The candidate filing deadline is tomorrow at 5 pm! There’s been some big last minute surprises including former Governor Bill Walker and former Senator Lesil McGuire both filing letters of intent to run for governor. Some more candidates for governor announced their running mates while some have still yet to name their running mates. Several more people filed to run for the Legislature, but several seats still only have one candidate. And the special session is ongoing with both finance committees holding hearings on the gasline bill.
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Check out the ninth episode of Governor Peninsula! In this episode, the lodge is electric as the animals struggle to make their last minute decisions. And make sure to tell us what you think.
Filing Deadline Almost Here
The 5 pm candiate filing deadline on June 1 is less than 24 hours away! As always happens, there have been several last minute surprises.
The biggest is former Governor Bill Walker filing a letter of intent to run for governor. His former Revenue Commissioner Randy Hoffbeck also filed a letter of intent. If Walker decides to run, Hoffbeck will likely be his running mate. Walker told me he has waited but has not seen any of the candidates in the crowded field talking about or addressing the state’s fiscal realities. If Walker does indeed run for governor, it will be very disruptive. He would almost certainly make the top-four with his name ID.
Another surprise is former Senator Lesil McGuire filing a letter of intent to run for governor. McGuire, a moderate Republican, has been saying for months she was going to enter the race. But she finally filed a letter of intent. She says her running mate is Elizabeth Rexford, a longtime legislative staffer who currently works for Representative Will Stapp (R – Fairbanks). But Rexford would have to quit her job to run, which could not be an easy choice for a single mom of two. We will know tomorrow what McGuire’s plan is.
Several candidates for governor announced their running mates this week. Most chose complete unknowns. Republican Crooked Adam Crum chose Bob Craig, a former VA employee with a healthcare background. Senator Matt Claman (D – Anchorage) chose Sarah Skeel, a former Providence executive. Republican Edna DeVries chose George Hightower. And Democrat Tom Begich chose Julia Hnilicka (see this week’s Loose Unit for more on that one).
One candidate who made a good choice is Republican Matt Heilala. He chose former Representative Jesse Sumner. Sumner served one term in the House before deciding not to seek re-election in 2024. He is a successful builder and businessman from the Mat-Su Valley who also served on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly. And most importantly, he knows Juneau. Heilala/Sumner could be a sleeper ticket.
Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom (R – Alaska), Republican Treg Taylor, and Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins have still not chosen running mates. My bet is Dahlstrom does not end up filing. There’s some chatter Taylor’s running mate may be Kelly Tshibaka. It’s still up in the air who Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins‘ running mate will be, but you can bet it won’t be a white man. Democrats won’t allow two white men to be on a ticket together!
And don’t forget, while June 1 is the filing deadline, June 27 is the withdrawal deadline. Alaska law allows either the governor or lieutenant governor candidate to be replaced before that. This Landmine article goes into more detail. Look for some moves to be made for certain tickets between June 1 and June 27.
As of this writing, 25 of the 50 legislative seats up (40 House, 10 Senate) have only one or no candidates officially filed with the Division of Elections. Many of these seats will get more candidates tomorrow, but it’s looking like a lot of incumbents will be unopposed this year.
One interesting one is Senate seat Q. This is the seat held by Senator Robb Myers (R – North Pole). There have been rumors for months that Myers is not going to run for re-election. But he’s been cagey about it. Representative Frank Tomaszewski (R – Fairbanks) has not officially filed for re-election to his House seat. It seems something shady is going on where Myers won’t file and Tomaszewski will file for the seat at the last minute. There is also some chatter that Myers may be teeing up his staffer Dawson Mann for the seat.
This is similar to what former Senator Tom Begich did in 2022. His staffer, now-Senator Löki Tobin (D – Anchorage) and him concocted a plan where Begich would not run, allowing Tobin to file right before the deadline – effectively handing her the seat. I hate when legislators act like they own these seats and play shady games. It’s wrong. The public should not tolerate these kind of games.
Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I – Dillingham) finally decided to run for the Senate seat Senator Lyman Hoffman (D – Bethel) is retiring from. That will be an interesting race now has five candidates.
Some real shenanigans are going on in the U.S. Senate race. A Dan Sullivan from Petersburg filed as a Republican against Senator Dan Sullivan (R – Alaska). But he’s still listed as Undeclared in the voter database. Many Democrats seem fine with the shady move. But I recall how mad many of them were when Republican Forrest Wolfe sent out a “Run Forrest Run” mailer when he was running for an East Anchorage House seat. Wolfe was trying to make a clever association with Senator Forrest Dunbar (D – Anchorage), who had used that slogan before. It will be interesting how the Division of Elections deals with this fake Dan Sullivan. Putting incumbent by the real Dan Sullivan seems like the best move.
Wow. A Dan Sullivan from Petersburg says he is filing for the U.S. Senate race against @SenDanSullivan. That is super loose. Gonna make the primary ballot very interesting. #akleg pic.twitter.com/ePmyvrjfEV
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) May 29, 2026
The race for District 30 is getting interesting. Representative Kevin McCabe (R – Big Lake) now has three Republican opponents, including Doug Massie.
