By SUZANNE DOWNING
As the Second Session of the 34th Alaska Legislature prepares to convene on Jan. 20, Republican lawmakers in the legislative minority say they are entering the 2026 session unified around a clearly defined set of party priorities.
Those priorities were formally adopted by the Alaska Republican Party State Central Committee during its Dec. 6, 2025 meeting. Party leaders described the platform as an effort to provide transparency and focus for Republican legislators as they draft, support, and evaluate legislation in the coming year.
Republican lawmakers say the agenda reflects core policy positions that address Alaska’s fiscal stability, energy development, education options, and election systems. Members of the minority caucus have indicated they will support legislation aligned with the priorities and oppose measures that run counter to them.
Alaska Republican Party adopts legislative priorities, presses caucus unity amid coalition control
Among the key planks is a commitment to a sustainable state budget without the imposition of new taxes that would increase costs for working families. Republicans also emphasize private-sector job growth, calling for responsible development of Alaska’s natural resources and efforts to reduce the cost of electricity and natural gas statewide.
Election policy is another major focus. Republican legislators support a return to a partisan primary system and the repeal of ranked-choice voting in the general election, an issue expected to remain prominent during the 2026 session.
On education, the party platform calls for expanding charter school authorizers, including options that are more homeschool-friendly. Lawmakers also oppose reopening a defined-benefit pension system, instead supporting continued participation by teachers in the Supplemental Benefit System or Social Security.
Fiscal management of the Permanent Fund is also highlighted. Republicans oppose combining the Earnings Reserve Account with the Permanent Fund principal into a single account and support an annual appropriations process that requires the Legislature to live within its means while protecting the Permanent Fund corpus.
In addition to the formal party priorities, Republican members of the minority caucus say they are united in support of paying a full Permanent Fund Dividend as established in statute.
Republican lawmakers backing the platform say the unified agenda will guide their approach as the Legislature grapples with Alaska’s ongoing budget challenges, rising energy costs, debates over education policy, and questions surrounding election integrity in 2026. They are inviting other Republicans to join them.
Republican legislators supporting the priorities include:
- Jamie D. Allard, Eagle River (District 23)
- Kevin McCabe, Big Lake (District 30)
- Garret Nelson, Sutton (District 29)
- Mike Prax, North Pole (District 33)
- Rebecca Schwanke, Eastern Interior (District 36)
- Steve St. Clair, Wasilla (District 26)
- Frank Tomaszewski, Fairbanks (District 34)
The second session of the 34th Legislature will convene in Juneau on Jan. 20.
8 thoughts on “Group of Alaska lawmakers rally behind shared GOP platform as Legislature convenes Jan. 20”
Only seven?
Where are the others. There is more than 7Republicans between both Houses.
That’s just as weak as the current state of the AKGOP.
If AKGOP had less government dependent Republican members they’d have more Republicans on-board. Your party cant personally affird to right size Government and change spending directions, some of your biggest Republican donors will be out of work.
I don’t see Yundt or Underwood on there. Says a,lot about both
I just read a new term: Legacy Republicans. I guess it means those that yearn for the traditional values of limited government, free trade and American exceptionalism. As a liberal, I like it. It means that some smart republicans are FINALLY recognizing Trump as poison and want to move on, or as the name implies, even backwards (in time anyways). Again, as a liberal, I’d love to be a part of a democracy that doesn’t celebrate corruption or cowers before an incompetent conman. A responsive congress. A cabinet staffed by qualified professional people instead of podcasters with nuclear weapons. Democracy!! It was and is a grand idea.
Evan,
You’re not a liberal.
An incompetent conman? Trump is a very competent conman. A responsive congress? Responsive to whom? Foreign-based NGOs sucking up billions upon billions of U.S. tax dollars? A cabinet staffed by qualified professional people? You mean like the absurd rat circus of gender-confused freaks that surrounded “Joe Biden”? Democracy? Ron Paul said “The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Our Founding Fathers clearly understood this.” Enough said.
The Alaska Republican party’s platform is clearly posted on their website. Most Republicans in our legislature don’t follow it, as they are, for all practical purposes, “owned” by outside special intetests.
What exactly is the State Central Committee, and why do they have a supposedly separate platform?
This is sooooo wrong! We have 11 Rs out of total of 20 in the Senate. We are the majority of 1.
We have 21 R’s out of 40 in the House. That’s a majority of 1.
Come on Republicans. I know that’s not much, but we are the majority party in Juneau. Start acting like it. If you don’t like the R platform, switch parties and quit being a hypocrite! Stop selling your soul for power and money. Prove me wrong. Let’s start with Kathy G
The answer is simple. These seven are from the most conservative districts and its an election year. They will make a big show of following the platform. Then come home and tell us they didn’t have the numbers to be effective so we need to reelect them annnnd if we help get out the votes in the RINO districts our conservative dreams will come true. If you read this comment near your garden, a bumper crop is assured.