Alaska election news
- USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
With Anchorage election results certified, runoff for mayor officially begins
Apr. 24—The Anchorage Assembly on Tuesday certified the results of the April regular city election, officially setting off the final leg of the race for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson, who is running for a second term, and challenger Suzanne LaFrance, the Assembly's former chair, are vying for the city's top elected office. Runoff election ballots will be mailed to voters on April 30, and ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Hear from Bronson and LaFrance in May 2 Anchorage mayoral runoff debate
Apr. 24—On the evening of Thursday, May 2, voters can hear from the two candidates in the Anchorage mayoral runoff election on some of the city's top issues, in a debate co-hosted by Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News. The live broadcast debate — featuring incumbent Dave Bronson and former Anchorage Assembly chair Suzanne LaFrance — is scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m. May 2. The debate ...
1 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
As frustrations mount over mayoral campaign sign vandalism, Anchorage official says city worker mishandled complaint
Apr. 23—An Anchorage city worker improperly handled enforcement of an issue with a campaign sign along a residential property, according to a city official. The incident sparked concern from the resident who put up the sign, playing into larger, ongoing frustrations over the frequent destruction and defacing of campaign signs in Anchorage city races. The resident, Yarrow Silvers, had placed ...
4 min read - USPolitico
‘National security suicide’: Alaska senator slams Biden admin's move to restrict drilling and mining
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management officially recommended against building the Ambler Road, effectively killing the project.
1 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
U.S. House candidates headline annual convention of Alaska GOP
Apr. 20—The Alaska Republican Party signaled during its annual convention on Friday and Saturday that it would not formally pick favorites among the Republicans running for U.S. House. Two Republican candidates are currently running to unseat Rep. Mary Peltola, who has served as Alaska's lone representative in the U.S. House since 2022. The filing deadline for the race is June 1. The ...
8 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska Republicans elect Carmela Warfield as new party chair
Apr. 20—Carmela Warfield handily won a four-way race to become the new chair of the Alaska Republican Party. She replaces Ann Brown, who had been party chair since 2021. Warfield, who serves as president of the Hillside Community Council and is a former chief executive of the conservative Alaska Policy Forum, received 57% of 267 votes cast at the state party convention in Anchorage on ...
3 min read - USPolitico
Biden moves to limit oil drilling and mineral mining in Alaska, in latest win for greens
The moves also shore up support from tribes and conservation groups, but face criticism from Alaska lawmakers.
5 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska Republicans to choose new state party chair in 4-way race
Apr. 18—The Alaska Republican Party will elect a new chairperson during its convention on Friday and Saturday, in a race that includes four candidates and no incumbent. Current chair Ann Brown announced earlier this year she would step away from the volunteer position, which she has held since 2021. The candidates are Jerry Ward, Mike Robbins, Nikki Rose and Carmela Warfield. The elected chair ...
3 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Peltola far outpaces Republican challengers in Alaska's US House campaign fundraising
Apr. 16—Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola raised $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2024, far outpacing her two Republican opponents in fundraising as they vie for Alaska's lone U.S. House seat. Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom raised just over $262,000, while businessman Nick Begich raised nearly $216,000. Their recent campaign finance reports shed light on a race that is seen as one of a ...
3 min read - USPolitico
Biden set to block Ambler mining road in Alaska wilderness
The move to preserve the preserve the pristine wilderness has been sought by Alaskan tribes, but would keep the critical minerals in the region from being mined.
5 min read - PoliticsThe Hill
Democrats seek to hold Alaska House seat in maverick state
Democrats are bracing for a tough fight in Alaska, where Rep. Mary Peltola (D) is seeking to win reelection after a surprise midterm victory in 2022 turned a House seat that had been held by a Republican for five decades blue. Peltola became the first Native Alaskan to serve in Congress and has positioned herself…
7 min read - PoliticsThe Hill
Biden wins Alaska Democratic primary
President Biden has won the Alaska Democratic presidential primary, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ. Biden was the only candidate on the ballot with Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), a primary challenger who was also originally on the ballot, having dropped out last month. The Alaska Democratic Party decided as a result to hold…
1 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Sunday is the final day to register to vote in Anchorage's mayoral runoff election
Apr. 12—For Anchorage residents not yet registered to vote, Sunday is the deadline to file with the state in order to cast a ballot in the city's mayoral runoff election next month. No candidate for mayor in the city's regular election has crossed the 45% threshold necessary to win outright. The top two vote-getters, incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson and former Anchorage Assembly Chair Suzanne ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Third-place finisher Popp endorses LaFrance in Anchorage mayoral runoff
Apr. 10—Bill Popp, the third-place finisher in Anchorage's mayoral contest, gave his endorsement Wednesday to candidate Suzanne LaFrance as she readies for a runoff election against incumbent Dave Bronson in May. At a news conference in the parking lot of City Hall, Popp said he was throwing his support behind LaFrance. "My candidacy for mayor was focused on bringing nonpartisanship to the ...
