By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 27, 2026 – With just 52 days remaining before Alaska’s Aug. 18 primary election, gubernatorial candidate Lesil McGuire has replaced her running mate, naming former state Rep. Sara Rasmussen as her new candidate for lieutenant governor.
The move comes only weeks after McGuire, one of 17 candidates for governor, announced her campaign and selected Elizabeth Rexford as her lieutenant governor candidate.
In a statement released Saturday, the campaign said Rexford will step aside from the ticket and instead serve as senior policy advisor, focusing on housing, energy, affordability, and voter engagement.
According to the campaign, the change followed “thoughtful conversations about the demands of a statewide campaign, family and how each person can best contribute to Alaska’s future.”
“The campaign has never been about ego,” McGuire said. “It has always been about building the strongest possible team for Alaska.”
McGuire described Rasmussen as “an accomplished leader and policy maker” whose experience in education, public safety, and rural connectivity aligns with the campaign’s priorities.
Rexford said she supports the decision and believes her greatest contribution will come through policy development and stakeholder engagement rather than serving on the statewide ticket.
“I am pleased to offer my wholehearted support for Sara Rasmussen as Lesil’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor,” Rexford said.
Rasmussen said she was honored to join the campaign and praised both McGuire and Rexford for putting the campaign’s goals ahead of individual roles.
“It is an honor to join Lesil McGuire in this campaign for Alaska’s future,” Rasmussen said. She also commended Rexford for continuing to serve the campaign, calling it “the kind of commitment to service that our state deserves.”
In a joint statement, the three women said they hope the transition demonstrates “a different model of public service” centered on humility, collaboration, and shared leadership.
“As mothers, leaders and Alaskans, we know that real leadership means setting aside personal ambitions to do what’s best for the people we serve,” the statement said.
The announcement represents one of the more unusual developments of Alaska’s 2026 gubernatorial campaign. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor typically campaign as a team after filing under Alaska’s current ranked-choice voting system, and changes to a statewide ticket this close to the primary are uncommon.
3 thoughts on “Lesil McGuire reshuffles deck, names former lawmaker Sara Rasmussen as running mate”
Anybody for some leg wrestling?
The estrogen dream team
Sarah Rasmussen assisted with the formation of the House “Bipartisan” Caucus in 2021, which is why she is a former legislator. She got cute, not officially joining the caucus, but sufficiently supportive to vote for committee assignments, which landed her one on House Finance. I think Lesil made a mistake here. Cheers –