By SUZANNE DOWNING
Oct. 28, 2026 – Hell hath no fury as a candidate scorned.
Dave Bronson wanted President Donald Trump’s endorsement. He sought it. He attended Trump’s Oct. 13 rally in Wasilla. Now, after Trump backed Bernadette Wilson and publicly criticized him, the former Anchorage mayor is releasing a campaign video condemning the president’s rhetoric and accusing Republicans of blindly following one man.
“As a lifelong conservative, I once found a sense of stability in the broader Republican movement,” Bronson says in the video. “Lately, President Trump’s extreme rhetoric has weakened that sense of stability for me.”
The message marks another escalation in Bronson’s public disagreement with the president as Alaska’s gubernatorial election approaches. Now, Bronson is posing as a moderate.
Bronson opens by saying national politics has become a competition over outrageous statements, pushing practical problems aside. He then names Trump and criticizes what he describes as attacks and inaccurate statements.
“I will continue to stand by my conservative values while some in our party blindly follow one man,” Bronson says.
The contrast with his pursuit of Trump’s support is striking.
In his Oct. 13 endorsement of Wilson, Trump said Bronson had sought his backing. The president also accused Bronson of agreeing to withdraw before reversing course three days later. Trump urged Republicans to consolidate behind Wilson, the highest-finishing Republican in the primary.
Bronson nevertheless attended the president’s rally at the Menard Center in Wasilla that day. His attendance was documented by the Mat-Su Sentinel.
Bronson subsequently disputed Trump’s account of their withdrawal discussions. As The Alaska Story previously reported, he acknowledged that Trump had asked him to leave, but maintained that his agreement depended on other candidates also suspending their campaigns.
The two men have offered competing accounts of the conditions surrounding a proposed withdrawal. What is clear is that Trump chose Wilson, Bronson remained in the race, and Bronson is now explicitly criticizing the president in campaign messaging.
His video follows his earlier criticism of Wilson, Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Alaska Republican Party leadership. The Alaska Story reported Oct. 10 that Bronson had already suggested a Trump endorsement could hurt him. There has been no statement from the Alaska Republican Party on his attacks on the party.
Bronson continues to trail Wilson in polling. September’s Cygnal survey placed him at 8%.
The sequence invites a political question: Why seek the endorsement of a president whose rhetoric now supposedly undermines your sense of stability?
Whether that amounts to an emerging Never Trump position or frustration over losing a coveted endorsement is an interpretation voters can weigh. Bronson is making criticism of the Republican Party and Trump part of his closing campaign message.
For a candidate who sought Trump’s backing and attended his rally, that is a notable turn. Bronson has turned full Murkowski, spending debates praising Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, urging compromise, and trying to anchor himself to a nonpartisan identity.
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8 thoughts on “Bronson sought Trump’s endorsement, attended Trump’s rally — now condemns his ‘extreme rhetoric’”
Bronson and church had a chance to be the heroes. They have chosen instead to be the ones who will single handily help elect a far left socialist progressive for the first time in Alaska history. Disgraceful behavior from two veterans who should be better than this.
I wonder how many Anchorage voters regret putting Bronson in the Mayor’s office. I now question why I voted for him. Looking back I believe it was because a good friend put on a fund raising event for him which I attended. When I contributed a fairly large amount to His campaign and never heard a “.thank you” from
him I should have been put on notice about his character. I will not make that mistake again.
I think he does not have a solid moral compass and will do or say just about anything to get attention. Thankfully he has ZERO chance at ever getting elected to
any office, ever! But his lack of a conscience has made him
attempt to blow up the Governor’s race and get a Democrat elected. For that he should never be forgiven!
He is doing all he can to not be ranked by conservatives, so their votes get exhausted by ranked choice voting. Bronson wants to help the homosexual be guv. Disgusting.
So rank Bronson third anyways.
By the way Bronson, you are finished in Alaskan politics.
Just when I thought Dave’s comments about President Trump were his political kiss of death, he hands us another gift. Who exactly does he think he’s persuading, JKT supporters?
#InsaneAlaskaPolitics
Dave, get it over with and change your last name to “Murkowski” already.
I’m out! No longer a Bronson supporter and I won’t even rank him. He’s turned into a pathetic loser. If Church is smart he’ll back away from this sour grapes wack job and save his political hyde for another day. Bronson’s political career is over.
Bernadette #1
Treg #2
Talk about being butt-hurt. Poor baby. He looks like he wants to burst out crying. I hope his political career is finished.
Bronson, in reality, is a traitor to the Republican party.
Bronson is the epitome of a RINO, NeoCon, and UniParty politician.
The fact that he would relentlessly attempt to undermine the Republican victory in the governor’s race is a testament to his character as a man.
Disgusting and pathetic.