2 min read - USAssociated Press
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Alaska and Wyoming Democratic presidential contests
President Joe Biden will face Democratic voters this Saturday in a pair of nominating contests in Alaska and Wyoming that are unlikely to produce any surprises. In Wyoming, Democrats will award 13 delegates using a presidential preference vote held at caucuses in each of the state’s 23 counties. Seven names will appear on the ballot, but Biden is the only major candidate competing for votes.
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage election results unchanged Monday with majority of ballots counted
Apr. 8—There were no significant changes in the election outcomes for Anchorage mayor, school board and nine propositions in preliminary results released Monday. With 35.6% and 36.2% of the vote respectively, Anchorage incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson and former Assembly chair Suzanne LaFrance appear set to face each other in a runoff. By Monday's count, the two were separated by 460 votes. ...
1 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
With another 6,400 ballots counted, Anchorage election results firm up with no major changes
Apr. 5—Friday's preliminary ballot counts in the Anchorage election showed no significant change in race outcomes for mayor and school board, and two of nine ballot propositions were continuing to fail. According to the municipal clerk's office, as of Friday, the vote count included nearly all the ballots turned in at vote centers or in drop boxes by election night, as well as all ballots ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage mayor, school board election results largely unchanged in Thursday's updated count
Apr. 4—In updated ballot counts posted Thursday for the Anchorage election, races for mayor and school board remained largely unchanged, and two of nine ballot propositions continued to fail. Incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson and former Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance are poised for a May runoff election. LaFrance had 36% of the vote and Bronson had 35% in Thursday's preliminary results. Under ...
2 min read - WorldAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
As latest vote count arrives in Anchorage mayor's race, Bronson and LaFrance gear up for a runoff
Apr. 4—In a second round of preliminary election results Wednesday, incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson and former Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance held their wide leads over other competitors, remaining poised for a runoff race. LaFrance and Bronson each had a little more than a third of the total vote as of Tuesday night in the Anchorage mayor's race. By Wednesday afternoon, the latest vote count ...
9 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage early election results show voters approving all propositions except bathroom, cemetery bonds
Apr. 3—Preliminary results in the Anchorage city election show two bonds failing — for public restrooms and cemeteries — while the seven other bonds and propositions, including the school district bond, are passing. Proposition 8, the $5 million area-wide bond for adding 10 public restrooms around the municipality, was on track to fail with 61% of voters against it in the most recent vote ...
2 min read - WorldAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
View unofficial results from the 2024 Anchorage city election
Apr. 3—Anchorage voters will elect a mayor and three school board candidates, and decide the fate of nine bonds and propositions, in this year's municipal election. Ballots will continue to arrive at the elections center by mail after election day on Tuesday, April 2. It will take several more days for ballots to be processed and tallied for voters to get a fuller picture of the returns. Based ...
1 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Lawsuit asserts Alaska elections officials illegally certified ballot question on ranked choice voting
Apr. 3—Three Alaska voters filed a complaint Tuesday against the state Division of Elections asserting that it violated state law when it certified a ballot measure that seeks to repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries. The Division of Elections certified last month that a grassroots group successfully gathered the signatures needed to put a question on the 2024 general election ballot ...
6 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Bronson, LaFrance poised for runoff in Anchorage mayoral election
Apr. 3—Anchorage mayoral candidates Dave Bronson and Suzanne LaFrance appear headed to a runoff in preliminary Anchorage municipal election results posted Tuesday. Former Assembly chair LaFrance had 36% of the vote while incumbent Mayor Bronson had 35% of the vote. Trailing the two leaders in early results, former Anchorage Economic Development Corp. leader Bill Popp had 17% of the vote, and ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage mayor's race heads to second round, with Bronson and LaFrance set for May runoff
Apr. 3—Incumbent Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former Assembly Chair Suzanne LaFrance appeared headed to a runoff election next month after the first round of election results were posted Tuesday. Under city rules, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff election in May. In Tuesday night's preliminary results, nobody got enough votes to reach the 45% threshold. LaFrance received 36% of ...
