It’s already September! Snow will be here before we know it. It was a bit of a slow political news week due to Labor Day. The special session timed out, which means legislators running for re-election or another office can start raising money again. Dave Bronson left his role as manager for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, sparking speculation about a run for statewide office. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson, who has fully embraced the divided delusion, says she is announcing her running mate in Big Lake on Tuesday night. And the Anchorage Police Department continues to have PR problems. 

A friendly message and reminder to all our readers. The Landmine is made possible by myself and a team of awesome Alaskans. I have been covering the legislative session in Juneau for the last seven years and returned from Juneau in May. If you enjoy the content we provide, please consider making a one time or recurring monthly donation. You can click here to donate. We have a system that makes it super easy. We would really appreciate it. And thanks to everyone who has been supportive. And a well-known Eagle River representative picked up an opponent. 

Week in Review

Former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson resigned as manager of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Monday on Tuesday (9/2/2025). He was appointed as airport manager by Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) in January. There is speculation that Bronson resigned to possibly run for governor or as the lieutenant governor running mate for one of the many Republican candidates.  

When I asked him if he is planning to run for governor or lieutenant governor he responded, “Yesterday was my last day. I’m going hunting.” It was also reported by Must Read Alaska that Bronson bought a lodge, so it’s possible that he’s done with politics. I have a feeling we will know fairly soon if he is planning on seeking statewide office. 

Bernadette Wilson, one of the nine Republicans in the race for governor, is holding an event in Big Lake on Tuesday where she says she will be announcing her running mate. Some have speculated that it is Dave Bronson as she helped get him elected mayor in 2021. But I don’t see that happening. Bronson served as mayor and Bernadette has never held any office. It would be weird for him to be her running mate. 

My money is on Senator Mike Shower (R – Wasilla). Shower has been miserable in Juneau for years. He has also long advocated for election reform, so lieutenant governor (who oversees elections) would make sense for him. If it is Shower, Representative George Rauscher (R – Sutton) will likely run for Shower’s Senate seat next year. 

If it is Wilson/Shower, that ticket will have two people promoting the dividend delusion! 

Sue Sprinkle, a member of the Fairbanks City Council, has proposed an ordinance to limit signs in Fairbanks. She says its for candidates who don’t take their signs down after an election or put them up too early. This is something the ACLU of Alaska has been against in the past. Sprinkle’s proposed ordinance is a dumb attack on speech. 

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) thought it was a good idea to make a Facebook post about their new TikTok account. I wish they spent as much time on arresting criminal vagrants than they do on social media. They are also currently seeking a deputy community relations director after the kleptomaniac who previously had the job got busted for stealing from Target. It’s hard for an organization the size of APD to fail this hard. 

Legislative Council is meeting on Wednesday at the Anchorage LIO. In addition to some business for legislative offices, they have an executive session scheduled for a legal briefing on Executive Order 137 – Governor Dunleavy’s attempt to establish a department of agriculture. The Legislature rejected that during the last session, but Dunleavy is still trying to establish it. 

This Week’s Loose Unit 

This week’s designee takes us to Sitka. This week’s Loose Unit is Pietr Dabaluz. Dabaluz, who lives in Juneau, decided to go full Loose Unit on a recent trip to Sitka. According to a news release in the the Sitka Sentinel, Dabaluz brutally attacked a man for supporting Israel and President Donald Trump:

Dabaluz did not agree with the views of the group supporting Israel or Trump. Dabaluz walked across the roundabout and took the flag of Israel and assaulted Steve Lee (49 yoa of Sitka) with the flag before throwing the flag into Swan Lake. Marshall Albertson (59 yoa of Sitka) rushed to aid Lee. Dabaluz and Albertson were engaged in an argument when Dabaluz attacked Albertson, striking him repeatedly, resulting in serious injury. Albertson went to the hospital by private vehicle. Albertson suffered a broken nose and a concussion from the assault.

Talk about a loose psychopath! Dabaluz, who is 19, was released on just $1,500 bail. And he probably had no problem raising the money. His mom, Gail Dabaluz, is the deputy chief operating officer for the Central Tribes of Tlingit & Haida. Maybe his highness President Richard Peterson even pitched in! 

If you have a nomination for this week’s Loose Unit, or if you have any political news, stories or gossip (or any old pics of politicians or public officials) please email me at jeff@alaskalandmine.com.