By SUZANNE DOWNING
Aug. 25, 2026 – “Rank the Red” may be a catchy slogan inside Republican circles, but it is not an election strategy for Alaska.
The numbers tell the story: Alaska has 298,273 Undeclared voters, representing 49.54% of the electorate. Another 81,801 voters — 13.58% — are registered Nonpartisan.
Together, those two groups account for 380,074 voters, or more than 63% of Alaska’s electorate.
Republicans, by comparison, have 141,995 registered voters, representing just 23.58%. Democrats account for 69,889 voters, or 11.61%, while Libertarians number 6,097, or 1.01%.
That means fewer than one in four Alaska voters is a registered Republican.
Even if every registered Republican dutifully followed the instruction to “rank the red,” the slogan would still fail to speak to nearly two-thirds of Alaska voters. Most Alaskans have deliberately chosen not to identify with either major party. They don’t consider themselves members of the red team or the blue team.
When they hear “rank the red,” they simply tune it out.
That is why conservatives must stop talking exclusively to people already inside the Republican bubble. Alaska elections cannot be won by appealing only to the 23%. Conservatives win by persuading Undeclared and Nonpartisan voters , the very people who may distrust both political parties but still believe in responsible spending, resource development, public safety, parental rights, secure elections, and limited government.
The better message is simple: Back the leading conservative.
That is a message Republican, Undeclared and Nonpartisan voters can understand. It describes a philosophy rather than a party registration, and party registration has become an increasingly unreliable guide to what a candidate actually believes.
Alaska’s new open primary system has made the party label even less meaningful. Candidates now register under a party banner without having any genuine loyalty to that party or its principles. And they are doing so increasingly.
We have already seen it with “Decoy Dan,” who filed as a Republican to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, despite Decoy Dan’s voting history that includes supporting Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Mary Peltola.
FBI opens investigation into Decoy Dan wire fraud, civil rights conspiracy: NBC
We are seeing the same tactic in Eagle River, where Democrat Ruby Jones filed as a Republican in a deeply conservative district to try to pull votes away from Rep. Jamie Allard, and clear a path for Democrat Jim Arlington. Decoy Ruby.
A letter beside a candidate’s name is no longer enough. Voters must look at the candidate’s record, alliances, donors, and actual political philosophy. That’s what ranked-choice voting scheme has brought us: We’ve lost trust in the party label.
This brings us to the governor’s race.
In 2022 Gov. Mike Dunleavy won on the first round. That exact same election cycle, Democrat Mary Peltola won the congressional race. Why? Republicans were united in the governor’s race, but not united in the congressional race.
It had nothing to do with turnout. It had nothing to do with the values of the voters. It had everything to do with unity.
The objective for conservatives should not be to pack the final-four ballot with as many candidates carrying an “R” as possible. That would merely divide the conservative vote and make ranked-choice calculations even more complicated. Because we already know, as I wrote earlier this week, that Republicans are not herd animals, and will not follow orders and rank. Even though Click Bishop has an R by his name, conservatives won’t rank him. He’s Murkowski with a mustache.
Suzanne Downing: Republicans are being told to ‘rank the red.’ Democrats know better than to ‘rank the blue.’
The objective in the governor’s race should be to emerge with one clearly identifiable conservative capable of winning in November.
It is fine if Click Bishop advances into the final four. He is backed by Democrats and unions. He picked a running mate who is not a Republican, who is far from a conservative, and he should not expect the Alaska Republican Party to treat his ticket as the party’s standard-bearer or provide him with party support.
The other Republican candidates — Dave Bronson, Treg Taylor, etc. — must also recognize the political reality. At some point, ego must give way to the larger purpose. Those who are not leading need to be willing to back the conservative who is leading. They need to stop saying “She can’t win,” as though they are trying to will that into reality.
Bernadette Wilson made that commitment at the beginning. She said that if she were not the leading candidate, she would support the Republican who was. That was the right pledge because it put the future of Alaska ahead of personal ambition.
The other Republican candidates need to follow her example.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich appear to understand the strategic landscape. Notice how they spent no energy attacking each other. They know they may eventually need each other’s voters. Under ranked-choice voting, their campaigns have every incentive to preserve that relationship … and ultimately operate as a combined Democratic ticket within a few short days.
Meanwhile, Republican candidates and their supporters and surrogate political action committees have been attacking Bernadette Wilson savagely, apparently believing that destroying the leading conservative somehow improves the party’s chances in November.
It does not. It weakens the entire conservative side of the ballot.
Democrats are thinking several moves ahead. They are consolidating, protecting their relationships, and preparing to transfer support when the time comes. Republicans are still fighting over who gets to control which square on the checkerboard.
“Rank the red” is not the answer. It is too narrow, too partisan, and too easily manipulated by candidates who put an “R” beside their names without sharing conservative values.