6 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Tuesday is the last day to turn in ballots for the Anchorage election
Apr. 3—Update, 8 p.m. Tuesday: Vote centers, in-person voting and secure drop boxes are now closed in Anchorage's city election. Preliminary results are expected after 8:30 p.m.; check back at ADN.com/cityelection for updates as more information is available. Original story: Tuesday is the final day to cast ballots in the 2024 Anchorage municipal election. Residents will pick a mayor and three ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Incumbents hold wide leads in Anchorage School Board races
Apr. 3—In three races for Anchorage School Board seats, board incumbents are maintaining wide leads in preliminary municipal election results. Updated results posted Wednesday remained essentially unchanged from the first count released Tuesday night. For seat E, board incumbent Pat Higgins carried 56% of the vote against challenger Kay Schuster. Meanwhile, for seat G, incumbent Carl Jacobs ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage election preliminary results show voters approving all propositions except bathroom, cemetery bonds
Apr. 3—Tuesday night's preliminary results in the Anchorage city election showed two bonds failing — for public restrooms and cemeteries — while the seven other bonds and propositions, including the school district bond, were passing. Proposition 8, the $5 million area-wide bond for adding 10 public restrooms around the municipality, was on track to fail with 61% of voters against it. ...
2 min read - WorldAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
With election day closing in, Anchorage mayoral candidates are fighting not to win, but to lock in a spot in a runoff
Mar. 30—With ballots due back Tuesday in Anchorage's municipal election, none of the major candidates for mayor anticipate winning outright. Instead, they are hoping to emerge next week as one of the top two vote-getters in order to advance to a May runoff that will determine who leads the city during the next three years. As of Thursday, municipal election officials had received 32,967 ...
6 min read - OpinionAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
EDITORIAL: The simple fix Anchorage municipal elections need
Mar. 30—There are still a few days left until Election Day in Anchorage's municipal races, but for the race at the top of the ticket, it's not exactly a mystery what will happen. Given that there are 10 candidates for mayor, no one is likely to achieve the 45% threshold, meaning the bottom eight candidates will be eliminated and Anchorage will hold a runoff election for the top two ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
ADN Politics podcast: What to know about the Anchorage mayor's election
Mar. 29—Host Elizabeth Harball talks with ADN journalists and others about some of Alaska's biggest news stories. Subscribe here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Anchorage voters will soon decide a hugely consequential mayor's race. Unlike the last mayoral election, the city is no longer in the middle of a pandemic, but Anchorage is still dealing with significant challenges. After three ...
1 min read - USUSA TODAY
A look at when and how to vote in Alaska's upcoming elections
A look at when and how to vote in Alaska's upcoming elections
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage mayoral and school board candidates speak directly to Gen Z
Mar. 28—In a Chugiak High School auditorium, students on Thursday morning grilled some of the candidates running for Anchorage mayor and school board ahead of the city's upcoming municipal election. The students who helped put on the forum were members of an advanced placement government class, according to their teacher, Alyssa Logan. They asked candidates questions on issues like ...
2 min read - WorldAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
In Anchorage mayor's race, Bronson closes fundraising gap, positioning campaign for runoff with large cash war chest
Mar. 28—Mayor Dave Bronson has largely caught up to his chief campaign rival in terms of fundraising and is barreling towards a likely runoff election in the strongest financial position of the field. With a little more than a week before ballots are due back to Anchorage election officials, the campaigns filed their latest fundraising reports Tuesday, which cover a critical three-week period ...
