By SUZANNE DOWNING
Oct. 16, 2026 — Alaska’s Senate race drew a pointed warning from Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel on Friday: Voters could jeopardize the state’s economic future by replacing Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan with Democrat Mary Peltola.
Writing from Wasilla, where the WSJ writer lives, Strassel’s opinion column “Alaska Considers Economic Suicide,” argues that Sullivan deserves credit for the state’s improving resource-development prospects under President Donald Trump.
Her argument centers on Sullivan’s access to the president, and what Alaska could lose without it.
Strassel opens with the crowd at Trump’s Tuesday rally in Wasilla, where supporters chanted “Build the line!” as Sullivan and the president discussed Alaska’s long-sought natural gas pipeline.
The proposed approximately 800-mile project anchors her broader argument about Alaska’s opportunity. After years of federal restrictions from President Joe Biden on drilling, mining, and logging, she writes, the Trump Administration has opened a path toward development that could bring jobs, energy supplies, and substantial state revenue.
But those opportunities still require federal cooperation. Sullivan’s personal relationship with Trump is an important part of keeping that cooperation moving, while the president’s relationship with the state’s other senator, Lisa Murkowski, is markedly different.
Murkowski voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial — after he was no longer in office. Strassel contends that Trump’s continuing hostility toward her and her hostility toward him makes Sullivan’s role especially consequential: Replacing him with Peltola would leave Alaska without a comparable advocate in the Senate who has access to the president.
Her column also challenges Peltola’s campaign criticism of Sullivan and Trump over high prices. Strassel argues that blaming the Republican senator and the administration overlooks their work to reverse federal policies that constrained Alaska’s resource economy. Oil is once again nearly booming in Alaska.
Strassel also takes aim at Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system and the confusion surrounding another Republican candidate named Dan Sullivan, Dan with a J.
Critics have dubbed the Petersburg Dan J. Sullivan “Decoy Dan.” Strassel portrays his candidacy as an effort to exploit the shared name and divert votes from the incumbent, adding another complication to an already competitive race.
The Journal also published a companion Potomac Watch interview with Sullivan, examining the contest against Peltola, ranked-choice voting, and the second Sullivan candidacy.
For Strassel, however, the stakes are a warning is that Alaska could surrender a valuable connection to the White House just as major development opportunities move within reach.
15 thoughts on “Wall Street Journal’s Kimberley Strassel warns Alaska risks ‘economic suicide’ by ousting Sullivan”
WSJ became a woke garbage can liner a long time ago. So why believe it now?
So true.
At first it was the non editorial bits that went woke, as Paul Gigot kept a lid on the editorial pages. But long ago Gigot went full neo con corporatist and was a strident anti -Trumper though Trump 1. Now it is simply slop that like the NYT. The WSJ is anti America First and anti American people.
Like Gigot, it is the same with Kimberley Strassel who I used to really like. She thinks that the soon to be lame duck and heavily investigated Trump is going to have any power to help Alaskans? All hands will be on deck to save himself. Maybe she can cover her fav senator from Tel Aviv Ted Cruz when he comes to destroy any remaining hope for Sullivan next week.
Micah, you and wife need to take an excursion visiting Isreal going to all the Holy sites. For you two going with a Tour group like the one Pastor Greg Laurie has been advertising he is leading in April would be good for you two.
One day I will go to Isreal. I hope soon. But I would enjoy my time more independently traveling by staying in its hostels because I think the travelers traveling through hostels would be more friendly and easier to talk to than hotels.
Micah here is the 2027 April tour dates
https://www.inspirationtravel.com/event/harvest-ministries-israel-tour-greg-laurie-2027
But there are Christian groups going to Isreal and very year, go see Isreal outside American media headlines and stories, see it for yourself and your opinion will change
Perhaps because Kimberley Strassel has common sense about resource development that is important to Alaska’s economic future since she resides in Alaska. She obviously knows Mary “Cake Pelota” past performance voting with her cronies and “sharp as a tack”Joe Biden’s ability to stifle development.
Perhaps, in that she is based in Wasilla, the author’s target audience is those literate woke Alaskans who might actually read garbage can liners (and not just garbage). But that would be a tiny slice of the electorate as ‘literate’ applies to so few woke folk.
.
