By SUZANNE DOWNING
Nov. 13, 2026 — Nine Alaska senators have organized a Republican minority caucus for the 35th Alaska Legislature, choosing Sen. Jesse Bjorkman of Nikiski as minority leader and bringing longtime Sitka Sen. Bert Stedman back into the Republican fold after his participation in the Democrat-aligned Senate majority.
The leadership structure announced Thursday places Sen. Rob Yundt, R-Wasilla, in the role of minority whip and Stedman as minority finance lead.
Stedman’s inclusion is a change in the Senate’s political alignment. Although he remained a registered Republican while caucusing with Democrats, he will now serve with the Republican minority, taking a leading role in its work on state finances.
The nine-member caucus falls short of a majority in the 20-member Senate, but gives Republicans an organized bloc heading into the next Legislature.
“Alaskans deserve a government that gets the basics right, an economy that rewards hard work, and a future worth building right here at home,” Bjorkman said in the caucus announcement. “We are nine senators committed to practical solutions that strengthen our communities and create opportunity.”
The announcement identified four priorities: economic opportunity for working families and seniors, better educational results, responsible resource development, and effective government that delivers essential services while controlling spending.
On the economy, the caucus said it wants to encourage investment, support good-paying jobs, and keep taxes and living costs down. Its education platform emphasizes effective teaching and accountable student achievement, while its resource development agenda calls for creating jobs and attracting investment so Alaskans share in the state’s wealth.
The Republicans also acknowledged that roads, schools, public safety, and infrastructure require adequate funding, describing those services as the core responsibilities of state government.
But the caucus drew a distinction between paying for essential services and expanding government. It pledged to seek cuts in wasteful spending and evaluate proposals for new revenue based on whether they deliver results for Alaskans and help working families and the economy. As a caucus of nine, its options are limited, however.
Any surplus or new revenue should support core services rather than government growth, the announcement said.
“We have real needs in this state, and meeting them costs money,” Bjorkman said. “Every dollar the government collects is a dollar a family or a business could have invested in its own future.”
Bjorkman said government should demonstrate results with the money it already receives before asking workers and businesses to pay more, and should offer a clear plan showing how additional revenue would help grow the economy, create jobs, and support families.
The announcement does not categorically rule out new revenue, but sets conditions for considering it, tying any proposal to spending discipline and measurable benefits.
Yundt emphasized the financial pressures already facing Alaska households.
“Working families are already paying enough,” he said. “They need good jobs, affordable homes, and a chance to get ahead. We should make it easier to build a business and raise a family in Alaska, not more expensive.”
Stedman, taking the caucus’s finance leadership role, stressed maintaining infrastructure and meeting the state’s obligations while exercising budget restraint.
“Alaska must live within its means while investing in what keeps our economy moving,” Stedman said. “That means maintaining our infrastructure, meeting our obligations, and making sure every dollar has a purpose.”
10 thoughts on “Alaska Senate Republicans organize nine-member caucus; Stedman returns to GOP fold”
These Rs Should never caucus with the Ds. Shows it’s not about Alaskans, just power and $. This state is so corrupt and they can ignore the peasants that are far far away from Juneau, the donkey town,
Who are the nine senators? I only see the three names.
ALL the water-boys (and girl) are fired from their service to Democrats. I don’t believe a word that the three say.
Alaska GOP leaders and districts members take a good look at Bjorkman, Stedman, and Yundt and that other guy in the House. That’s the current Big government direction the AKGOP party has been going down and out of this group of government dependent Republicans the AkGOP will tell us to unify behind one of them for governor in 2029, if they don’t change directions. I tell you I will not vote for a government dependent. These kind of guys can care/less about defending a Republican governance system. They joined the minority because they lost their water-boy jobs in the Democrat majority, they have no other place to go. But they are no different than how they were in Jan 2026, Jan 2025, Jan2024, or Jan2020.
So now both the majority and minority are led by liberals
Stedman reminds me of Mike Pence. A turncoat type of man, but only when he can use the situation to his favor. I would imagine that he now views himself as some sort of grandfatherly bridge to the governor’s office. He and JKT both come from Sitka, where everybody knows each other. This is exactly why we constantly need new, conservatives into elected office. Ultra lefties like JKT will push their radical agenda through other portals, in this case, through the Senate minority and Steadman. And that’s the name of that tune.
No doubt in my mind, Ted’s got this one correct.
Reminds one of defeated survivors waving their white flag, surrendering to the New Regime.
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Their “caucus announcement” is pathetically weak, amazingly the same old worn-out stuff, which voters just rejected soundly.
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But we thank them for showing up, at least trying to soften what’s coming.
Great. With Stedman’s new position, we can folks working to kill the gas line in both the majority and the minority.
Personally, I would not be surprised to see Stedman and Bjorkman flop over to the majority organization about sixty days into the session. These folks are all old friends and it sure is a lot more fun to be in the majority.
……of course it is. With Bill Walker, Frank Murkowski, Lisa Murkowski, Rick Halford, and all the others who changed their stripes to keep their bank accounts fluid and their special interests ahead of all else, the least of which is our formerly great state of Alaska. JKT and his ultra left-wing advisors have cuckolded an otherwise straight relationship Alaskans have held with the Far North.
JMARK,
I’ve heard that Bert is opposed to the defined benefit plan. Meaning, he isn’t getting a seat on Finance and not welcome in their little socialist world. Is this correct?
As far as a Gas Line is concerned, its just tragic! What a lost opportunity! We are so screwed!