6 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Murkowski says she remains a Republican after drawing attention for anti-Trump stance
Mar. 26—Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski made headlines over the weekend with comments on her unwillingness to vote for former president Donald Trump, which put her in an ever-shrinking group of GOP members opposing the party's presumptive nominee for president. "I wish that as Republicans, we had a nominee that I could get behind," Murkowski told CNN journalist Manu Raju in a brief ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage voter turnout so far higher than last regular mayoral election
Mar. 25—In Anchorage's regular city election, voter turnout this year so far is slightly higher than in 2021 during the last regular mayoral election, according to daily ballot return data from the city's election center. But it's not yet clear whether that means more people are voting this year, if Anchorage voters are casting their ballots earlier, or possibly both. On voters' ballots this ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage election center rolls out new technology to aid voters with disabilities
Mar. 25—This coverage of the Anchorage municipal election is being provided free as a public service. But we depend on reader support to produce independent reporting Alaskans can trust. Join thousands of others and subscribe now. SUBSCRIBE Anchorage's three vote centers will have new voting machines to better accommodate people with disabilities voting in this year's city election. Also, the ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
After a tumultuous few years, Anchorage mayoral candidates pitch different paths forward
Mar. 20—This coverage of the Anchorage municipal election is being provided free as a public service. But we depend on reader support to produce independent reporting Alaskans can trust. Join thousands of others and subscribe now. SUBSCRIBE Voting is already underway in the regular Anchorage city election, and incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson faces three serious challengers vying to unseat him ...
10 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
3 Anchorage School Board members face challengers in upcoming election
Mar. 17—This coverage of the Anchorage municipal election is being provided free as a public service. But we depend on reader support to produce independent reporting Alaskans can trust. Join thousands of others and subscribe now. Three Anchorage School Board seats are up for grabs in the city's April election. The seven-member board oversees the Anchorage School District's finances, policies ...
10 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska judge to expedite ruling on campaign ethics violations by ranked choice voting opponents
Mar. 16—An Alaska judge will rule months before the November election on the legality of a decision by state campaign regulators to punish opponents of Alaska's voting system. The review follows an appeal of the decision last month. The Alaska Public Offices Commission ruled in January that leaders of an effort to repeal Alaska's open primary and ranked choice voting system violated state law ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Hear from the top Anchorage mayoral candidates in Thursday's livestreamed debate
Mar. 15—Now that ballots have been mailed out ahead of the April 2 municipal election, Anchorage voters will begin choosing their preferred candidate for mayor and help decide the direction of the city. On Thursday evening, residents can hear from the top four candidates for Anchorage mayor on issues such as outmigration, homelessness and affordable housing, in a debate co-hosted by Alaska ...
1 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage municipal election ballots have been mailed. Here's how to return them.
Mar. 14—The city mailed ballots to registered Anchorage voters on Tuesday, kicking off the next stage of the 2024 municipal election. On the ballot: the mayor's office, three school board seats and nine bonds and propositions. Eagle River/Chugiak voters will also see an Assembly candidate on their ballot, who is running unopposed. Anchorage switched to "vote at home" in 2018. Voters can fill ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Watch your mailbox -- ballots for Anchorage's municipal election are on the way
Mar. 12—The city mailed ballots to registered Anchorage voters on Tuesday, kicking off the next stage of the 2024 municipal election. On the ballot: the mayor's office, three school board seats and nine bonds and propositions. Eagle River/Chugiak voters will also see an Assembly candidate on their ballot, who is running unopposed. Anchorage switched to "vote at home" in 2018. Voters can fill ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
With the Anchorage city election approaching, there are plenty of opportunities to hear from candidates at forums and debates
Mar. 8—Anchorage voters will cast ballots for the mayor's office and three Anchorage School Board seats in the weeks ahead. Ballots will be mailed to registered voters on March 12, and have to be returned or postmarked by April 2. Coming weeks will see a number of forums, panels and debates for candidates to share their views and visions for the city and the school district to a number of ...
4 min read - WorldAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
In Anchorage mayor's race, LaFrance continues to lead opponents in campaign fundraising
Mar. 7—Anchorage mayoral candidate Suzanne LaFrance continued to outpace her opponents in a second round of campaign fundraising reports ahead of the April 2 city election. LaFrance, the former Assembly chair and two-term member, reported raising an additional $62,394 for her campaign between Feb. 2 and March 1, bringing her total income so far to $354,212. Incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson, vying ...
5 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska Republicans vote overwhelmingly for Trump in presidential preference poll
Mar. 7—Former President Donald Trump decisively won Alaska's first Republican presidential preference poll since 2016, with more than 87% of votes counted Tuesday. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley trailed far behind, likely falling short of the 13% threshold needed to have the pledged support of any of Alaska's 29 delegates to the national Republican convention, where the nominee for ...
