Politics & Campaigns
RSSAlaska News tracks coverage of state and federal political campaigns, including gubernatorial and Senate races, candidate positions on issues like the PFD.
Money floods a dead-even Alaska Senate race
Alaska's U.S. Senate race is awash in unprecedented money — some $30 million — as Sullivan and Peltola run dead even ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Sullivan voted against every Iran war powers resolution this year — a record now drawing outside money before the primary
Sullivan voted against all 13 Iran war powers resolutions this year — a common GOP vote, now drawing outside money for and against him before the primary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Interior Native Vote pushes turnout for the Aug. 18 primary
Interior Native Vote is working to boost Native turnout for Alaska's Aug. 18 primary — a Fairbanks mixer drew 200-plus — as early voting opens.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
UAF will lead a project to mine critical minerals out of old mine waste
UAF will lead a federally funded project to recover critical minerals from old mine tailings, starting at $15 million and possibly growing to $160 million.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Fewer than one in twenty Palmer voters turned out, the city's own packet shows
Fewer than one in twenty Palmer voters turned out in either phase of a municipal election, the city's own packet shows, though the figures are preliminary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A state filing ties $1.5 million from Musk to Alaska's ranked-choice voting repeal
A state filing ties $1.5 million from Elon Musk to Alaska's ranked-choice voting repeal, back on the ballot after losing by 743 votes in 2024.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Peltola's energy platform draws fire from both sides in the race
Mary Peltola rolled out an energy platform in her Senate race against Dan Sullivan, drawing rebuttals from his campaign and from Alaska environmental groups.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
The Senate failed to advance a national voter photo-ID bill — and Alaska's ID rules are looser than most
The Senate fell short on a federal voter photo-ID bill Saturday, both Alaska senators for it — in a state where a hunting license still lets you vote.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Murkowski cosponsors Senate bill to restore Afghan Temporary Protected Status
Sen. Murkowski cosponsored a Senate bill to restore Temporary Protected Status for Afghan nationals, allowing those in Alaska to remain and work legally if Congress approves.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Murkowski says she will vote against Blanche for attorney general
Sen. Lisa Murkowski will vote against Todd Blanche for attorney general, citing politicization of the Justice Department and concerns about a nearly 2 billion dollar fund.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Bethel's mayor files to run for her city council seat again
Bethel Mayor Rose "Sugar" Henderson filed a letter of intent to run for re-election to her city council seat in the Oct. 6 election.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska's Senate race is on pace to shatter spending records — before a primary that decides nothing
Both certain to advance, Sullivan and Peltola are already spending at a record pace — because Alaska's seat could decide control of the U.S. Senate.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Hughes $25 billion pitch: connect Alaska's railroad to Canada, and Nome to the Interior
Candidate Shelley Hughes wants to link Alaska's railroad to Canada and reach Nome — a roughly $25 billion pitch with no identified funding source.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Pollock fleet holds an Anchorage job fair days before a bycatch-shaped election
Days before the final vote, the Bering Sea pollock fleet holds an Anchorage job fair — as salmon bycatch, and a new mandatory chum cap, roil the 2026 campaign.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Alaskans split over ranked choice repeal at state ballot measure hearing
Alaska voters will decide in November whether to repeal ranked choice voting, the top-four primary, and campaign finance disclosure rules approved in 2020.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
Super PACs report nearly $1 million in Alaska Senate spending on a single day
Three super PACs spent nearly $1 million in a single day on Alaska's U.S. Senate race, with groups backing Sullivan and opposing Peltola dominating the spending 12 days before the Aug. 18 primary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
A one-word change to Alaska's voting law could foreclose a path for American Samoan residents
Measure 3 would add "only" to Alaska's voter law — a narrow safeguard, its sponsor says. Opponents note noncitizen voting is already illegal and say it would foreclose a path for American Samoan residents, U.S. nationals who aren't automatically citizens.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Two former colleagues split over whether Ballot Measure 1 curbs big money or just reroutes it
Two former legislative colleagues split over Ballot Measure 1: Schrage says restoring donation caps curbs big money, Carpenter says it caps small money while leaving unlimited outside spending untouched. Voters decide Aug. 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
The NRA gives Begich an F and three Republican tickets A+
The NRA's political arm gave the ticket of leading Alaska governor candidate Tom Begich an F and three Republican tickets A+ in its new primary grades.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su voters will decide whether the borough can tax valley-wide for big road projects
