By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 1, 2026 – Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced Monday that she is ending her campaign for governor, stepping aside just hours before the filing deadline for Alaska’s 2026 election cycle and leaving an already crowded field of candidates to compete for the state’s top office.
Dahlstrom, a top Republican who has served as lieutenant governor since 2022, said she made the decision after weighing the increasingly large number of candidates seeking the office.
“I have decided to step away from what has become a very crowded field of candidates in the race to be Alaska’s next governor,” Dahlstrom said in a statement reported by Alaska’s News Source. “I am deeply thankful to the many Alaskans who encouraged me to run, donated to our campaign, and continue to support our work to strengthen our state.”
Her withdrawal had been widely anticipated in recent weeks, as other candidates assembled running mates and accelerated fundraising efforts ahead of Monday’s filing deadline.
Dahlstrom formally launched her campaign on Oct. 7, 2025, although she had filed Alaska Public Offices Commission paperwork for a gubernatorial campaign several months earlier, in May 2025.
Before becoming lieutenant governor, Dahlstrom served in the Alaska House of Representatives and later as Alaska commissioner of corrections. In 2024, she briefly entered the race for Alaska’s lone seat in the US House after Rep. Mary Peltola announced her Senate campaign, but later suspended that effort and endorsed Republican candidate Nick Begich.
Her departure from the governor’s race further reshapes a contest that has drawn an unusually large field of candidates under Alaska’s open primary and ranked-choice voting system. As of Monday morning, dozens of candidates had filed for statewide offices, including a lengthy list of gubernatorial hopefuls ranging from former elected officials to political newcomers.
Dahlstrom’s decision leaves the Republican field led by candidates including Democrat Tom Begich and Republican businesswoman Bernadette Wilson, former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, former state Sen. Click Bishop, and businessman Matt Heilala, along with several others.
The filing deadline for candidates is 5 pm Monday. The top four finishers in the August primary will advance to the November general election.
5 thoughts on “Nancy Dahlstrom suspends campaign for governor”
Dahlstrom couldn’t get Governor Dunleavy’s endorsement. Besides, she is as lazy as Mary Peltola, hoping to get other people to do her homework. Dahlstrom didn’t do a damn thing as Lt Governor. She didn’t even have the courtesy to respond to her constituents. Bye-bye Nancy. Enjoy your retirement.
What’s with all the “stunning and brave, powerful women” ( sarc) , having pictures in some sort of aircraft?
They’re not PIC. Just weight and balance extra baggage.
Dahlstrom did as much in the Lt. Governor’s office as she did as Commissioner of the Dept. of Corrections: NOTHING.
We hope she leaves Alaska.
Obviously, she’s reading the room and tea leaves correctly, stepping down now in a race she can’t win. Alaskan GOP’ers would be best served if many others followed Nacy’s efforts here. Also, Alaskan GOP’ers would be very well served if Trump made an endorsement for Governor.