By SUZANNE DOWNING
April 4, 2026 – Anchorage School Board candidate Dustin Darden announced Friday that he is stepping back from his own campaign and endorsing fellow candidate Sharon Gibbons in the race for Seat D, just days before ballots are due in the April 7 municipal election.
In a Facebook post addressed to “Anchorage neighbors and voters,” Darden said he entered the race intending to “fight for our children,” but concluded he should instead throw his support behind Gibbons.
“I am endorsing Sharon Gibbons for Anchorage School Board,” Darden wrote. “Sharon was born and raised right here in Anchorage. She is a dedicated educator who has spent her life pouring into this community’s children. Her entire focus is on Students, Not Politics — and that is exactly the kind of leadership our schools need.”
Darden framed his decision in religious terms, saying he believed he was being guided to step aside.
“But sometimes the Lord redirects your steps, and when He does, you’d better listen,” he wrote. “The Lord laid it on my heart to step back and point you toward her, because the love of the Lord is strong with this one.”
He also emphasized the need for a “powerful voice” for students and said he believes Gibbons’ faith would help bring change to Anchorage schools.
“I believe women need a powerful voice at that table — someone who will advocate fiercely for those who cannot yet advocate for themselves. Sharon is that voice,” Darden wrote. “And I believe her faith in Jesus Christ is precisely what is needed to bring a change of light into our classrooms and into the lives of Anchorage’s kids.”
Darden concluded the post with a direct appeal to voters: “This election is April 7th. Vote Sharon Gibbons. Put students first.”
Anchorage municipal ballots have already been mailed, and vote-by-mail elections continue even when candidates suspend their campaigns late in the cycle.
School choice advocate Leigh Sloan thanked Darden for endorsing Gibbons.
The Anchorage municipal election concludes April 7.
4 thoughts on “School board candidate Darden steps back, endorses Sharon Gibbons”
WHAT HE DO THAT FOR!! too late he’s already on the ballot. Too late. He already got my vote because the other two were government dependents meaning they Spent their entire life dependent on the taxpayer for their bread n butter.
Both of his opponents are employed in the Anchorage School District. They wouldn’t have any courage to confront their employer as a school board member who oversees the business operations of ASD from a board member position.
The worse Alaska could do is continuing to elect government dependent employees for public offices overseeing budgets using taxpayer monies.
By the way All the present school board members and employees all say they care about the kids. The question isn’t whether they care about kids, the question of what is it about the kids do they care about. Because right now the only care they shown about the kids is Kid enrollment numbers…
Tina, I generally do not read your stream of consciousness babble, but this is just too asinine.
Are you saying that ANYONE who WORKS for the government is on the taxpayers dole??? Does that include members of our armed services, coast guardsmen, police officers, fire fighters, border patrol, snowplow operators, city maintenance workers and so many more, without whom our society could not function and our laws would mean nothing???
That you can not discern between providing an honest day’s labor in service to the people and getting paid for that, from the social programs that require no active contribution from the recipient, makes your insight even less relevant.
Dustin Darden is an interesting person, but I do not think he is the right person for school board. Anyone who wants kids to go back to the days of candle light will not prepare the next generation for the future, where they need to deal with tech and more tech. Mrs. Gibbons has my vote!