Why It Matters
Alaska voters heading to the polls this cycle have a new resource to help them compare candidates across a wide range of state and federal races. Four news organizations released a joint voter guide timed to the opening of early in-person voting, giving Alaskans a side-by-side look at where candidates stand on issues from education and housing to fishing and federal policy.
What Happened
The Alaska Beacon, Alaska Public Media, KTOO, and the Anchorage Daily News joined forces to produce the 2026 Alaska Voter Guide, a collaborative effort spanning several weeks of candidate outreach and reader input. The organizations first surveyed their audiences to identify the topics voters most wanted addressed, then began contacting candidates by email during the first week of July.
Follow-up outreach by phone came in the second week of July, with continued contact via email, text, and phone throughout the rest of the month. The guide was released on the opening day of early in-person voting, making it available to Alaskans at the moment ballots became accessible.
The Alaska Beacon took a lead role in developing the questions posed to legislative candidates. Topics covered included education, housing, the state budget and Permanent Fund dividends, fiscal plans, voting and elections, childcare and early childhood education, Alaska’s aging population, the fishing industry, inflation and cost of living, and federal policy under the Trump administration.
One notable absence from the U.S. House candidate pool: Democrat Matt Schultz, who suspended his campaign but remains on the ballot.
By the Numbers
Candidate participation was notably high across all four race categories tracked in the guide:
- State Legislature: 107 of 132 candidates responded, an 81% participation rate.
- Governor’s race: 14 of 17 candidates responded.
- U.S. House: 11 of 15 candidates responded.
- U.S. Senate: 11 of 16 candidates responded.
The trend reflects a significant improvement in candidate engagement over time. Two years ago, 78 of 115 legislative candidates responded — a rate of roughly 68%. Four years ago, the response rate from legislative candidates came in below 60%. The 81% figure in 2026 marks a high point for the collaborative effort.
Zoom Out
Alaska occupies a distinctive position in American politics heading into this election cycle. It is currently the only state in the country where governing coalitions exist in both chambers of the legislature, a structure that cuts across traditional party lines and makes candidate positions on cross-partisan issues particularly consequential.
The state also carries the distinction of being the fastest-aging state in the country, a demographic reality that shaped the voter guide’s question set. Candidates were directly asked about policy priorities related to the aging population — a topic that intersects with healthcare costs, workforce development, and the state’s long-term fiscal picture.
Alaska’s ongoing debates over the natural gas pipeline, Permanent Fund dividends, and the state budget make fiscal questions especially pointed this cycle, as lawmakers have struggled to reach consensus on long-term revenue and spending policy.
What’s Next
With early voting now underway, Alaskans can use the voter guide to compare candidate responses before casting ballots. The primary will determine which candidates advance in races featuring Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, which applies to both the primary and general election contests for federal seats.
Candidates who did not respond to the initial outreach had multiple opportunities throughout July to participate. Those who chose not to engage — or who have suspended their campaigns — will still appear on ballots, leaving voters to weigh their options with less direct input from those individuals. The guide represents the most comprehensive candidate response effort the four news organizations have recorded in at least four election cycles.