New polling shows far-right Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson public approval has dropped severely since he was elected in 2021. Bronson’s time in office has been a slow-motion trainwreck marred with controversies, accusations of ethical breaches, political patronage and a hollowing out of city services that has left many city agencies limping.
Unfortunately for Bronson, it looks like Anchorage residents are paying attention.
With the next mayoral election just over five months away, a poll conducted last week by Patinkin Research Strategies shows just 29% of respondents have a favorable view of the mayor. The survey, commissioned by the 907 Initiative, polled 400 registered voters with a self-reported margin of error of +/-4.9%. Respondents were asked about their political leanings, and 41% leaned or were strongly Republican, compared to 38% who identified as Democrats.
The survey found a whopping 54% have an unfavorable view of Bronson. This is a significant drop since Patinkin Research polled in March, with Bronson’s favorable rating dropping by eight points and his unfavorables growing by five.
It’s also worth noting that people with an unfavorable view of Bronson feel strongly about it. According to the poll, 44% of all respondents had a “very unfavorable” view of Bronson.
The Anchorage Municipal election is scheduled for April 2. Bronson has already filed to run for reelection and faces serious challenges from former Anchorage Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance, former Democratic Rep. Chris Tuck and former Anchorage Economic Development Corporation head Bill Popp. A candidate must receive more than 45% of the vote to avoid a run-off between the top two vote-getters. With the crowded field, it is expected the race will go to a run-off.
In appraising his job performance, things don’t get any better for Bronson.
A full 70% of respondents gave Bronson a negative review on his job this year, with just 26% feeling he’s done some positive job while in office. What’s also particularly important to note here is that almost everyone had an opinion on his job, with only a tiny undecided sliver. Those giving him a “poor” ranking account for a majority of the electorate, about 54%.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.