Rodney Dial: Election Day won’t end the damage to Alaska’s public trust

By RODNEY DIAL

Nov 2, 2026 – Many Alaskans are looking toward tomorrow as the day that will finally bring months of election madness to an end. I wish I could believe that, but instead, it appears we are witnessing the beginning of Alaska’s decline.

We prospered as a nation in part because we have existed as a high-trust society. We trusted the system. When you bought a pound of meat at the grocery store, you trusted the scale. When you filled your car with gas, you believed you were actually receiving a gallon for the advertised price.

We trusted our government to the point that even when our opinions lost the day, we accepted the outcome. During my law enforcement career, we understood that this societal trust was essential to voluntary compliance. Without it, maintaining public order becomes impossible.

Never in my lifetime have I witnessed a world quite like the one we live in today. Virtually every corner of the globe is experiencing some form of distress, and Alaska is no exception.

I have no desire to use this letter to convince anyone whom to vote for. Most of us have already made up our minds. But I would ask you to consider the implications of recent events, specifically the alleged planned deception surrounding our U.S. Senate race.

Regardless of our political beliefs, we should be able to agree that, based on what has been reported, outside forces tried to influence our election through voter confusion.

Consider the allegations that a group of individuals, determined to win at any cost, developed a plan, sent operatives to Alaska, and recruited a willing participant. According to these allegations, an Alaskan agreed to participate in an effort intended to mislead his fellow citizens.

Think about that. This issue is ultimately about power and control in Washington, DC. Is the underlying betrayal of public trust really so different from the concerns we express when foreign governments attempt to influence our elections?

Throughout history, individuals who willingly assisted outside interests in undermining their own communities have often been called collaborators. Before accusing me of being overly dramatic, consider the seriousness of the allegation: a former Alaska teacher, no less, participating in an effort to deceive his fellow citizens and impact the result of an election.

Is that what we have come to?

I don’t know this man, but I can’t help wondering whether he considered what he might be sacrificing: his integrity, his reputation, and the legacy of his character, all for the political ambitions of people whose motives he may never truly understand.

Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I still believe a person’s good character is priceless. It cannot be bought. It must be earned.

I’ve seen posts attempting to rationalize these actions as though they were insignificant. Comments suggesting that voters can figure it out for themselves, that the ballots are clearly marked, and so forth.

I also know that some reading this are already justifying the conduct because someone on the opposing side did something they objected to. In their minds, that somehow makes dishonesty acceptable.

To those individuals, I would suggest that you have adopted an “ends-justify-the-means” mentality. When dishonesty becomes acceptable simply because you believe someone else has committed a wrong, you become worse than what you oppose by abandoning the moral standard you apply to others.

I wonder whether this former teacher ever took time during his career to teach virtues, integrity, or moral values to his students. I thought we used to teach our children that two wrongs don’t make a right?

Regardless, if the intent was to manipulate voters, some will inevitably be deceived.

An elder living in a Pioneer Home. A citizen in a remote community who doesn’t closely follow political news. An overworked Alaskan too exhausted to recognize the difference.

A few here. A few there.

Most Alaskans will navigate the situation and vote as intended. But those most vulnerable to confusion may also be those least equipped to recognize it.

The irony of Democrat operatives, and a former teacher, exploiting vulnerable citizens for electoral advantage is anathema to the ideals they tell us they stand for.

Just whitewashed tombs (some will understand that reference).

As Alaskans, we should find this conduct despicable, regardless of our political affiliations.

Regardless, the damage from this offense will extend well beyond Election Day.

Because of ranked-choice voting and the time required to count and certify ballots, we may not know the final outcome for weeks. Should the candidate benefiting from this alleged deception ultimately prevail, I suspect she will not find that victory quite as sweet. Her legitimacy will be tarnished in the eyes of many.

We have all witnessed enough Alaska elections to know that close margins are common.

What happens if the margin is smaller than the number of votes received by the individual recruited to deceive voters?  

It’s likely safe to say that public trust will be further diminished, Alaskans will become more divided than ever, and the people behind this ruse will be long gone.

Alaska is being used. It’s our choice if we let them.

Please pray for our state and our country.

Just my own personal comments and I am not speaking for or representing anyone else.

Rodney Dial is former mayor of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and now serves on the Assembly.

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