By SUZANNE DOWNING
More than a year before Alaska Republicans emerged from the 2026 primary divided over the governor’s race, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy delivered a clear message to party leaders:
Once the primary was over, Republicans needed to unite behind the Republican who received the most votes, he said.
Dunleavy made the remarks at a Republican picnic in July 2025 attended by district leaders and political enthusiasts from Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. This writer was present and reported at the time:
“Gov. Dunleavy, in his remarks, noted that after the primary in 2026, Republicans need to rally behind the top vote getter — and he was emphatic about that.”
The governor’s comments have taken on new relevance following the Aug. 18, 2026 primary.
Bernadette Wilson finished as the top Republican candidate for governor, earning about 10.2% of the overall vote, but over 20% of Republican vote — there were 12 Republican candidates. Dave Bronson finished behind her with about 8.2%, followed by Treg Taylor and Click Bishop, who is not considered a Republican in this race due to having a non-Republican running mate.
Wilson and running mate Mike Shower have urged Republicans to consolidate behind their ticket. Wilson has also received endorsements from prominent national Republicans, including Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who served as President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, the Trump-endorsed frontrunner for governor of Florida.
Bronson, however, has his own plan. He says he’ll remain in the race, despite previously signing a Republican pledge indicating he would support the leading Republican after the primary.
On the Democratic side, the consolidation has already begun. Tom Begich, who finished second overall, announced Friday that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing primary winner Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. Begich did not say in his announcement whether he had formally withdrawn his name from the November ballot. Candidates have until Monday at 5 pm to do so.
That leaves Republicans facing precisely the situation Dunleavy warned about in July 2025.
Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, multiple Republicans can advance to the general election and compete against one another for first-choice votes. Democrats appear determined to avoid that problem by concentrating their resources and support behind Kreiss-Tomkins.
Republicans now must decide whether to follow the advice Dunleavy delivered emphatically more than a year ago — or continue dividing their vote while Democrats consolidate theirs.
Dunleavy’s statement at the picnic was a direct warning about what Republicans would need to do after the primary.
The question now is whether Dunleavy and other party leaders will publicly stand behind the unity principle the governor laid out in 2025.
One thought on “One year ago, Gov. Dunleavy warned Republicans to rally behind the top vote-getter in 2026”
And Ms Downing, AKRepublicans will not follow. Apparently for Janice representing the well spoken and articulate crowd of Republicans in her latest written rebuttal of you they think IF ONLY All Republicans rank the Republicans that they’ll get a Republican governor.
Problem is some Republicans will rank a 1,2,3 choice. The rest of the Republicans won’t rank after 1. Seeing all the angst from Bronson’s supporters. In their anger and retaliation and stubborness they likely won’t even rank Bernadette because of your’s and Alex’s letters calling for Bronson to step aside and not using the best choice of words to pressure him. However he wouldn’t be the only one who needed to step aside, so he shouldn’t been singled out. Treg, bishop, Hughes, and any other Republican moved up in the ballot after Hughes all need to respectfully leave for the good of the team.
Tom Begich did it. He showed Republicans how to get the job done and that unification is still better than ranking.