Anchorage – Former Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman addressed the Alaska Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Oct. 21, 2026, warning that the state’s experiment with ranked‑choice voting (RCV) has undermined election integrity and opened the door to outside, dark‑money influence. Leman, who served four years as lieutenant governor and 14 years as a state legislator, urged voters to reject the continuation of RCV by voting “No” on Ballot Measure 2.

RCV’s practical problems

Leman argued that RCV is “complicated and confusing,” noting that thousands of ballots in the 2022 and 2024 general elections were invalidated because voters marked them incorrectly or exhausted their choices before a winner could be determined. He said the system’s complexity “encroaches on our civil rights” by producing unintended results and disenfranchising voters.

Dark‑money spending overwhelms Alaskans

According to Leman, opponents of the 2020 repeal effort were outspent 100‑to‑1, raising roughly $15 million—almost entirely from out‑of‑state donors. In contrast, the repeal campaign raised only $150,000, primarily from Alaskans. The disparity, he claimed, demonstrates how “outside, dark money” can dominate the state’s electoral conversation.

Related reforms have added confusion

Leman also criticized the 2020 “Jungle Primary” change, which he says invited a flood of candidates—including a prisoner in New York and a namesake of a well‑known U.S. senator—making it difficult for voters to discern viable choices. He cited the 48 candidates for the U.S. House in 2022 and 17 candidates for governor in 2026 as evidence that the primary system has become unwieldy.

Campaign‑finance reforms fell short

The former lieutenant governor contended that the modest reforms to campaign financing and reporting have not increased transparency. Instead, they have allowed more “dark, outside money” to flow into Alaska, further eroding trust in the electoral process.

Call for a return to the traditional system

Leman concluded that Alaska should revert to the simple, one‑person‑one‑vote system used before 2022. He urged voters to say “No” to Measure 2, which would keep RCV, and to consider targeted election‑reform measures—such as better campaign‑finance reporting—during the 2027 legislative session. He also suggested that future lieutenant‑governor candidates be nominated by voters in a primary rather than solely by gubernatorial candidates.

Where to learn more

Readers can find additional information about Measure 2 in Must Read Alaska’s “Ultimate Conservative Voter Guide Part I.”

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