By SUZANNE DOWNING
Sept. 3, 2026 – Another national conservative heavyweight has endorsed Bernadette Wilson for governor of Alaska, adding to the growing list of Republican leaders lining up behind the top GOP vote-getter in the August primary.
US Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee announced her support for Wilson on Thursday, praising the Alaska businesswoman and longtime conservative activist as a leader who will fight for families and resource development.
“Bernadette Wilson is a strong conservative leader who will fight for Alaskans and unleash the state’s natural resources,” Blackburn said. “She’s a mother who knows what it means to put families first and stand up for the next generation. I’m happy to support Bernadette and look forward to seeing her deliver results for the people of Alaska.”
Wilson said she was grateful to receive the endorsement from Blackburn, whom she described as “the next governor of Tennessee.”
Blackburn won Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial nomination in August and is the heavy favorite in the Nov. 3 general election. Tennessee has not elected a Democrat statewide since 2006, and President Donald Trump carried the state by nearly 30 percentage points in 2024.
Blackburn has represented Tennessee in the US Senate since 2019 after serving 16 years in the US House. She is known nationally as a staunch conservative and an ally of Trump, particularly on energy development, border security, government spending and opposition to Big Tech censorship.
Her support gives Wilson another significant national endorsement as Alaska Republicans begin consolidating around the general election.
Wilson has already been endorsed by Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, among others. Donalds is also running for governor of Florida and has Trump’s endorsement.
Begich endorsed Wilson after she finished as the leading Republican in Alaska’s Aug. 18 top-four primary. Wilson received 16,456 votes, finishing ahead of every other of the 12 Republican candidate in the crowded field.
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She placed third overall behind Democrats Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich. Tom Begich later suspended his campaign and endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, while fourth-place Republican Dave Bronson remained on the final-four ranked-choice ballot, and Candi English moved into the fourth slot.
Wilson entered the governor’s race on May 13, 2025, making her one of the earliest candidates to begin campaigning for the open seat. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term.
Since launching her campaign, Wilson has traveled extensively across Alaska and emphasized resource development, lower energy costs, public safety, education reform, and reducing the influence of government insiders.
The Blackburn endorsement further strengthens Wilson’s claim to being the consensus conservative candidate as Republicans work to prevent the fractured field of the primary from carrying over into November.
With the general election less than two months away, more endorsements appear to be rolling in, and the national Republican attention surrounding Wilson’s campaign is growing.
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2 thoughts on “National momentum builds: Sen. Marsha Blackburn endorses Bernadette Wilson for Alaska governor”
Remember the clown who drove around in his truck/plow during our big snow year a few years back and bashed on Bronsons plowing of the streets? That gentleman was Chris Tuck. You all hated him at the time because he bashed your mayor. Turns out the guy you all hated is the dad of the daughter of the lady you all want to become governor. Let that sink in! It should be a red flag. If she’s truly conservative I don’t think that would happen. I am ranking this way:
1)Bronson
2)Taylor’s wife and whoever else it is(total joke, shows you AK elections are a laughing stock and in disarray).
3)Bernadette. Questionable in her character and if she’s actually conservative but hopefully better than leftist crazy JKT.
Ho hum. Who cares? We are more concerned about the present and the future of this state, rather than making an issue of who Bernadette had a romantic interest with in the distant past. We’ve all got stories to tell about relationship mistakes, J. How about your mistakes? Please read up.