Alaska conservatives are not going to follow a slogan telling them to trust a party label. They have been fooled before — and fool me once, the old saying goes, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
One conservative. One candidate around whom Republican, Undeclared and Nonpartisan voters can unite. One campaign capable of defeating what will likely become the combined forces of Kreiss-Tomkins and Begich.
The Democrats are playing three-dimensional chess. Republicans need to stop playing checkers.
Suzanne Downing is founder and editor of The Alaska Story and is a longtime Alaskan.
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Suzanne Downing: Alaska is voting itself blue
7 thoughts on “Suzanne Downing: ‘Rank the Red’ message makes no sense to nearly two-thirds of Alaska voters”
I think the AKGOP staff like your chair that even Downing trumpeted her horn for her, committee members, district presidents they want a Democrat Governor along with all their friends. I think to say 2/3ds of Alaska Republicans do not want to consolidate the votes is being too hopeful that the AKGOP members are not Government dependent. The Republicans who WANT ONE R want to unite behind ONE whether that is Wilson or Bronson. Just like most if not all Democrats, most Republicans are just as needy on taxpayers funding their employments, retirements, and healthcare. To which i think All Americans will lose their retirements and ability to pay their healthcare one day. Something Big will happen like the Great Depression wiped out the generations living during those 1930 decade.
If in Jan 2027, God allows a Democrat Governor then I’ll know what future he will be allowing Alaska and America heading toward. Because right now I don’t know, it looks like there can be a revival and change of hearts by God’s mercy and grace to delay his awful judgment a little longer and I do sincerely hope and pray for it; but also it looks like America is heading to Destruction to which he’ll allow selfish and self centered Americans continue making their selfish choices ultimately leading to His Awesome judgement on our country. People from Alaska and those visitors coming to Alaska they so selfish and self centered, and they only care about themselves to which Americans can use a good old fashion form discipline to teach, correct, and humble our nation even if that means sending 80% of the country into cars and on the streets.
To be honest I don’t get why so many Republicans do not want Bernadette Wilson as governor. Despite her shortcomings which is not like Horrible, She is the ideal candidate and perfect and she has the perfect Lt Governor candidate choice running along side that the GOP needs.
The only reason that makes sense why most of AKGOP do not want such a pair IS most Republicans are government dependent on taxpayers that they’d prefer Treg, Crum, or Click as for these guys have been in a government employment their entire lives just like most Ak Republicans.
Time is closing in on Dec. Christmas is almost here, when we’ll see if most Republicans ushered in a Democrat Governor or if they chose the fearful choice to elect a Governor who’ll be less government dependent than them and who’ll be more of a risk to one trim trimming the state budget just like Gov Dunleavy attempted to trim budget items less controversial that the public publicly wouldn’t cry over.
Perhaps because we knew who she was before she ran for Governor, and have not been convinced in 18 months that she has the practical wisdom to effectively lead the state?
I thought the scare tactics might cease after August 18th. Silly me. Your message is clear: “rally behind Bernadette or you’re part of the problem. There is no other way forward.”
Is this the hammer that will unite Republican, Undeclared, and Nonpartisan voters?
For myself, while I admit I may end up holding my nose and voting for the lesser of two evils in the general election, I can’t rally around a candidate I do not consider the best fit for office, and there’s a line of them who haven’t withdrawn who would be better for our state than Bernadette.
I’m not convinced the best path forward for our state is to play the game, and then hope we can eliminate the game come November.
Do you know that Democrats also believe cutting the budget. But they’ll cuts will start with cutting AKGOP members whether or not it affects GOP members employments or businesses, as well as cutting out Christians and Homeschoolers who are benefiting from taxpayer money. They’ll start there to cut the budget. If there is a Democrat Governor, you can know Homeschoolers will lose those taxpayer funded Homeschool allotments to spend it on whatever school items the family chooses. Democrats want that money stay in the public schools, and made their intentions clear the last four legislatures!!
Can someone please link me to what issues Wilson is running on? The plan- not fluff.
While there is plenty of fluff, she mentions some issues on her intro page, and two here, Education and PFD -https://bernadetteforgovernor.com/on-the-issues/
Suzanne has made her “Paul Revere” ride through Alaska. Clearly, we have to get behind Bernadette Wilson for governor. And she wasn’t my Primary choice
Bronson and Treg have to be the bigger men in this race and throw all of their support to Bernadette, or, we are going to get a JKT/Begich run state. Like Suzanne said…. forget about Click Bishop moving up the ranks. Likely, that old liar will get votes drawn away from JKT/Begich.
Thank you again, Suzanne, for helping us think through this. Decision time is here.
We must forget ranking and rank the red strategies. Get Bernadette over the 50% line for a clean victory. It’s really for ALL of us conservatives.