5 min read - PoliticsThe Hill
Trump wins Alaska GOP primary
Former President Trump will win Alaska’s Republican presidential primary, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ. The GOP front-runner notched another win in what was the state where polls closed the latest on a busy Super Tuesday. The state’s 29 delegates are allocated proportionally based on how well a candidate performs, but Trump will…
1 min read - PoliticsUSA TODAY
Alaska Republicans head to the polls on Super Tuesday for presidential caucus
Alaska Republicans face a pivotal choice between Trump and Haley in a divided primary with 29 delegates at stake.
1 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska Republicans choose between Trump and Haley on Tuesday
Mar. 5—Alaska is one of several states where Republicans will determine their preferred presidential candidate Tuesday. The day is likely to strengthen the candidacy of former President Donald Trump, who has been endorsed by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. But former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley remains in the race, and in Alaska her candidacy has received support from ...
2 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
U.S. Sen. Murkowski of Alaska endorses Nikki Haley in presidential race
Mar. 2—U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has formally endorsed Nikki Haley as the Republican nominee for president ahead of the state GOP's presidential preference poll Tuesday. Murkowski, who is a longtime critic of former president Donald Trump and is widely viewed as a moderate Republican, on Friday became the first U.S. senator to formally endorse Haley. U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, ...
2 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska Republicans to choose between Trump and Haley on Tuesday
Feb. 29—Alaska Republicans are set to vote Tuesday on their preferred presidential candidate, in what will be a matchup between Donald Trump — who is poised to become the party's nominee — and Nikki Haley, who has drawn support from prominent Alaska Republicans seeking an alternative to the former president. Under Alaska law, the state doesn't conduct presidential primaries. Instead, parties ...
6 min read - PoliticsThe Advocate
Alaska doesn't want to vote for Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the 2024 election
The RuPaul's Drag Race winner is speaking up and sharing her concerns for this year's race.
1 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Ballot measures on ranked choice repeal, minimum wage increase likely to go before Alaska voters
Feb. 27—Two citizen-backed initiatives will likely appear on the general election ballot in November, including one seeking to repeal Alaska's voting system, state election officials said Tuesday. After a monthlong review, the state Division of Elections made the initial assessment that groups had gathered enough signatures to place two questions on the ballot: Voters will be asked to indicate ...
5 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage mayoral candidates weigh in on possible local sales tax
Feb. 26—Eight candidates for Anchorage mayor answered questions Monday on a series of economic issues and ideas, including ways to stop outmigration, how to attract more people to the workforce and the possibility of a future local sales tax. The Anchorage Economic Development Corp. recently began advocating for a local sales tax to help reduce the property tax burden and boost public ...
5 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Borough election ballots in Mat-Su will include political parties, a first for Alaska
Feb. 21—PALMER — Starting in November, ballots for Mat-Su Borough mayoral, assembly and school board candidates will include political party affiliations, marking a first for local governments in Alaska. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly voted Tuesday to approve the change rather than send the question to voters as previously proposed. The vote allows school board and assembly candidates ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Voter registration deadline, mayoral forums and more coming up in Anchorage's city election
Feb. 21—Anchorage residents have less than two weeks to register or update voter registrations in order to cast a ballot for a mayoral candidate in the April 2 vote-by-mail regular city election. For municipal residents who haven't yet registered to vote with the state of Alaska, or for those who need to update their registration, the deadline is Sunday, March 3. Online voter registration is ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
State of Alaska spending on highest-paid executives increased more than 5% last year to over $24 million
Feb. 16—The state of Alaska spent more than $24 million paying 167 executive-level officials in 2023, representing an increase of more than 5% in spending between 2022 and 2023, according to a recent report. State spending on executive compensation has exceeded $20 million annually since 2009. The state's top-paid executive was Frank Richards, president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., ...
4 min read - WorldAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
LaFrance far outpaces competitors in first round of campaign fundraising reports for Anchorage mayor's race
Feb. 16—In the first major release of campaign fundraising reports, Anchorage mayoral candidate Suzanne LaFrance far outraised her opponents. LaFrance, the former chair of the Anchorage Assembly, reported bringing in $291,819 in contributions from a broad range of small-dollar donations, as well as four-figure chunks from individuals and union groups. The report covered everything raised from ...
