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Seventeen — count ’em, 17 — candidates for governor. Alaska, you politically unhinged creature, you have done it again.

The candidate filing deadline came and went last week, and now we have a governor’s race big enough to require assigned seating and a signup list to bring snacks. Add in the state legislative races, federal races and all the usual political side quests, and we have ourselves the makings of a long, loud, meme-worthy slog to the Aug. 18 primary.

For the political nerds out there — and yes, I include myself in that crowd — this is our season. This is the time when candidates start sharpening their tongues, campaign signs begin sprouting like fireweed, old social media posts suddenly become breaking news and some AI-generated video gets shared 4,000 times before anyone bothers to ask, “Wait, is that real?”

It’s going to get flashy. It’s going to get sassy. It’s probably going to get weird.

Alaska politics has never exactly been a quiet tea party. With a crowded governor’s race and plenty of legislative seats in play, there will be no shortage of barbs, promises, pivots and political gamesmanship between now and August.

The open primary means voters get a wide field to sort through, with the top four vote-getters advancing to the general election. Democracy is supposed to come with choices, even if those choices sometimes arrive in a clown car with campaign buttons.

So buckle up, folks. The 2026 election season is officially rolling. You can roll with it too. Send us a letter to the editor at letters@adn.com or use our web form to share your thoughts.

And please, I am begging you: Make the Alaska political memes good this year. Do not let me down.

— Gary Black, opinion editor
Anchorage Daily News
gblack@adn.com

From the ADN Editorial Board

With 17 candidates and 4 spots available,
the governor’s race is on

Seventeen candidates have filed to run for governor. That is a lot of yard signs, campaign Facebook pages, “I’m the only candidate who really understands Alaska” speeches and, if we’re lucky, a lot of honest-to-goodness hustling. That’s the part voters need to see.

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