The candidate filing deadline for Alaska congressional and legislative races closed over the weekend, and 13 candidates from the Kenai Peninsula will vie for seats.
In Senate District D, incumbent Jesse Bjorkman is seeking reelection but will face three challengers—one registered Republican, a Democrat, and an Independent—including one who is vacating a house seat in a bid to move to the Senate. Tina Wegener, a Democrat from Sterling, will challenge for the seat, as will Soldotna Independent Andy Cizek. Republican Ben Carpenter is opting to vacate his House District 08 seat to challenge Bjorkman as well.
As for Carpenter’s now vacant House seat, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member Bill Elam seeks to make the jump from local to state politics. Elam will face a single opponent, Soldotna resident John Hillyer.
House District 07 incumbent Justin Ruffridge will run against former seat holder Ron Gillham, who is seeking to reclaim the seat he lost to Ruffrudge in the 2022 general election.
Former Speaker of the House Louise Stutes (Republican) from Kodiak, who has held the House District 05 seat since 2015, will defend her seat against a Libertarian challenger from Seward, Leighton Radner.
The busiest House race is in District 06, where three candidates will challenge incumbent Republican Sarah Vance. Vance, a Homer resident, received criticism, along with Ben Carpenter, during the recent legislative session when the pair voted to pass a widely supported education bill but then voted not to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of the same bill. Vance’s seat will be challenged by Nonpartisan candidates Alana Geear of Homer and sitting Borough Assembly president Brent Johnson. Homer Republican Dawson Slaughter will also challenge for the seat.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent Mary Peltola faces 11 candidates seeking Alaska’s lone seat, led by Republican Nick Begich and Alaska Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom.
For the full list of Alaska congressional and legislative candidates, visit the candidates page on the Division of Elections website.