5 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska's top-paid state executive got nearly a half-million dollars last year
Feb. 15—The state of Alaska spent more than $24 million paying 167 executive-level officials in 2023, representing an increase of more than 5% in spending between 2022 and 2023, according to a recent report. State spending on executive compensation has exceeded $20 million annually since 2009. The state's top-paid executive was Frank Richards, president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
In mayoral debate, candidates clash over Bronson's record and Assembly's role in it
Feb. 14—The four main candidates for Anchorage mayor sparred over the Bronson administration's record during a forum Tuesday, clashing repeatedly over who bears responsibility for worsening problems like homelessness, housing and snowplowing. The midday debate, sponsored by the Anchorage Board of Realtors and Alaska Mortgage Bankers Association at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub, included incumbent ...
6 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Compensation for Alaska state executives went up in 2023
Feb. 14—The state of Alaska spent more than $24 million paying 167 executive-level officials in 2023, representing an increase of more than 5% in spending between 2022 and 2023, according to a recent report. State spending on executive compensation has exceeded $20 million annually since 2009. The state's top-paid executive was Frank Richards, president of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
In mayoral debate, candidates trade punches over Bronson's record and Assembly's role in it
Feb. 14—The four main candidates for Anchorage mayor sparred over the Bronson administration's record during a forum Tuesday, clashing repeatedly over who bears responsibility for worsening problems like homelessness, housing and snowplowing. The midday debate, sponsored by the Anchorage Board of Realtors and Alaska Mortgage Bankers Association at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub, included incumbent ...
6 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Backers of Dunleavy's 2022 reelection plan Supreme Court appeal to halt subpoenas
Feb. 14—Backers of Gov. Mike Dunleavy's reelection campaign have indicated they plan to appeal to the state Supreme Court in an effort to halt subpoenas that could determine whether they violated Alaska's campaign finance laws in the lead-up to the 2022 election. Two watchdog organizations — the Alaska Public Interest Research Group and the 907 Initiative — filed a complaint in October 2022 ...
2 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Dahlstrom ahead of Begich but far behind Peltola in fundraising for U.S. House campaign
Feb. 9—Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom outraised Republican opponent Nick Begich in Alaska's U.S. House race, but still trailed far behind Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola in fundraising, according to recent campaign finance reports. After announcing her candidacy for U.S. House in November, Dahlstrom — a former corrections commissioner and state lawmaker — raised more than ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
At first major forum, Anchorage mayoral candidates find little consensus on housing shortage
Feb. 7—For the first time this campaign season, on Tuesday, all four major candidates running to be Anchorage's next mayor appeared alongside one another in a forum. Hosted by the Anchorage Home Builders Association, an industry group representing a range of businesses involved in residential construction, it offered the campaigns the chance to propose policy solutions to Anchorage's housing ...
4 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Lone candidate for Eagle River/Chugiak Assembly seat is longtime resident and former city employee
Feb. 3—A former longtime Municipality of Anchorage employee is running unopposed for the Eagle River Assembly seat on the ballot for the upcoming April 2 city election. The window to file for candidacy ended last week, with Mark Littlefield the sole candidate for the only open Assembly seat on the ballot. While it's still possible for someone else to run as a write-in candidate, come May, ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Here's who is running for Anchorage mayor and school board
Jan. 29—A group of nine candidates seeking to unseat incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson has filed to run against him in this year's municipal election. Registration for candidacy in the April 2 Anchorage regular election closed Friday at 5 p.m. Because there are so many candidates for mayor, there's a strong possibility Anchorage will see the top two vote-getters heading into a runoff race. If no ...
8 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Dunleavy reelection backers ordered to comply with subpoenas in campaign finance case
Jan. 27—JUNEAU — An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered backers of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy's reelection campaign to respond to subpoenas that seek to find whether they violated state campaign finance laws in the lead-up to the 2022 election. Two Alaska watchdog organizations — the Alaska Public Interest Research Group and the 907 Initiative — filed a complaint in October 2022 ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage Democrats issue dual endorsement in mayor's race
Jan. 22—The local chapter of the state's Democratic party has endorsed Chris Tuck and Suzanne LaFrance in the Anchorage mayor's race. Tuck is a longtime member of the party who served as a Democrat for six terms in the Alaska Legislature, including as majority leader. LaFrance, the former chair of the Anchorage Assembly, is registered nonpartisan, though she has been endorsed by Democratic ...
