By ALEX GIMARC
Aug. 27, 2026 – Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and his running mate released a video announcing his decision to remain in the race for Governor.
The decision is at odds with his statement to District 8 that he would drop out of the race if he did not get the most votes as a Republican candidate, moving him smartly into the old prosecutor question: Were you lying then, or are you lying now?
For a ticket touting itself as the “moral choice,” this is quite the opening bid for November.
From here, it looks like Bronson is about to split the Republican vote for governor, electing the first Democrat since Tony Knowles (though Bill Walker, who ran as an indy in 2014 certainly governed as a Democrat, complete with Democrat Bruce Botelho running his nominations / appointments operation).
Bronson answers the question: He will stay in governor’s race despite written pledge
Bronson pledges to leave governor’s race: Document drop
In doing do, Bronson is about to join Sarah Palin in Alaskan electoral infamy. After being elected with incredible hope in 2006, Palin has befouled her brand to the point where she would be hard pressed to get elected as landfill manager. Bronson just smartly stepped off on the same path.
Never forget that Palin has her fingerprints on installing three Democrats into statewide office. First was her demand that Ted Stevens resign following his conviction on several felony charges Oct 2008. This managed to elect Mark Begich to the US Senate.
Stevens’ convictions were set aside Feb 2009 on the basis of prosecutorial misconduct. Strike one.
In 2014, she supported Bill Walker for governor over her former LtGov and sitting Governor, Sean Parnell. Walker was elected. Strike two.
Her final claim to fame was running for US Congress in a three-way race between Peltola, Nick Begich. She filed on the last day possible during the special election that installed Peltola and then she ran in the primary and general, which gave Peltola an entire term in the House.
In both of these, Palin came in second, though the general election was decided by the RCV sort.
As an aside, this was the election that Republicans learned the hard lesson that “Rank the Red” doesn’t work. Strike three.
It looks like Bronson is about to channel his inner Palin, doing his level best to elect another Democrat statewide.
Worse, he signed a District 8 pledge to drop out if he “… garnered less a majority of votes and when your competition with another Republican will split the vote.”
All you Bronson voters need to ask yourself why support a candidate who will tell you whatever he (or she) thinks you want to hear and do something else entirely? This is apparently a “moral” position. Yeah, right.
There is still time for Republicans who came in second or worse to drop out of the various races. Failure to do so closely followed by election of Democrats in those races will help elect democrats and make you just as politically toxic as Sarah Palin, a status desperately being sought by Dave Bronson.
Intentionally electing Democrats is not the best choice for self-described conservatives.
Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.
13 thoughts on “Alex Gimarc: Dave Bronson becomes Sarah Palin”
Look, its pretty simple. Dave Bronson is hurt and wounded. He thought he had it in the bag, but a little spunky gal beat him fair and clean. When Dave stops crying and mans-up he will agree that he becomes the spoiler if Democrats win the governorship this fall. Dave’s beligerancy and inability to acknowledge defeat will hurt Alaska in the end. The Anchorage Assembly beat up Dave pretty well and he is a resentful man. Unfortunately, his pride gets in the way of common sense. And he cannot get over the fact that a woman, yes a tiny woman, kicked him in the pants. I’ll now be voting for Bernadette.
Dave Bronson will not be “the spoiler” in this race. Bernadette’s own selfish behaviors, extremely poor judgement, and repeated bad decisions will do her in. She can’t win! My guess is that her best friend Suzanne Downing will not print this truth.
This is EXACTLY where the Democrats want us……in a fight over who has the high ground in the Republican Party. The voters have the high ground. THEY made the choice, and it’s NOT Dave Bronson. It’s hard for old white guys to accept this truth. But it’s real. No wonder the lib, leftist Democrat women always go after the old white guys. They are easy pickings with their sometimes sexist behaviors. I’m voting Bernadette. That’s all.
You are correct that RCV didn’t work for Rs in the Palin, Begich, Peltola race. I would like to think that we have figured out how to rank the vote and why it’s essential this time around. Ideally, the second place R would not withdraw (it just elevates the next highest vote getter) but instead suspend their campaign and pledge support to the first place R. That hasn’t happened and now we need to ask our two candidates to do the right thing and inform their voters to rank the other R second so those votes don’t just die. No more trash talk between our candidates. Time to talk vision and policies that show why we are the better choice than the Democrats. The primary is over, both Rs are in it to win it but there will be a Democrat governor unless we RANK THE RED in November. That’s just reality.
Unification works better, Dan. Ranking the red did not work when we acquired Peltola in the US House race in 2022. Ranking the red is risky. 50%+1 should be examined as the best alternative,
especially if the Republicans can learn to practice more discipline like the Democrats. RCV was applied in Alaska, and meant to work exactly as it’s being exercised now…..in favor of the Democrats. We have to be smarter than them.
So let’s say that Dave decides to suspend his campaign after all and steps away. That still leaves Treg and Click running as Republicans and possible spoilers, unless they too decide to suspend their campaigns in order to leave one Republican in the race. So far neither has indicated they plan to suspend their campaigns so it still looks like the Republicans are getting ready to repeat their same past mistake. Hoping for a different outcome? You know what that’s called.
No. If campaigns are suspended after August 31, the names of the candidate winners from the Primary stay on the ballot. And that DOES NOT include Treg Taylor or Click Bishop.
If you like Trump then Treg has got to be your vote. He’s the most MAGA of the bunch.
Oh, wow. Treg loves America. Where’s your problem, Damon? Would you rather live in Canada? Cuba? China? Hope you move
Dave Bronson the former mayor and fighter pilot would do better than Wilson in the general election with his experience as Anchorage mayor which has roughly half of Alaskas population, life experience and able to perform the duties of Alaska’s governor without getting overly emotional when dealing with people and tough situations.
I hate saying this but 3rd generation Alaskan person represents the middle Alaskans that Rep Kopp said about Alaskans wanting more “non political type candidates” or in reality they think Right type candidate are too partisan.
If Treg, bishop, Hughes agreed to support Bronson over Wilson, would they drop out? And Wilson sacrificially drop out to support Bronson?
For the good of the AKGOP attempt to maintain its relevancy?
At least Alex had the decency not to throw in a Dave-Sarah transition meme. Hard enough to un-see as it is.
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Recall this from four years ago: “Election observers had questions Mayor Bronson wants answers for irregularities in municipal election process”.
(https://mustreadalaska.com/election-observers-had-questions-mayor-bronson-wants-answers-for-irregularities-in-municipal-election-process/)
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Why bring it up? We still don’t know whether Bronson prevailed and why Bronson’s picking fights with Wilson instead of taking on the Establishment and unifying voters over this top election-integrity issue. Could the rather obvious scarcity of newsworthy information possibly have followed from some quiet quid pro quo understanding on the subject?
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Can’t seem to get straight answers on much of anything else in Alaska’s political scene, so we thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Gimarc’s column failed to explain this: We ARE going to have Treg Taylor on the ballot. Kreiss-Tomkins is going to drop out and unite with Begich. Expect it, bank on it. Bronson is far-sighted enough to see what is happening. Even if Bronson stayed on the ballot and froze his campaign, thousands were still going to vote for him. See the Schultz example, now on the books, banking in with 10,000 votes. Bronson voters would and should put Wilson as their next choice. If Dave is eliminated, and there’s no Taylor on the ballot, BINGO! Wilson wins. But the true problem becomes, who do Taylor voters pick as their 2nd choice, after the Dems unite their ticket?