Politics

Palmer state Sen. Shelley Hughes, a Republican, announced Thursday that she’s running for governor.

Hughes has served in the Legislature for more than a decade and has been a member of the Senate since 2017, including a two-year stint as Senate majority leader.

Hughes is a staunch conservative and is currently a member of the all-Republican Senate minority. At a campaign launch event at a barn in Palmer, Hughes touted her work on a variety of issues, emphasizing energy, education, agriculture and technology.

Hughes said as governor, she would be willing to work with legislators of all stripes. She recounted her work on the Alaska Reads Act, a literacy initiative put forward by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and by Democratic Sen. Tom Begich.

“I think the good Lord gave me the gift of being able to build consensus without forsaking my values and my principles,” she said. “That is a skill set that is very, very important for a governor to have, because you’re not always going to be given the legislature that you would maybe hand-pick yourself.”

At the same time, though, Hughes said she was willing to make unpopular decisions to address what she called a “rough patch” in the state’s financial situation driven in part by declining oil and gas revenue. Alaska governors play a key role in determining the state’s budget. Hughes described herself as a “limited government gal” and said artificial intelligence could play a role in streamlining the state’s operations.

“We do have to look at our budget and be very strategic and prioritize, and I am willing to take the heat, and it will take heat,” she said. “Because when you do that, you can have people on all sides not happy with you, but you’ve got to have someone with a vision that will hold the line.”

Hughes said she was concerned by the large number of able-bodied Alaskans who rely on Medicaid, saying she wanted to provide them with job training. She said that would reduce the number of employees that contractors would need to import from Outside to work on megaprojects like the Susitna-Wantana Dam and the Alaska LNG pipeline, which she said was “real” and “closer than it’s ever been.” President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted the 800-mile, $44 billion pipeline as a priority, though the long-dreamed project, now shepherded by developer Glenfarne, has yet to say whether it has the investors and customers needed for it to move forward.

Hughes also said she would continue Dunleavy’s push to expand the state’s role in promoting agriculture by elevating the state Division of Agriculture to a cabinet-level department. Lawmakers narrowly rejected Dunleavy’s proposal to do so earlier this year.

Hughes has in the past supported Dunleavy’s proposals to expand alternatives to traditional neighborhood schools, including homeschool and charter schools, though she did not address school choice in her campaign announcement. In prior interviews, she expressed support for school choice ideas like “backpack funding” and education savings accounts, which parents could use to subsidize private school tuition.

Hughes joins an increasingly crowded, all-Republican field for the 2026 governor’s race. She’s the seventh candidate to join the race. No Democrats have formally joined the race. The deadline to file is June 1, 2026.

Correction:An earlier version of this story misstated Sen. Tom Begich’s title. He served in the state Senate.

Anchorage Democratic Sen. Forrest Dunbar will be able to attend the Aug. 2 special session of the Alaska Legislature, he said late Tuesday in a post on Facebook.

Dunbar, a member of the National Guard, is deployed to Poland on active-duty service but received a federal waiver that will allow him to return to Alaska for legislative work.

Dunbar’s attendance is critical for lawmakers who hope to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s decision to veto millions of dollars in public school funding from this year’s state operating budget. Despite his attendance, the outcome remains uncertain, and Dunleavy has the option of canceling the session.

It takes 45 votes to override an Alaska governor’s budget veto, and Dunbar was one of 46 legislators who voted in May to reverse the governor’s decision to veto a bill increasing the state’s public school funding formula.

That formula is subject to the state’s annual budget process, and Dunleavy chose to only partially fund it, causing a wave of cuts to services at public schools across the state. Dunleavy had said he would not agree to the full funding increase without the Legislature adopting other policies he’s proposed.

Many legislators hoped to override that second veto in January, when the regular legislative session reconvenes, but Dunleavy called a special session for Aug. 2, forcing an early vote.

Writing on Facebook, Dunbar noted that he had previously requested to be excused from the Legislature during his National Guard service, “however, the Legislature obviously does not control the actions of the governor.”

Dunbar said he began seeking a formal waiver that would allow him to use his personal leave, pay for his own plane ticket, and return to the state for the special session.

“I am pleased to report that the commanding general to whom our unit now reports has indeed granted that request,” Dunbar wrote. “I plan to return to Alaska for the start of the special session, and I will be voting yes to override, so that our students have the funds they need to avoid catastrophic cuts to their schools.”

For weeks, it hadn’t been clear whether Dunbar would be able to obtain the rare dispensation needed to return to Alaska.

