{"id":227,"date":"2026-06-02T19:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T19:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtoalaskausa.com\/?p=227"},"modified":"2026-06-02T19:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T19:08:17","slug":"seventeen-people-sign-up-to-run-in-2026-alaska-governor-race-top-four-advance-in-aug-18-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtoalaskausa.com\/?p=227","title":{"rendered":"Seventeen people sign up to run in 2026 Alaska governor race; top four advance in Aug. 18 primary"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Seventeen people have registered as candidates for Alaska governor in this fall\u2019s election, though the final slate won\u2019t be set until June 27, the withdrawal deadline. Only four will advance in the Aug. 18 primary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more States face tight timeline as feds unveil new Medicaid work requirement rules<\/a><\/p>\n

The deadline to register as a candidate was 5 p.m. Monday. Former state Sen. Lesil McGuire and <\/span>former Gov. Bill Walker<\/span>, both running as independents, were among those who registered on the last day.<\/span><\/p>\n

The field of candidates, which includes 11 Republicans, three Democrats and three independents, is especially large this year. Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and unable to run for another term.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unless they withdraw, all of the 17 candidates will compete in the Aug. 18 statewide open primary election. Voters will each pick one candidate, and the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November 3 general election.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In November, voters will rank those final four candidates in order of preference using <\/span>ranked-choice voting<\/span>. The winner will take office at noon Dec. 7 for a four-year term.<\/span><\/p>\n

Current Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican, dropped out of the race on Monday, <\/span>13 months after she said she would run<\/span> for the office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dahlstrom had raised a relatively small amount of money since her announcement, according to preliminary campaign finance disclosures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more First Alaska mule deer harvest follows years of fleeting appearances in the state<\/a><\/p>\n

Two other independents, Jessica Faircloth and Gregg Brelsford, and one Republican, Bruce Walden, also declined to register as candidates despite filing preliminary paperwork.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because a gubernatorial candidate must have a lieutenant governor candidate as a running mate, the days before the filing deadline brought a flurry of announcements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Former Alaska attorney general Treg Taylor, running as a Republican, announced businesswoman Candice English as his lieutenant governor choice. Self-funded Republican candidate Matt Heilala picked former Wasilla Rep. Jesse Sumner, a fellow Republican.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the Democratic side, Sen. Matt Claman of Anchorage picked healthcare executive <\/span>Sarah Skeel<\/span>, and former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins chose current Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If a lieutenant governor candidate drops out before June 27, the candidate for governor can pick someone new to replace them. If a candidate for governor drops out, the lieutenant governor candidate may replace them and pick a new lieutenant governor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more University of Alaska names U.S. Army commander as new UAF chancellor<\/a><\/p>\n

Candidates for Governor<\/h4>\n
    \n
  • Former state Sen. <\/span>Tom Begich<\/span> (Democratic) with Lt. Gov. candidate Julia Hnilicka (Democratic)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former state Sen. <\/span>Click Bishop<\/span> (Republican) with Lt. Gov. candidate <\/span>Greta Schuerch<\/span> (independent)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former Bristol Bay Borough manager <\/span>Gregg Brelsford<\/span> (independent)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former Anchorage Mayor <\/span>Dave Bronson<\/span> (Republican) and Lt. Gov. candidate Josh Church (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former state revenue commissioner <\/span>Adam Crum<\/span> (Republican) and Lt. Gov. candidate Robert Craig (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Current state Sen. <\/span>Matt Claman<\/span> (Democratic) and Lt. Gov. candidate Sarah Skeel (Democratic)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Lt. Gov. <\/span>Nancy Dahlstrom<\/span> (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor <\/span>Edna DeVries<\/span> (Republican) and Lt. Gov. candidate George Hightower (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Organizer <\/span>Meda DeWitt<\/span> (nonpartisan) with Lt. Gov. candidate Christopher Steere (nonpartisan)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Kasilof resident <\/span>Jessica Faircloth<\/span> (independent)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Anchorage podiatrist and state medical board member <\/span>Matt Heilala<\/span> (Republican) and Lt. Gov. candidate Jesse Sumner (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former state Sen. <\/span>Shelley Hughes<\/span> (Republican) with Lt. Gov. candidate <\/span>Blake Gettys<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former state Rep. <\/span>Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins<\/span> (Democratic) and Lt. Gov. candidate Zac Johnson (nonpartisan)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Author Hank Kroll (Registered Republican) with Lt. Gov. candidate Tommy Nicholson (undeclared)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former state Sen. Lesil McGuire (Republican) with Lt. Gov. candidate Elizabeth Rexford (undeclared)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Angoon resident and former teacher James William Parkin IV (Republican) with Lt. Gov. candidate Ramadhani Greer (Democratic)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • North Pole resident Destry Payne (nonpartisan) with Lt. Gov. candidate Cliff Silvers (nonpartisan)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former Attorney General <\/span>Treg Taylor<\/span> (Republican) with CEO Candice English (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Palmer resident <\/span>Bruce Walden<\/span> (Republican)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Former Gov. Bill Walker (nonpartisan) with Randy Hoffbeck (nonpartisan)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Businesswoman Bernadette Wilson (Republican) with Lt. Gov. candidate Mike Shower (Republican)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The field of candidates includes 11 Republicans, three Democrats and three independents. Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nSeventeen people sign up to run in 2026 Alaska governor race; top four advance in Aug. 18 primary - Moving to Alaska<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movingtoalaskausa.com\/?p=227\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seventeen people sign up to run in 2026 Alaska governor race; top four advance in Aug. 18 primary - Moving to Alaska\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The field of candidates includes 11 Republicans, three Democrats and three independents. 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