Still, if their L48 friends and family read the article and called it out, perhaps…. Hmmm, a Sisyphean notion to be sure. You’re probably correct: she wasted everybody’s time, but at least she got paid for it.
Peltola and Democrats will dismiss Ms Strassel column as “fear-mongering.” She could had chosen a better choice description of the consequences not re electing Sullivan that calling it Economic suicide.
Alaskans (both on the right and left) are a stubborn people, her column choice of words likely will embolden Peltola supporters to stick with their party’s poor candidate selection just because they have no other choice. Just as we are seeing after former staffers remarks about peltolas unprofessional and abusive behavior, it’s unfazed the supporters probably because they have no other Democrat choice. Democrats today of GenX and millennials today are just like Constant’s words “I just didn’t want Jaime to have the power.” They’ll vote for Peltola just because they don’t want to give Trump the power. Pretty petty people.
But Trump remarks in Wasilla, it was correct in admitting IF Democrats flip the Senate and Congress. They’ll Eliminate everything currently in the works waiting for when Congress convenes in January. And Democrats insensitive direction will set the country down a very hard economic time for anyone below the Upper middle class.
The only suicide Alaska risks is by replacing the current elected officials with Mary Peltola, JKT, and Hill. Currently, we are at suicide risk with Lisa Murkowski. But that will be corrected soon when Mike Dunleavy runs for her seat in 2028.
Unfortunately, Senator Sullivan’s personal relationship with Trump may very well be his undoing in this election!
I like Kimberley Strassel’s work. And often times I find her one of Trump’s most articulate critics. Maybe less frequently than the WSJ editors, but then again she writes from Wasilla. . Nevertheless, it seems that the economic suicide mantra is the new talking point of the Sullivan campaign. I chalk this up to the kind of hyperbole one expects from a campaign that is somewhere between down outside the margin of error and down inside the margin of error. Depending on the day and the poll. Which might not be accurate anyway. Trump tries not to have permanent enemies within his own party, regardless of what you might read on Truth Social. And Lisa is somewhat reserved in her outward criticism —often ignoring the merely outrageous and saving her comments for the certifiably nuts. She is well connected in the cabinet and has unique clout as a senior appropriator. That is a fact, not an opinion and an influential member of the Senate Republican Caucus, as currently organized.
The voters of Alaska will decide who their next US Senator is. And trashing Lisa, who is supporting her partner Dan Sullivan, doesnt help either of them. For all I know, Dan Sullivan may end up as Hegseth’s replacement if he is somehow beaten. Or perhaps Interior Secretary if a vacancy opens. Cabinet secretaries often turnover in the lame duck,
I support Dan Sullivan without reservation. And I vote for people out of respect, not fear. You might be surprised by the number of Alaskans who feel the same way. And that’s why Lisa keeps winning.
Thank you, Nate. Nancy and I always believed that Alaska needs a royalty family, a legacy family, if you will. The Murkowskis are here. Almost 47 years and counting. We look forward to 55 or 60, even 75, with kind comments like yours. Thank you.
Real Frankie would never say that. Possibly because he knows I am much more like a Ted(dy) than a Frank(ie). And truth be told Lisa conducts herself that way: But hey you spelled my name right. That counts for something. Enjoy sparring with you. Whoever you are.
What a solid comment. Well reasoned and articulate. Don’t really agree with parts of it. Doesn’t matter. Still gets a hat tip.
I know that it is election season and partisans of both stripes are generally not making quality comments. Much heat. Little light. Very partisan. Ya’ll know the usual suspects. It is heartening to read something of value.
I will say this about Sullivan. I could sit down and a have beer with him. I never would consider doing that with the Fish Princess.
Also, Sullivan consulted with pollster Rich Baris this spring and he was told if he wanted to secure his seat to come out against the war and he would be in a strong position. Baris is right about that. Sullivan did not come out against the war and by inviting Cruz up to campaign he is doubling down on the neo con. He is all in and that has a certain respect- even if I think Sullivan is dead wrong.
Her argument centers on Sullivan’s access to the president, and what Alaska could lose without it. It’s Sullivan’s treble hook lips locked on to Trump’s sleazy corrupt ass the will sink Sullivan. SULLIVAN =TRUMP. TRUMP =POISON. NOVEMBER = PELTOLA