And then there were… 11.
With the entrance of former Attorney General Treggarick “Treg” Taylor, the race for Alaska’s next governor has swelled to 10 Republicans and one Democrat. Taylor, a major proponent of allowing public school funding to flow to private and religious education, is the third member of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s right-wing administration to join the race.
As the governor’s longest-serving attorney general after the first two resigned over allegations of being sex pests, Taylor has been one of the more potent forces of the Dunleavy administration. He’s directed the spending of millions of dollars — mostly on contracting with conservative Outside law firms — to sue the Biden administration and has signed onto many other virtue-signalling lawsuits by fellow GOP attorneys general.
Conservative writer Suzanne Downing published a story earlier this year about how it appeared that Taylor was using the state office to soft-launch his campaign for governor. She was later forced out after writing a story critical of Taylor’s attempts to keep his business dealings secret ahead of his run for office (he believes he shouldn’t have to disclose the identity of the more than 200 people who pay rent to him).
More: Downing’s exit from Must Read Alaska was almost noble
Under Taylor’s leadership, the state’s Department of Law has frequently and conveniently come up with legal readings that support the governor’s agenda, including loosening oversight of state public education spending so families could use the funds to attend private and religious schools (something he personally took part in). One of his final acts in office was to sign off on a letter justifying the appointment of Attorney John W. Wood to the non-attorney spot on the judge-selecting Alaska Judicial Council (a part of a larger effort to override the non-partisan, merit-based system currently in place).
Other developments in the race for governor
- Conservative media personality Bernadette Wilson is the first to round out her ticket with a running mate. Earlier this month, she announced that she’s selected Wasilla Republican Sen. Mike “Dozer” Shower, the Senate Minority Leader, as her pick for lieutenant governor.
- Former Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commissioner Roger “Bruce” Walden also joined the race. Walden ran as a write-in candidate for governor in 2022.
- Mary Peltola’s still undecided on what, if anything, she’ll run for.
State of the race
Taylor’s entrance to the race pretty much rounds out the Republican names expected to run. The muddled field doesn’t paint a picture of much Republican unity heading into the replacement of Dunleavy, especially since most candidates are essentially pledging more of the same (which the public isn’t enthralled with) if they’re elected. While Taylor certainly brings the highest profile of any of the candidates to the race — thanks in large part to his use of state resources to court reactionary conservatives nationwide — there’s considerable dissent among Republicans that he’s actually well-suited to take the state’s reins.
Meanwhile, Democrats are largely still sitting on the sidelines while waiting to hear what former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola is going to do in the 2026 election (whether it be a run for Congress or governor). They’re still left with former state Sen. Tom Begich as their lone candidate in the race. No independents have filed, either.
So, without further ado, let’s see how they all stack up according to our Votable Index Based Entirely on Science (VIBES) analysis of their ability to win in 2026. Find our previous ranking here.
1. Click Bishop
Pros: Moderate, labor-friendly Republican that Democrats could live with.
Cons: Reviled by the Alaska Republican Party for being a moderate, labor-friendly Republican that Democrats can live with. Also, when’s he gonna start campaigning?
2. Tom Begich
Pros: A Begich and the only Democrat in the race.
Cons: A Begich and the only Democrat in the race.
3. Bernadette Wilson and Mike Shower (+3)
Pros: An ultra-MAGA mudslinger who understands that grievance and alternate facts go a long way in today’s modern political world.
Cons: Sen. Mike Shower — who’s one of the most chronically absent from the Capitol — is not bringing a whole lot to the ticket.
4. Treggarick “Treg” Taylor (new)
Pros: Did not resign for being a sex pest, as his two predecessors did.
Cons: An ultra-wealthy right-wing weirdo who’s more than happy to bend the rules of the law to fit his political needs. He also has no problem with using public school funding to pay for his children’s private and religious education, despite the Alaska Constitution prohibiting the use of public school money for such purposes.
5. Shelley Hughes (-1)
Pros: Has a finger on the pulse of whatever’s the latest Republican panic factory, whether it be trans kids in sports or trans kids in general.
Cons: Considers right-wing Anchorage Republicans too moderate for her.
6. Edna DeVries (-1)
Pros: Has a lot of experience.
Cons: She’ll be 85 by the time she’s sworn in, a point that Republican media has seemed to fixate on following her filing, suggesting she doesn’t have the right blessings.
7. Adam Crum (-4)
Pros: The oil industry has a lot of money, and Crum once appeared to be the chosen one.
Cons: May or may not have done something untoward to benefit the oil industry. Also, doesn’t seem to have the party’s blessing anymore.
8. Matt Heilala (-1)
Pros: He has a big RV plastered with his campaign logo, and he is also one of the leading forces of anti-trans panic in Alaska.
Cons: So far, a one-note candidate who’s giving Bear Doctor vibes.
9. James William Parkin IV (-1)
Pros: He is ostensibly a working-class-focused guy with his support for bigger PFDs, funded schools and public employee pensions.
Cons: In an academic sense, the problem is how you pay for it all. In a political sense, he’s about as out of line with the party powers as Bishop is, while also lacking the folksy appeal.
10. Roger “Bruce” Walden (new)
Pros: The only candidate to have technically run for governor before.
Cons: He finished seventh in the 2022 primary, and fewer than 1,000 voters wrote in any write-in candidate.
10. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (-1)
Pros: Currently has an office that shares a floor with the governor.
Cons: Her exit from the race for U.S. House after being bullied by pretty much every right-wing power broker in the country isn’t a great look. Plus, she’s the least rabidly right-wing member of the Dunleavy administration to file to run for office.
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 Bluesky.
