By SUZANNE DOWNING
March 29, 2026 – Republicans in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula District 6 gathered over the weekend for their district convention, where attendees conducted a straw poll for governor.
The informal gubernatorial straw poll showed Bernadette Wilson with a commanding lead among the participants. Wilson received 17 votes, followed by Bruce Walden with 6 votes and Shelley Hughes with 5. Matt Heilala received 2 votes, and Edna DeVries received 1.
While nonbinding and nonscientific, district straw polls are often watched as early indicators of grassroots enthusiasm within party organizations, particularly in areas like the Kenai Peninsula where Republican turnout is traditionally strong. The results suggest Wilson currently has the most momentum among District 6 activists, though the relatively small vote total reflects the informal nature of the exercise.
In context
The District 6 poll follows several other informal Republican straw polls held this year as candidates jockey for position in the crowded gubernatorial field.
Another straw poll conducted by the X account called Alaska Nations had Wilson coming out strongly with 55.4% of the vote to Bronson’s 21.8% and Hughes’ 7.9%. Â Others were 14.9%.
A poll that was independently done by Lake Research Partners on behalf of Democrat Tom Begich shows Bernadette Wilson leading the Republican field. Conducted Feb. 5-11 among 600 likely voters, Begich led with 38% and Wilson was 16%, with other Republicans trailing far behind.
In the PredictIt online betting market, Wilson is leading at 31%, followed by Click Bishop 23% and Tom Begich 16%. The Polymarket betting site has Tom Begich winning with 25% and Bernadette Wilson following at 15%, with others trailing far behind.
In January, the Alaska Young Republicans conducted a straw poll at their state convention, in which Shelley Hughes finished first with 35 votes, followed by Adam Crum with 30 votes and other candidates trailing.
In February, Republicans in House District 8, covering the Soldotna and central Kenai Peninsula area, hosted a gubernatorial forum at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Multiple candidates attended, and a straw poll conducted among participants was won by Hughes.
These types of informal preference votes are becoming more frequent as Republicans test the strength of a large gubernatorial field that includes Republicans Bernadette Wilson, Nancy Dahlstrom, Shelley Hughes, Adam Crum, Dave Bronson, Treg Taylor, and others. Democrats now have four candidates – Matt Claman, Tom Begich, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Meda DeWitt, (who is an unaffiliated candidate considered to be a far-left Democrat). Click Bishop is a Republican candidate who is considered to be a Democrat as well, which makes polling his race difficult.
In addition to the gubernatorial straw poll, District 6 Republicans elected new officers to serve two-year terms. George Hall was selected as chair, with Waynette Coleman elected vice chair. Gayle Claus was chosen as secretary, and Charlie Franz will hold the district’s bonus vote.
Since 2022, Alaska does not use party-run primaries. Instead, all candidates compete in a nonpartisan top-four primary scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026, with the top four finishers advancing to the general election, which is decided using ranked-choice voting. As a result, party organizations often use forums, conventions, and straw polls to gauge early support.
10 thoughts on “Bernadette Wilson strongly leads in latest Kenai straw poll among Republicans”
Bernadette is a sharp gal and has no fear. She also has a strong running mate in, also fearless, Mike Showers. Mike is smart and either of them would make a great governor so together they are going to be pretty formidable. I am glad to see Shelley also in the top and waiting to see who she will select as a Lieutenant Governor running mate. She is another fearless and sharp potential governor. We have some great conservative candidates but with Rigged Choice Voting I am concerned. Will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
During this time of conventions, meet and greets, campaigns, and fundraisers I hope people take time to read and get informed on the candidates running. We should be informed enough to make decisions with confidence in the candidate and what they stand for.
We need a governor that will be strong in the constitution of AK and has the ability to keep his/her oath of office to we the people. We are a republic government. We are Not a democracy, not a communist, not a socialist but a free people.
God bless us all.
W.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RWm1X4BIZ3U
Check out 50 seconds and at 1 minute 30 seconds.
Someone come to princess Lisa’s side to protect her
https://alaskalandmine.com/landmines/the-sunday-minefield-august-14-2022/
For the AKGOP’s strongest chance toward maintaining the Governor’s four years Ms Bernedette is it’s best candidate out of All with the strongest likely to maintain unity among Boomers, GenXers, Millennials and even the youthful energy to encourage GenZers and the very young adult GenAlphas to increasingly get more interested in politic and their community. Whether or not AKGOP like her, its not about you it’s about TEAM.
She is telling the right points and messages on her YouTube social media page that Alaskans. But before other candidates start parroting her YouTube messages, they have to recognize about themselves they are not Bernadette, her opponents are unbelievable when they speak on the same talking points you can’t believe them when they are repeating what Bernedette been speaking out on as they attempt scoring points. (The candidates faces have been in government too long to their own detriment except Bronson but he made a lot of mistakes when he last was an administrator of a community. Unfortunately for him no one will be able to trust him manage the entire state of Alaska which is not Anchorage of 280,000)
For the AK GOP if they elect Bernedette Wlson as Alaska’s next Governor it’ll be a compliment to the AKGOP, the win it’ll give them bragging rights, and it’ll show the AKGOP is not intimated and not insecure to elect Women especially attractive women leaders. Bernedette would be the AKGOP second one elected since 2006. The Democrats hadn’t even elected their first Democrat female Governor.
I’ve never forgotten how Bernedette “told” our Anchorage Assembly how they were destroying Anchorage during the Covid by shutting them down. How they excluded some people who were tired of the “games” they were playing with our businesses. We lost alot of good small businesses during that time..and how they were NOT listening to the people, when people stood up to speak, if they didn’t agree with them they would “shut them up by not allowing them to complete their speech..
Why can’t we seem to support a candidate with actual principles?
Now, hopefully,the also-rans will drop out and not be spoilers once a primary selects a frontrunner