Mat-Su voters will decide Nov. 3 whether the borough can use borough-wide taxes to build big road projects no single service area can afford — with debate over whether it shifts money from urban to rural areas.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Filing deadline nears for Kodiak's October election, with an Assembly seat already open
Kodiak Island Borough residents have until 3 p.m. Aug. 17 to file for the Oct. 6 election — with seats open on the Assembly, School Board and service area boards, including one already-vacant Assembly seat.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
National money is pouring into Alaska's two big races, on every side
National money is flooding Alaska's Senate and House races on all sides, from a dark-money-linked PAC backing Bill Hill to $10.6 million reserved for Mary Peltola.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Record outside money floods Alaska's Senate race from both sides
Record money is flooding Alaska's Peltola-Sullivan Senate race from both sides, with super PACs pledging $15M for Sullivan and $11M for Peltola.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Outside money keeps flowing into the Alaska Senate race — mostly against Sullivan
Outside groups poured another $210,000 into the Alaska Senate race this week, mostly against Sullivan — the latest in a year where Peltola leads the money flow but Sullivan holds other edges.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Begich holds front-runner's edge as Hill emerges from the field to challenge him
Begich enters Alaska's U.S. House primary the clear front-runner on money and polling; independent Bill Hill emerged as a leading challenger after a Democrat dropped out. Vote Aug. 18.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
A GOP power player is fighting Rep. Stutes over her leftover campaign cash
GOP fixture Randy Ruedrich is going after Rep. Louise Stutes over her leftover campaign cash, and state regulators weigh the case Monday — including a possible settlement.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
The Sullivan who won his case lands on the ballot with no party
Daniel J. Sullivan filed as a Republican and won his fight to stay on the Senate ballot. His reward: he appears with no party label, while the incumbent gets "Republican, incumbent."
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Alaska labor splits in the Senate race as AFL-CIO back Peltola and building trades back Sullivan
Alaska's AFL-CIO backed Peltola — no shock there — but three building-trades unions went for Sullivan, splitting labor in a toss-up Senate race.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Every Juneau ballot seat drew a candidate as filing closed
Filing closed for Juneau's Oct. 6 election, and all five seats — three Assembly, two school board — drew candidates. The certified ballot posts soon.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Pro and Anti Ranked choice campaigns trade billionaire accusations at hearing
Alaska's ranked choice camps each say the other runs on billionaire money, at a hearing on a measure that would repeal the rules for tracing where that money starts.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Ballot Measure 3 turns on a single word
Ballot Measure 3 would add "only" to Alaska's voter law. Sponsors call it a gap worth closing before a court does it for them; opponents call it a doubt nobody needed.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
The sleeper on Alaska's August primary ballot: money, turnout and Measure 1
Alaska campaign donations currently have one limit: your imagination. Ballot Measure 1 would add a second — $2,000. Voters decide at the Aug. 18 primary.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Supreme Court upholds the mail-ballot rule rural Alaska relies on
The Supreme Court upheld the late-arriving-ballot rule that much of rural Alaska relies on to vote. Primary by-mail applications are due Aug. 8.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min read
Peltola campaign launches salmon video game attacking Sullivan over trawling
Mary Peltola's campaign built a browser game where you play a salmon dodging trawler nets. Subtle it is not.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Five Aleutians East Borough seats are up, and filing opens Aug. 24
Want to run for office in the Aleutians East Borough? You've got 12 days — Aug. 24 to Sept. 4 — for five seats, mayor included.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Sitka opens candidate filing for municipal election
Sitka has six seats up in October and the filing window closes Aug. 7 — including a School Board seat you only need 30 days' residency for.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
The AI money came first. The data center moratorium came Thursday.
Days after AI money turned up in his filings, Kreiss-Tomkins called for a data center moratorium — one a governor has no power to directly impose.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Blanche brought Alaska $180 million. He may need Murkowski's vote.
Todd Blanche handed Anchorage the biggest settlement in its history this month. Now he needs Senate votes, and Murkowski hasn't said where she stands.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Two Dan Sullivans, and a ballot solution the state wrote itself
The court put the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot but left the labeling to the state — and the state's fix leaves him the only candidate of 16 with no party listed.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Alaska asks 3,500 voters to confirm citizenship weeks before the primary
Alaska flagged 3,500 voters as possible noncitizens and made them inactive weeks before the primary. A phone call fixes it — if the letter arrived in time.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read
