By SUZANNE DOWNING
Sept. 8, 2026 — Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan has picked up yet another endorsement, this time from the National Federation of Independent Business, adding the voice of small-business owners to a coalition that already includes several of Alaska’s largest labor organizations and the nation’s leading business association.
NFIB, which advocates for independently owned businesses, announced its endorsement Tuesday. The organization cited Sullivan’s voting record and his support for making the 20% federal small-business tax deduction permanent.
“Senator Sullivan has made Alaska small businesses proud,” said Jackie Toppin of Guaranty Mortgage Service Inc. in Anchorage. “Throughout his time in Congress, he’s been a consistent champion for our state’s independent companies across the Last Frontier.”
Toppin said Sullivan currently holds a 100% voting record with NFIB and played a critical role in preserving the small-business deduction.
“On behalf of Alaskan member businesses like mine, NFIB is proud to support Sen. Sullivan for re-election,” she said.
The endorsement adds another major business organization to Sullivan’s reelection coalition. The US Chamber of Commerce previously endorsed him, placing the incumbent senator in the unusual position of drawing support from both the business community and some of Alaska’s most influential labor unions.
Those labor endorsements include Alaska Teamsters Local 959, the Alaska District Council of Laborers, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302, and the Public Safety Employees Association Local 803.
Together, those groups represent workers across transportation, construction, heavy equipment operations, law enforcement and other public-safety professions. Their support gives Sullivan an organizational base extending beyond traditional Republican constituencies as he campaigns for a third term.
The business side of Sullivan’s coalition also includes prominent Alaska Native corporation executives, although some of those endorsements were made in an individual capacity rather than on behalf of the corporations.
Among those listed are Calista Corp. President and CEO Andrew Guy, Chugach Corp. Chairman Sheri Buretta, Chenega Corp. Chairman and CEO Charles Totemoff, Aleut Corp. President and CEO Skoey Vergen, Huna Totem Corp. President and CEO Russell Dick, and Doyon Ltd. President and CEO Aaron Schutt.
NFIB’s endorsement focuses particularly on the concerns of smaller employers, which frequently cite taxes, federal regulations, labor costs and access to capital as factors affecting their ability to hire and expand.
Sullivan’s campaign characterized the endorsement as evidence that Alaska employers want a senator in Washington who understands the challenges of operating businesses in a state with high transportation, energy and labor costs.
Sullivan, who was first elected in 2014, when he unseated Mark Begich, and reelected in 2020, is running for another six-year term. He serves on the Senate Armed Services; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Veterans’ Affairs committees.
He is running against Sen. Chuck Schumer’s pick: Mary Peltola and two other candidates in the Nov. 3 general election. One of the candidate has the same name, but is known as Decoy Dan and his candidacy is widely scorned as an exercise in fakery and trickery. The contest will be decided using Alaska’s nefarious ranked-choice voting system.
5 thoughts on “Small businesses join major Alaska unions in backing Sullivan for reelection”
Dan S. Sullivan is my choice and I’m a strong union man.
Agree 100% Why would a Union member vote for anyone that wants to stop most Development in Alaska.
As a former 302 member myself, I almost always found myself in opposition to the union bosses political endorsements. The union without fail endorsed the democrat regardless of what the membership thought. As someone that made their living building things I could never understand why my union always endorsed the candidate aligned with and supported by environmental groups opposed to almost any and all construction project proposed. Over the years I was able to point that fact out to many other members working in my union as well as the other trades. Unfortunately those of us that figured it out have aged out of the trades and the young replacements haven’t figured it out yet. Stop and figure it out kids. The democrat party is not your friend. Especially today’s socialist democrats that want nothing more than to make your wages the same as the kid slinging burgers at the local drive in. Think before you vote. Your financial future as well as your families depends on it.
I am retired 302 also. I think people need to remember that Democrats passed the National Labor Relations act. This act enabled us to have quality health care and a good retirement through our unions. You might not agree with where the democrat party is today but when looking at other candidates maybe you need to consider their views towards unions. The governor’s race is going to be determined by the union vote. Are union voters going to vote for a candidate who actively worked to weaken unions?
What have the Democrats done for you lately?