Five candidates file for Alaska governor in 2026 race

Five candidates have filed Letters of Intent to run for Alaska governor in the 2026 primary.

Former state senator Lesil McGuire filed on May 29, 2026. She joins former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, former state senator Tom Begich, author Henry Kroll, and Matanuska-Susitna Borough mayor Edna DeVries in the race. Incumbent Governor Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term.

McGuire served in the Alaska State Senate from 2007 to 2017, representing Anchorage-area districts. Begich represented an Anchorage-based district in the Alaska State Senate from 2017 to 2023 and served as Senate minority leader from 2019 to 2023. DeVries has served as mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough since 2021 and previously served as mayor of Palmer. Bronson served as Anchorage mayor from 2021 to 2024.

DeVries filed her Letter of Intent on June 12, 2025. Bronson filed a Letter of Intent for the 2026 State Primary on September 20, 2025, but did not report a specific office type in his filing. Background reporting indicates Bronson is a 2026 gubernatorial candidate.

Letters of Intent are an early filing step in Alaska's candidate registration process. Under Alaska's 2026 filing rules, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must file a joint Declaration of Candidacy with the Division of Elections by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026.

The 2026 Alaska gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, with a nonpartisan blanket primary on August 18, 2026. Under Alaska's 2020 Ballot Measure 2, the top four candidates from the primary advance to a ranked-choice general election.