By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 21, 2026 – With less than a week remaining before Alaska’s June 27 candidate withdrawal deadline, some legislative races have already seen candidates exit the field, narrowing competition and, in at least one case, effectively deciding the outcome before a single vote is cast.
Candidates who withdraw by 5 pm on June 27 will not appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. The deadline comes nearly a month after the June 1 filing deadline, giving candidates a brief window to reconsider campaigns, consolidate support, or avoid expensive contests.
So far, these are the legislative races that already experienced withdrawals or candidate eligibility issues:
In House District 7, which covers the Kenai area, Republican Daniel L. Cooper withdrew from the race. The contest now remains between incumbent Rep. Justin Ruffridge, a Republican, and Democrat Kate Veh.
House District 9 also saw a Republican withdrawal. Darin A. Colbry exited the race, leaving incumbent nonpartisan Rep. Ky Holland and Republican John Boyle as the remaining candidates.
One Anchorage race lost its only Republican challenger before the campaign even began. In House District 13, Sarah D. Short was denied ballot access because a Public Official Financial Disclosure form was not on file by the filing deadline. The race now consists entirely of Democrats Lisa Keller and Felix Rivera, formerly of the Anchorage Assembly.
The open House District 24 seat has already undergone significant changes. Incumbent Rep. Dan Saddler announced he would not seek reelection and later formally withdrew. Republican Scott Williams also withdrew from the race.
That leaves three Republicans competing for the seat: former Rep. Sharon Jackson, former Rep. Ken McCarty, and Gina Wall, who is known in political circles for signing the recall petition against Gov. Mike Dunleavy and for signing the Democrat petition to repeal Senate Bill 21, the oil tax reform bill.
One of the most notable withdrawals occurred in House District 32. Republican Seth Church withdrew from the race against incumbent Rep. Will Stapp.
With no remaining challenger, Stapp is now effectively assured of another term in the Legislature unless a write-in campaign emerges. Under Alaska’s top-four primary system, a candidate running unopposed advances automatically to the general election and typically faces little difficulty securing reelection.
The Senate District O race also experienced a candidate outage. Republican Marshall T. Blankenship was denied ballot access, leaving Republican Ryan Sheldon, Republican George Rauscher (incumbent), and Democrat Peter Bauer in the race.
The withdrawal deadline often triggers additional movement as candidates assess fundraising, endorsements, volunteer support, and the likelihood of success. Alaska politicos will be watching closely during the final week to see whether more candidates decide to step aside before ballots are finalized.
Several races remain crowded, particularly in open-seat contests, where strategic withdrawals can alter the balance of support among candidates seeking to advance to the general election under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system.
