Alaska's candidate withdrawal deadline is June 27. After Saturday, the August 18 primary ballot is largely set

The certified list of candidates for Alaska's 2026 elections becomes effectively final on Saturday, June 27, the last day candidates can withdraw from the August 18 primary ballot. The Alaska Division of Elections currently shows 18 governor and lieutenant-governor tickets filed: 11 Republican-led, 3 Democratic-led, and several nonpartisan and undeclared tickets. Term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy cannot run again, which has contributed to the unusually deep field.

Alaska's primary is a top-four contest. Voters cast one vote for one candidate; the top four vote-getters across all parties advance to the November general election. Ranked-choice voting applies only in the general election, after the field is already narrowed to four.

The structural implication: any party with multiple candidates in a single race can split its own vote during the primary, potentially advancing fewer candidates to the general election than its overall support would suggest. This applies to all parties; Alaska's largest fields this year are in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.

Candidates considering whether to withdraw face an information gap. Federal candidates won't disclose updated fundraising figures until August, and the next major state disclosure lands after the withdrawal deadline. Strategic decisions this week may be made without current financial data.

The U.S. Senate race includes a notable filing issue: two Republicans named Dan Sullivan filed for the seat. The Division of Elections has certified incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and ruled the second filer, Dan J. Sullivan, ineligible.

After Saturday, the August 18 primary ballot is set. Voters in every race will pick one candidate; the top four advance to November.