3 min read - OpinionAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage ballot measure on chief medical officer has roots in pandemic disputes between mayor and Assembly
Jan. 19—This spring, Anchorage voters will decide whether the city's top health official, selected by the mayor, needs confirmation from the Assembly in order to serve. Last week, members voted 9 to 3 to add a ballot measure asking residents whether to amend the municipal charter to require that future Anchorage chief medical officers undergo a degree of public scrutiny that thus far has not ...
8 min read - PoliticsAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska House committee advances legislation to repeal ranked choice voting
Jan. 17—The Alaska House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to advance a bill that would repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries. The bill was first proposed last year by Homer Republican Rep. Sarah Vance to undo changes to Alaska's voting laws, which were instituted through a 2020 ballot measure narrowly approved by Alaska voters. The committee voted to advance the bill in a 5-2 vote, ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Mat-Su assembly and mayor will serve 4-year terms
Jan. 17—PALMER — The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly on Tuesday voted to extend the terms of future assembly members, as well as the borough mayor, from three years to four. But it will be Mat-Su voters in November, rather than the assembly, who decide whether local candidates can include party affiliation on future election ballots. Under a previously proposed ordinance, the assembly would ...
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Filings begin for Anchorage mayor election. Here are the 8 candidates in the race so far.
Jan. 14—Candidates for Anchorage mayor can now officially file to run for office. The city's period for filing began Friday morning and will end on Jan. 26. Eight candidates have already filed paperwork with the state's election agency to run for Anchorage mayor, including two new additions this month. For several months, incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson and three top challengers have already been ...
5 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Ranked choice voting opponents file petition in quest to overturn Alaska's voting system
Jan. 13—A group seeking to overturn Alaska's voting system on Friday submitted signatures to the Alaska Division of Elections, a necessary step in their effort to put the repeal question on the 2024 ballot. The embattled opponents of ranked-choice voting — recently fined over $94,000 by Alaska's campaign regulatory commission — are seeking to use a ballot measure to overturn the state's open ...
5 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Group seeking to increase Alaska minimum wage turns in signatures to put question on 2024 ballot
Jan. 10—A group seeking to increase Alaska's minimum wage turned in over 41,000 signatures to the Alaska Division of Elections on Tuesday — a first step toward putting the question on the 2024 ballot. The signatures must now be counted and verified by the lieutenant governor's office before the initiative can be certified and the question officially placed on the November ballot. The ballot ...
4 min read - BusinessPolitico
Alaska flight incident reveals another feature Boeing didn't inform pilots about
Federal investigators said that Boeing didn't make pilots aware that when a plane rapidly depressurizes, the cockpit door will fly open.
2 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska ranked choice voting opponents fined over $94K for campaign ethics violations
Jan. 4—Alaska's campaign ethics commission found that opponents of ranked choice voting violated the state's campaign ethics laws for months by funneling most of their funding through a tax-exempt church and inaccurately reporting their funding to the state. In a decision released late Wednesday, the Alaska Public Offices Commission issued more than $94,000 in fines for groups endeavoring to ...
5 min read - USAssociated Press
Backers of an effort to repeal Alaska's ranked voting system fined by campaign finance watchdog
Supporters of an effort to repeal Alaska's ranked choice voting system have been fined more than $94,000 after the commission that enforces state campaign finance rules found disclosure and other violations. Kevin Clarkson, an attorney representing the opponents of ranked voting who were fined by the Alaska Public Offices Commission, said they intend to challenge some of the commission’s findings in court, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The commission's decision, released late Wednesday, i
1 min read - BusinessAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Alaska's minimum wage rises to $11.73 as a ballot measure seeks further increases
Jan. 2—Alaska's minimum wage rose to $11.73 per hour as of Jan. 1, following a voter-approved ballot measure in 2014 to make annual adjustments based on inflation. Another ballot initiative proposed for the November general election would boost Alaska's minimum wage to $15 per hour over three years, and provide workers with paid sick days. Supporters say they have enough signatures from ...
3 min read - USAnchorage Daily News, Alaska
Anchorage mayor's race off to an early, expensive, competitive start
Jan. 2—The campaign for Anchorage's next mayor is off to an exceptionally aggressive and expensive start. Though Mayor Dave Bronson is an incumbent running for a second term, so far, this cycle more closely resembles a wide-open race, with candidates jockeying for endorsements and political donations much earlier than is typical in Anchorage's mayoral elections. The competition is all the ...
11 min read
