Decision follows APOC finding that Taylor failed to meet Alaska’s financial-disclosure requirements by the statutory deadline
By SUZANNE DOWNING
Aug. 31, 2026 — Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced Monday that the Alaska Division of Elections will not certify Treg Taylor’s nomination for governor, following a recommendation from the Alaska Public Offices Commission.
APOC voted 4-1 last week that Taylor’s 2026 public official financial disclosure statement did not substantially comply with Alaska law within the required period. The commission recommended that Dahlstrom not certify Taylor if he advanced from the Aug. 18 primary election.
“This is a difficult decision made under an extraordinarily tight timeline and in circumstances we have not faced before,” Dahlstrom said. “The law, however, is not unclear. When a candidate has not complied with Alaska’s financial disclosure requirements within the time required, the Lieutenant Governor may not certify that person’s nomination. My responsibility is to follow that law and apply it consistently.”
Taylor finished fifth in the top-four gubernatorial primary, behind Democrats Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich and Republicans Bernadette Wilson and Dave Bronson. His failure to advance ordinarily would make the certification question moot, but the decision prevents Taylor from being certified should a vacancy or change in the four-candidate field otherwise create a path for him to the November ballot.
The deadline for candidates to withdraw from the general election ballot is 5 pm Monday. This tentatively means that Click Bishop moves into the fourth slot on the final four ballot, if Tom Begich completes his withdrawal from the race.
The dispute centers on Taylor’s disclosure of rental income from properties owned by him and his wife. Taylor submitted a list of tenants and rental amounts but identified the tenants by first name and last initial rather than publishing their complete names.
APOC considered Taylor’s disclosure on Aug. 26 and issued its recommendation the following day. Its complete written order was released Aug. 28.
The commission determined that Taylor failed to provide required information concerning a significant source of income within the statutory period, which ended July 1. Under AS 39.50.060(b), the lieutenant governor may not certify a candidate’s nomination when compliance was not completed within the required time.
Taylor maintains that he complied with the statute and withheld the tenants’ complete names from the public filing because of threats and harassment directed at people associated with his properties.
“I submitted a full list of our tenants with rental amounts,” Taylor said in a statement Friday. “I included the tenants’ first name and last initial to protect their privacy — they are not running for political office and don’t deserve to have their private information published.”
Taylor said tenants and contractors at the properties had been harassed and that one person had been threatened with a gun. He said his campaign informed APOC about the incident and offered to provide the tenants’ full names to the commission privately.
“Nothing has been withheld — every source, every amount, every property is reported,” Taylor said.
Taylor also argued that neither the controlling statute nor its accompanying regulation expressly requires a “full name.” He said he and at least one other public official had used the same reporting method in previous years without objection from APOC.
The commission nevertheless concluded that the incomplete names prevented the public from identifying and evaluating a significant source of Taylor’s income and constituted a failure to substantially comply by the deadline.
Dahlstrom’s decision comes as the Division of Elections proceeds with certification of the primary results and begins preparing the general election ballot. The four candidates advancing from the primary were Kreiss-Tomkins, Tom Begich, Bernadette Wilson Wilson and Dave Bronson, although Tom Begich announced Friday that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Kreiss-Tomkins.
Tom Begich had not said in that announcement whether he would formally withdraw his name from the general election ballot.
10 thoughts on “Breaking: Division of Elections will not certify Treg Taylor for governor”
Good! Put Click Bishop on the ballot. This will foul-up the Democrat’s strategy for JKT unification with Begich voters. AFL-CIO members and union studs from the trades (mostly men) won’t vote for a homosexual male candidate for governor. Will not happen in Alaska.
They’ll vote for Bishop, as will Interior Natives, thereby drawing votes away from the Democrats. Now, RCV is going to swing for Republicans and Conservatives (which Bishop is not). Thank you, Nancy Dahlstrom and Mike Dunleavy. You got this one right.😉
Bernadette, Showers, and Bronson better make their moves now.
Rick, what “moves” are you suggesting Wilson and Bronson make?
Mr. Coogan,
Bernadette, Shower, Dave Bronson, Shelly Hughs, Adam Crum, Matt Heilala and Treg Taylor need to get on a conference line immediately with the Party bosses and discuss this, for the sake of the Republican Party. The Democrats had it figured out until they were blind-sided by the Dunleavy Administration and especially Nancy Dahlstrom. It wouldn’t surprise me that this was a “plan B” strategy in the making weeks ago by Dunleavy. The Democrats now have to make a decision…….get rid of Click or risk having the Democrat votes diluted in the general election. At this point, keeping Bronson onboard as a Republican candidate would probably be advised, until a more clear picture emerges after 5pm today.
Wow. The facts of this matter sound quite arguable; possibly ridiculous. It would seem that Informalities, if minor in nature, should be waived if the intent of the law was fulfilled. It sounds like it was, according to facts set forth above. The income was shown with redacted surnames. Did he conceal an advantage? It seems not. I think he should file for an injunction.
No injunction. This is a strategy, not a logistical move, to keep the governorship in the hands of Republicans. Treg will go along with this, because he did not win outright into the final four. Bring in Click Bishop to cause mass confusion into the Democrat Party. It will be a guaranteed circus.
The Democrats now have their thongs in a twixt. They want three Republicans in the final four so the Democrats can win through “dilution” of Republican party votes. But with Treg gone and Click now moving up the ladder, the dilution will go the other direction. In other words, a backfire. So the Dems will get Click to “withdraw” his name before 5:00 pm today and have Republicans Hughs, Crum, or Heilala move up the ladder so that Republican dilution remains the overall strategy of the Democrats.
.
The 2026 governor’s race is more like a ticking clock-watch and race to Withdraw from candidacy. Only RCV can bring this drama.
What joke the Alaska Division of Elections is. The allow Decoy Dan in – a clear act of illegal electioneering- while getting a lower tier republican on thin chicken poop at best. And I not even a supporter of the candidate.
Hey all centrists and rightists in Alaska. The left through the democrat party is trying to do you dirty right now. They hope you shut up and take it. And keep taking it- like those who know their place. Is that you? Are you going to allow them to do you dirty?
Prediction:
Uncle Tom will formally drop allowing Clickers into final four.
That helps Democrats, not hurt.
If that happens, I hope Treg Taylor sues Dahlstrom and div elections.
What do they need the full names of tenants for? No finances were undisclosed on the financial disclosure.
This doesn’t pass the smell test.
How in the world will Click help Democrats? He will only help them LOSE.
Click is a Democrat. Now you have 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats in the final four. Keep Click in. He could destroy either party’s election hopes. And the thing about Click is that he thinks of himself as a winner. Pure delusion, or mental failing.
AK news source is reporting the issue is a self donation to his campaign after the self donation deadline.
Suzanne- hearing anything else?