“In general, a service member on federal Title 10 mobilization orders is required to complete the full term of their deployment,” said Dana Rosso, a spokesperson for the Alaska National Guard, by email. “Any early release or temporary return would require approval through Department of Defense and U.S. Army channels and is only considered under exceptional circumstances — such as serious medical or family emergencies — while taking mission requirements and federal law into account.”

Rosso said there was no way for a state official — such as the governor or adjutant general — to issue the waiver.

“Any early release or temporary return would require approval through Department of Defense channels, typically at the Secretary of the Army or Secretary of Defense level,” he said. “These waivers are rare and only considered under extraordinary circumstances, such as serious medical issues, family emergencies, or extreme humanitarian situations.”

Dunbar’s chief of staff, Arielle Wiggin, said by email that it wasn’t clear until recently whether the commanding general of the U.S. Army’s V Corps — Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza — would grant the waiver.

Even with Dunbar’s attendance, it isn’t clear whether the governor’s budget veto will be overridden or sustained.

In a closed-door meeting shortly after issuing a proclamation that called the session, Dunleavy asked members of the House’s Republican minority caucus to stay away from the first five days of the special session, the period when the Alaska Constitution requires any override vote to take place.

The date of the special session also coincides with the National Conference of State Legislatures, which several lawmakers were expected to attend.

Other legislators were scheduled to work or attend family events during the period.

Since the governor’s announcement, many have said they will be canceling their plans in order to attend the special session. Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage, will return from a trip to Vietnam, he said, and vote in favor of the override.

Some Republicans aligned with Dunleavy on the issue, including Reps. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, and Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, have said they will follow his wishes and stay away.

Of the 46 legislators who voted this spring to override the governor’s veto of the education funding formula, all but a handful have committed to supporting a budget veto override as well.

Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River, said he will attend the special session but declined to say how he would vote on the budget issue. House Minority Leader Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, said she has not made up her mind.

Republican Reps. Julie Coulombe and David Nelson of Anchorage, and Bill Elam of Nikiski, could not be reached by phone on Wednesday.

The governor’s legislative director is keeping close track of the number of potential “yes” and “no” votes for a veto override, and it is possible that the governor could cancel the special session.

After Dunbar’s announcement, Alaska Democratic Party chair Eric Croft issued a statement calling the timing of the Dunleavy-called special session “one of Dunleavy’s many dirty tricks.”

“There is nothing Dunleavy won’t try to further his anti-education political agenda, including taking advantage of a legislator’s active commitment to the military. We’re grateful for Senator Dunbar’s service to our country’s security and Alaska. If not for his dedication to his constituency, we may have seen our persistent efforts to fund education fail yet again,” Croft said.

Asked about Croft’s comments, Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner reiterated a statement that Dunleavy made on July 2, when he declared that the special session would be devoted to education reform and an executive order creating the new Alaska Department of Agriculture.

“Enacting a few necessary reforms to our public education system can elevate those children struggling in Alaska’s school system,” Dunleavy said at the time. “As elected officials we must do all we can to put the next generation on the path to a successful and prosperous future, and that starts with a solid public education.”

A group that advocates in favor of Alaska’s nonpartisan judicial system has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Mike Dunleavy, alleging that he illegally appointed a member to the board that nominates candidates for the state’s judicial vacancies.

The suit, filed Wednesday in Anchorage Superior Court by Alaskans for Fair Courts, claims Dunleavy violated the constitution and state law when he picked John W. Wood — also named as a defendant — for a public seat on the Alaska Judicial Council.

Under the state constitution, the council consists of three non-attorneys picked by the governor and three attorneys selected by the Alaska Bar Association. In addition, whoever holds the office of chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court sits as the council’s chair.

The council accepts applications for judicial vacancies, vets those applicants for merit using nonpartisan metrics, then submits a list of nominees to the governor for final selection.

Wood was picked for a non-attorney seat on the board but is a former attorney, making him ineligible to serve, the suit alleges. In addition, the suit says Wood is ineligible because he held a “position of profit” with the state when appointed in May.

State records show Wood has served as a state contractor, receiving more than $132,000 this year. The most recent payment is listed as June 6.

Alaskans for Fair Courts also claims that Wood is ineligible because he has not been confirmed by the Legislature.

Wood was appointed during this year’s legislative session, but after lawmakers had voted on confirmations for the year, the suit claims, meaning that Wood’s appointment should not be considered a recess appointment subject to confirmation next year.

