Alaska voters have spoken in the August 2026 primary, and the unofficial tallies reveal the next slate of candidates heading to the November ballot. On the Republican side, Bernadette Wilson, with running mate Mike Shower, and former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, paired with Josh Church, emerged as the party’s choices for governor.

Gubernatorial Primary

Wilson and Bronson each captured the highest Republican vote totals in the statewide race, positioning them to face the Democratic ticket of Leslie Kreiss‑Tomkins and Johnson in November. The Democratic pair secured the majority of votes, with the Begich/Hnilickna ticket trailing but still outpacing any Republican contender.

U.S. Senate Race

In the Senate contest, Democrat Mary Peltola led the field with 48% of the vote, followed by incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan at 42.8%. A third‑place “decoy” candidate, also named Dan Sullivan from Petersburg, received 2.4%, while Democrat David Leslie earned 1.1%.

U.S. House Race

Incumbent Republican Representative Nick Begich retained a steady lead, garnering 46.1% of the vote. Bill Hill trailed in second place with 31%. Democratic challengers Matt Shultz and Eric Hafner received 8.1% and 3.8% respectively. After Shultz announced his withdrawal, Democrat John B. Williams moved into the top‑four slot.

State Legislative Contests

Five key state legislative races featured multiple candidates:

• House District 23 (Eagle River) – Republican incumbent Jamie Allard won with 40.7% of the vote. Democrat Jim Arlington placed second at 31.2%.
• House District 29 (Sutton) – Republican challenger Steve Menard defeated fellow Republican incumbent Garret Nelson, earning 40.5% to Nelson’s 23.7%. Democrat Kimberly Slone and non‑affiliated Jessica Kusner‑Kalarchik followed.
• House District 30 (Big Lake) – Republican incumbent Kevin McCabe led with 33.2%, while Democrat Sandra Loomis earned 27.2%.
• House District 37 (Dillingham) – With incumbent Bryce Edgmon running for the state Senate, Republican Brenda Wilson topped the field at 22.3%, ahead of non‑affiliated Mark Smith (18.4%).
• Senate District S (Bethel) – Undeclared incumbent Bryce Edgmon received the most votes at 36.7%, followed by Republican Darren Deacon (23.9%). Democrat Wassilie Guy placed third.

Winners in these districts will appear on the November ballot, while candidates finishing lower will not advance.

What This Means for Voters

Alaska’s primary outcomes set the stage for a competitive November election. Republican voters will choose between Wilson and Bronson for governor, while Democratic candidates maintain strong leads in the Senate and House races. Voters in the highlighted legislative districts now know which candidates will represent them in the general election, allowing them to focus on issues important to their communities.

Original reporting: Must Read Alaska (Anchorage) — read the source article.