By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 11, 2026 – With just 20 days remaining before Alaska’s June 1 gubernatorial filing deadline, the race for lieutenant governor running mates is starting to look like a political game of musical chairs.
So far, only five gubernatorial candidates have publicly announced or formally filed running mates, leaving 13 candidates still searching for someone to share the ticket, or at least someone they are ready to reveal publicly.
The math creates an interesting picture: If all remaining candidates intend to file with running mates before the deadline, Alaska voters could see a new announcement roughly every one-and-a-half days between now and June 1.
That pace could make the final stretch of the campaign season unusually busy, particularly because many of the remaining candidates are among the best-known names in the race.
Among those who have already locked in running mates are:
- Republican Click Bishop, who selected Greta Schuerch, an Iñupiaq leader and NANA Regional Corp. board member who formerly identified as a Democrat before registering as a nonpartisan.
- Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, who chose Fairbanks financial professional Josh Church.
- Businesswoman Bernadette Wilson, who tapped former Sen. Mike Shower.
- Republican candidate Hank Kroll, whose running mate is Tommy R. Nicholson III, undeclared.
- Former Sen. Shelley Hughes, who announced retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blake Gettys as her running mate this month.
That leaves a long list of candidates still without announced partners.
Republicans who have yet to unveil a running mate include former Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, retired physician Matt Heilala, educator James Parkin, former Attorney General Treg Taylor, and Bruce Walden.
Democrats Tom Begich, Sen. Matt Claman, and former Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins also have not publicly announced lieutenant governor selections.
Independent and nonpartisan candidates Gregg Brelsford, Meda DeWitt, and Jessica Faircloth likewise remain without publicly identified running mates.
Under current Alaska election law, gubernatorial and lieutenant governor candidates run together as a ticket in the primary and general election, making the choice politically significant. Candidates can use the lieutenant governor slot to broaden geographic reach, appeal to different wings of the party, or strengthen credentials in areas such as military service, business, Native leadership, or government experience.
This year’s unusually large field has made the running mate search more complicated than normal. Some candidates may already have partners lined up but are strategically delaying announcements, while others may still be negotiating behind the scenes or planning to withdraw from the race. The withdrawal deadline is June 27, but if they don’t have running mates by June 1, they will be disqualified.
Either way, with less than three weeks left, the clock is ticking.
Who do you think should be a lieutenant governor and which current gubernatorial candidates should they be paired with? Answer in the comment section.
4 thoughts on “Clock is ticking for Alaska gubernatorial candidates to pick running mates. Who do you think is ready?”
SSHughes and Getty are the most Qualified Candidates for the job. SSH is all in to making a difference in our State. She has also chosen a very strong Qualified Candidate for her lieutenant governor . Please look her up on Instagram. She has brought up every subject that Alaskans are concerned about. And has a plan on how to fix it. 🇺🇸 she has been in politics for many years. She has lived in all four corners of Alaska. She raised her children in Alaska. She also cares a great deal about military families.❤️🇺🇸
Wilson should drop and Shower should run with Taylor.
Wilson, Hughes, Bronson. We need someone who CAN and WILL stand up against our RINO Republicans to STOP the stealing of our PFD.
Adam Crum and Taylor should join forces. That way most of Dunleavy’s dirty turds are in one pile.