This Week’s Loose Unit
This week’s designee is a real doozy. This week’s Loose Unit is Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Begich, with a special mention for his running mate Julia Hnilicka. Begich announced Hnilicka as his running mate on Wednesday (5/27/2026) in Fairbanks.
It could not have been looser. Hnilicka started off by awkwardly trying to speak Athabaskan, then introduced herself as the daughter of her parents to mimic how many Alaska Natives introduce themselves, then identified herself as the “daughter of settlers,” and then said the lands they were on are “unceded.” It was something else. She went about as far left as you could go with nonsense identity politics while cosplaying an Alaska Native.
First, maybe Hnilicka’s not familiar with ANCSA and ANILCA. Because if she was she would know the lands were in fact ceded. Second, if she’s so concerned about the wrongs white people have brought onto Alaska Natives, why the fuck is she running? And third, did she not get the message in 2024 that Americans soundly rejected this kind of nonsense? Very loose.
But it gets better.
The next day Begich and Hnilicka held an event in Anchorage. Hnilicka doubled down! This time she awkwardly tried to speak another Native language and repeated the “daughter of settlers” and the “unceded land” nonsense. She really like to cosplay an Alaska Native woman! Maybe it’s some kind of sick fetish. Maximum loose!
This was a super loose pick for Begich. Maybe a ton of Democrats turned him down so she was his only choice. But what a stupid move to tack that far to the left. Begich is an old school Democrat who worked with Republicans in the Legislature and Governor Mike Dunleavy (R – Alaska) when he was in the Senate. I could have seen myself voting for Begich in a scenario where it was him and three dividend delusion Republicans in the top-four. Not anymore! I would not vote for him know in any scenario. Classic Loose Unit behavior!
And you have to read this Suzanne Downing article about Begich picking Hnilicka. It is BRUTAL and hilarious!
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.
Don’t feed the troll.
Troll and full of shit based on today’s news.
Was Bill Clinton or Barack Obama the first black POTUS?:
ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/clinton/morrison.html
Clever ? He was deceptive.
Dude has no ties to east Anchorage, so he rents a room and then steals Forrest Dunbar’s campaign theme in order to fool voters. This speaks more to his integrity, or lack thereof, than it does to his cleverness.
I hope he’s getting the help that he needs,.
“………I hope he’s getting the help that he needs………”
You’ve got to be kidding. Mental illness and distress are at epidemic levels society wide. If there is help available, it’s overwhelmed with the people who want to cooperate and get better, This guy (as well as many who prowl the comment section of this blog) obviously have no desire to heal.
If Suzanne Downing hates something, that thing must actually be pretty good….
“………Some real shenanigans are going on in the U.S. Senate race. A Dan Sullivan from Petersburg filed as a Republican against Senator Dan Sullivan (R – Alaska). But he’s still listed as Undeclared in the voter database……….”
That goes a bit beyond “shenanigan”. “Unscrupulous” and “corrupt” come to mind. A lawsuit appears to be in order. How can two Dan Sullivans (R) be on the ballot? The Division of Elections can’t even differentiate between the two.
Democrats are simply evil.
Meanwhile, Republicans like you, McCabe and Trump continue to embrace pedophile-protection as a viable part of the party platform. Do you think voters agree that’s less evil than the coincidence of someone having a common name? No surprise you think lawfare is the answer, though, given your own “unscrupulous” history.
I disagree with me. Democrats like me are the reason why pedophiles exist in the first place. Republicans just want to avoid building enough prison space for pedophiles in order to save money better used to pay people to buy shit from retail outlets.
“……..given your own “unscrupulous” history……….” You don’t even know who I am. What do you know of my “history”? Speaking of history, The Frontiersman is no more, selling out to the Mat-Su Sentinal. Your old rag, which apparently didn’t survive your management, now just prints ads with the presses it acquired from the Anchorage Gaily News after they shit the bed for the same reasons. But you certainly haven’t learned anything. I note the online-only Sentinal’s policy of no opinion or columns. Only news. It will be interesting to see if that lesson learned from losers like you will be… Read more »
LOL. Nice stretch, Kev. Did it take you all this time to come up with that? I can tell my post triggered you by how hard you’re trying to deflect from it.
The fact remains that I’m the only one of the two of us who can unequivocally condemn pedophilia and its practitioners, as your post proves again.
I’m also the only one of the two of us not forced into early retirement because of performance issues. That’s gotta sting a raging narcissist like you.
“……… I can tell my post triggered you by how hard you’re trying to deflect from it………” Your post WAS a deflection itself from the Sullivan/Sullivan election deception war to, once again, Trump Derangement Syndrome and McCabe Mental Malpractice. It’s what you do everywhere you go. Similar psyops were your stock-in-trade in your newspaper career. You’re a purveyor of lies and propaganda, and you can not and never will repent. The news of the sale of the Frontiersman is recent as Friday. It didn’t take any time to “come up” with that. It was delivered with more dependability than your newspaper… Read more »
You sound really desperate, Kev. I retired from the paper more than 10 years ago. Unlike you, I spent zero time on proficiency watch, and left in good standing, on my terms. I can tell by how angry you are how much it bothers you that you can neither dispute it nor say the same.
