Undeclared doctor and Homer and Chugiak political veterans are among candidates filing in May

By SUZANNE DOWNING

May 12, 2026 – With just two weeks left before Alaska’s June 1 filing deadline for state offices, a few late entrants are beginning to surface in Alaska Public Offices Commission records, signaling that candidate rosters for 2026 are not yet settled.

Candidates for state office must file both with the Alaska Public Offices Commission and officially with the Alaska Division of Elections by June 1 in order to appear on the ballot. Some have filed letters of intent or APOC paperwork but have not yet specified exactly which office they intend to seek.

One of the more unusual late filers is Peter Bauer of Wasilla, who has registered as an undeclared candidate from House District 30 but has not identified which office he plans to pursue. Wasilla is a red district, unlikely to elect a liberal to any office.

Bauer’s professional background is extensive and atypical for Alaska politics. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is a retired aerospace medicine physician with more than 35 years of military, NASA, aviation, and medical leadership experience. His resume includes military command positions, combat deployments, aviation mishap investigations, and direct support for Space Shuttle and International Space Station crews as a NASA flight surgeon.

His profile says he is now “directing my time and efforts to promote democracy and human rights.”

According to U.S. News physician listings, Bauer practiced preventive medicine for more than two decades after graduating from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

Politically, Bauer appears considerably left of center for the Mat-Su region. His public Facebook activity includes support for “No Kings” demonstrations and “ICE Out” activism, although he filed as undeclared rather than as a Democrat.

Another recent filer is Heath Smith of Homer, who has filed for Senate District C, the seat currently held by retiring Sen. Gary Stevens.

District C is shaping up as one of the more closely watched races of 2026. Rep. Louise Stutes has already announced her candidacy for the seat, while Rep. Sarah Vance filed a letter of intent last year but has not publicly clarified whether she plans to seek reelection to the House or enter the Senate race. Word on the street is she’ll choose to stay in her lane in the House.

Smith is no newcomer to Peninsula politics. He previously challenged Stevens, of Kodiak, in 2022 and received 31 percent of the general election vote.

He served six years on the Homer City Council and currently sits on the planning and zoning commission. During a prior reelection campaign for city council, Smith emphasized infrastructure improvements, fiscal restraint, opioid response efforts, and sustainability in city budgeting.

Among the accomplishments he cited were support for the SPARC facility public-private partnership, backing a more affordable police station proposal, and helping establish additional revenue sources for the Port and Harbor.

Smith has also made state fiscal policy a centerpiece of his legislative messaging.

In a 2022 Homer News candidate statement, he criticized the Legislature’s inability to develop a long-term fiscal plan and took direct aim at Stevens’ long tenure in office.

“After 22 years in the legislature it is clear our current Senator is not up to the task,” Smith wrote at the time. “It is time we say no to the status quo.”

He also criticized the Senate’s binding caucus structure, arguing it concentrates power and limits independent representation.

A third late filer is Daniel Sager of Anchorage, who filed APOC paperwork on May 11 but did not indicate which office he intends to seek.

Sager is active in Republican politics in Anchorage. He serves as chairman of the Alaska Republican Party’s District 18 organization and also serves on Anchorage’s Housing and Homelessness Neighborhood Development Commission.

Former House Rep. Ken McCarty has filed as a challenge to Rep. Dan Saddler for Eagle River’s District 24 House seat. McCarty served one term and then ran for Senate, but did not win. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has been as an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. He has served as a trustee of the Alaska Mental Health Trust, the executive director of Discovery Cove Recovery and Wellness Center, the president of the Alaska Association of Marital and Family Therapists, and secretary of the Alaska Collaborative of Telemedicine and Teletherapy. McCarty is one of the three original sponsors of the Repeal Now effort to repeal ranked-choice voting.