre and tragic story connects the state's governor's race and its at-large congressional seat, one stretching back to a mysterious plane crash in 1972. A Twitter user, Jordan Rudner, detailed it in a series of posts.

Bill Walker, the nation's only independent governor who has led Alaska since 2014, bowed out of his race seemingly at the last minute. Walker explained he didn't think he would win a three-way race after Democrat Mark Begich jumped into the race, possibly dividing the Democratic vote to the benefit of Republican candidate Mike Dunleavy.

Remember the name Mark Begich. It will come up later.

In Congress, Don Young has held the state's at-large seat in the House since 1973. To put that in perspective, Alaska became a U.S. state in 1959. Young is known for wild antics, including, as Rudner mentioned on Twitter, once holding a 10-inch bone knife to former House Speaker John Boehner's throat.

Young's start in Congress was anything but typical: He originally lost the 1972 election to incumbent Democrat Nick Begich, who disappeared on a plane from Anchorage to Juneau before voters cast ballots. Those on board the flight that October included Rep. Hale Boggs, D-La.; Begich's aide, Russell Brown; and the pilot, Don Jonz.

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The pilot stopped communicating mid-flight. A massive search unfolded, but both the plane and those on board were never found.

Begich still won the race weeks later. It wasn't until January that the House officially recognized Begich was presumed dead, allowing for a special election in 1973.

The winner? Don Young. He's held that seat ever since. And remember gubernatorial candidate Mark Begich? His father was Nick Begich, who originally beat Young before disappearing on the flight.

Another interesting tidbit: A 2010 report by the Washington Post notes that, before his death in the plane crash, Nick Begich was almost in another crash in 1970.

His plane made an emergency landing on a sandbar, and rescuers found him and the rest of those on board uninjured.