Now, you’re so unpopular in your own district that four people are running against you. How does that feel? Maybe you should reconsider your support for pedophilia.
The rag started its slide down when Wick bought it and brought propagandists like you on. It was a repeat of The Anchorage Gaily News and McClatchy. Good riddance. Unfortunately, you’re still here infecting public mental health. We’ll see how unpopular I am in my next re-election bid.
You’re right about the Frontiersman and Daily News, Kev, but we were just the small peg in the giant mass media shell game. We did as we were told. Now that people have figured us out and the game is evolving. I retired when the leaving was good. Besides, I don’t need to own or operate a media outlet. I can just pirate somebody else’s part time. Propaganda and lying is easy!
Wow, McCabe. Your desperation is off the charts. Can’t take a little truth so you need to resort to the deep scumbaggery of posting as me now? Still sore about being exposed as a self-dealing grifter who abuses his position for personal gain?
Truth? What is truth?
Lots of Big Lake folks are done with McCabe and his act. He will be lucky to make the November ballot.
“……..He will be lucky to make the November ballot……….”
Got any more Kevin McCabes living in the Big Lake area to nominate? Who do you think will run against him? Holmes again? Eastman again? Are you one of their operatives now?
That’s true. I’ve heard many people who voted for the uniparty tool McCabe previously say they won’t do it again.
Yep. I’m one of them. McCabe is a major disappointment.
Why are you unhappy with me?
I beat incumbent Mark Neuman in the 2020 primary by 29 points. I beat Doyle Holmes in the 2022 primary by 20 points. I beat him again in the 2022 ranked choice general by 12 points. I beat him again in the 2024 primary by 10 points. I beat him yet again in the 2024 ranked choice general by 10 points. I face Doyle yet again in the August primary, “The Other Mike” Alexander, and Doug Massey. Too late to find another Kevin McCabe in District 30 to run. Sorry. I’m thinking you guys are enjoying some free country cheap… Read more »
“…….. I retired from the paper more than 10 years ago………”
You still have gibberish published on the Frontiersman site, though I doubt anybody reads it.
Right. That’s what happens when someone leaves a job in good standing, on their own terms. They get asked back. You would know more about those things if your “proficiency watch” issues hadn’t forced you into early retirement from Atlas Air.
You got asked back because your industry is dead from within, few such extreme ideologues remain, and they needed your blood as the industry’s lifeblood oozed out into the gutter. Good riddance.
“………Meanwhile, Republicans like you, McCabe and Trump continue to embrace pedophile-protection as a viable part of the party platform………”
First of all, I’m not a Republican. Secondly, I challenge you to quote the Republican party platform anywhere it supports pedophilia. Sorta’ like this wuote from tje Alaska Democrat Platform:
“………We support:…….Enactment of death with dignity legislation……….”
I’m fairly center but have voted for more D candidates than R’s. I agree with Reggie on this one. This is very simply foul play and bad for our public trust in democratic institutions and norms (frankly things Democrat aligned policy goals need to be broadly strong much more than R’s goals do because Democrats want to invest those mechanisms with greater responsibility/power, outside of law enforcement). The gerrymandering is bad in all the States Republicans did it in (for exactly the same reasons) it is also bad in Democratic states who have (attempted) to match them tit for tat.… Read more »
Dan Sullivan has moved the goalposts for the past 10 years. He’s all for rule of law but supports pardoning Jan 6 rioters. He’s all for America First but supports the war in Iran. He was outraged about armed federal agents under Obama but fully supports ICE murdering protestors. He was upset about cost of gas under Biden but is mum under Trump. He’s all for “election integrity” when someone who has his same name decides to run for office- but doesn’t mention election integrity when the feds seize AK voter records or when Trump claims he won the election.… Read more »
“……..Dan Sullivan has moved the goalposts for the past 10 years………”
Now you have two goalposts, both with the same paint job, and moved to different spots on the field. Which one do you kick the field goal through, Genius? The one closest to your line of scrimmage? What happens if you kick it through, and the refs give the points to your opponents because you kicked it through the wrong goalposts?
“………Who cares if this is just a dirty trick?……..”
Who cares if the opposing team pulls a dirtier trick in the second half of the game? Do you really think shit like this only flows one way?
You must be Iranian clergy. k
f0rReST iS sO cLeVeR !!! No he’s not Jeff, he’s a fuckwit frat boy with a drinking problem who rented a room in East Anchorage. He was so clever that he had to steal Forrest Dunbar’s campaign slogan and theme because he’s too fucking dumb to come up with something on his own. Fortunately the good people of east Anchorage who actually live there, called him on his deceptive bullshit. Incredibly he lost by a very slim margin. His future in politics should be toast, but this is Alaska, where some other retard with a (R) behind their name will… Read more »
Got a (D) behind your name (for dipshit, or dumb)?
It’s remarkably hilarious that some people think Forrest Dunbar came up with “Run Forrest Run”
No one thinks that.
Joke’s on you.
So then who’s accusing who of stealing my theme?
Exactly lol.
Sorry for making you look it up