“If the governor were to appoint a (judge) nominee selected by a judicial council that is not properly constituted … the resulting legal deficiency … could subject actions taken by the new judge to challenge by litigants,” the suit claims.

It asks that the Anchorage Superior Court issue an order declaring that Wood is ineligible, and that his appointment is void.

In a written statement, Attorney General Treg Taylor said the state hasn’t yet been served with the lawsuit and can’t comment on the merits.

About the timing issue, Taylor said, “The Governor has the ability to appoint three members to the Judicial Council, and the Alaska Bar Association appoints the other three members to provide a 50/50 balance on the Council. The Council then nominates judges for the Governor’s selection with any ties on the Council being broken by the Chief Justice. It is important that the Council have this balanced perspective as it moves forward with its work. Having to wait almost a full year before seating a Governor’s appointee, as the Alaskans for Fair Courts argues, upsets that balance and doesn’t seem so fair.”

Dunleavy has seemingly violated the state constitution’s judicial nomination process before.

In 2019, he failed to appoint a judge under the timeline required by the constitution, which was part of the basis of a failed attempt to recall him from office. In 2021, he called for the council to add a nominee in addition to the three it had forwarded to him for a seat on the Supreme Court. The constitution does not allow governors to appoint someone from outside of the council’s list of nominees. He ultimately did by the constitutional deadline in that instance.

The late civil rights activist John Lewis didn’t have Juneau ties, but Juneau residents marked the anniversary of his death Thursday night with a protest of the Trump Administration’s cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy and what they see as an attack on civil rights. 

Six-year-old Shiras Dihle held a sign on the corner of Egan Drive and the Douglas Bridge that read “Make America Kind Again” in colorful letters. 

“Being good to people makes them be good to you,” he said. 

He stood with his mom and younger brother alongside more than a hundred other Juneau residents who joined the so-called “Good Trouble” protest along downtown Juneau’s busiest road during rush hour traffic.

“Good trouble” was the credo of John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement. He was known for his work throughout the 1960s to end segregation and gain voting rights using nonviolent activism. He referred to such activism as “good trouble, necessary trouble” to achieve change. Lewis continued his advocacy work for decades as a politician until his death at 80 in 2020. 

On Thursday, more than a thousand protests in his honor took place across the U.S., including in different parts of Alaska. 

Juneau resident Michael Ciri said he was protesting to advocate for diversity, something he says is what makes America great. He took a page out of Lewis’s book. 

“I like to sit in my home, in my chair with my cats. That’s where I would be right now,” he said. “But I think John Lewis has called everybody to say, ‘You need to get out of your seat. You need to be coming from a good place. You need to be prepared to make some trouble.’”

Dozens of protests have been held in the capital city since Donald Trump took office for his second term as president. 

Areil Hasse-Zamudio works with Juneau For Democracy and helped organize the event alongside other local advocacy organizations. She said it’s important that Alaska’s capital makes its voice heard during what she says is an attack on civil and human rights by the current administration. 

“We’re here in the spirit of John Lewis,” she said. “Talking about using his quote as inspiration to never be afraid to get in good trouble when it’s necessary, especially at a time where a lot of people are very afraid of their rights being taken away.”

Janet Kussart has lived in Juneau for more than five decades. She turns 80 next month. 

But for now, she stood on the side of the road holding a sign. She got a little teary-eyed when she described the breadth of cuts to federal services. She called it a gutting of the U.S. Constitution.

“I mean, you have to protest that,” she said. “There’s just no sitting home and feeling sorry for yourself. You have to get out with others like this. This is inspiring.”

She said, though she might be retired from working, she’ll never retire from standing up for civil rights. 

The fate of Alaska’s smaller public radio stations is in doubt after Congress passed a bill to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The House passed the bill overnight Thursday, 216-213. Alaska Congressman Nick Begich voted yes. That came less than 24 hours after the bill cleared the Senate, despite opposition from Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Murkowski voted for several amendments from Democrats to preserve part or all of $1.1 billion for public broadcasting. All of them failed.

Conservative Republicans said they wanted to defund NPR in particular, because they consider its content too left-wing.

Murkowski then offered an amendment to just defund NPR and keep the money flowing to rural stations. That amendment failed, too, with Murkowski and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine as the only Republicans to support it.

“Even though what I offered was exactly what my colleagues were calling for,” Murkowski said. “Every time they spoke about public broadcasting in the negative they used words like, ‘It’s a radical liberal agenda.’ And their reference was not to the emergency early warning system. It was not to the children’s TV programming.”

Now, Murkowski said, she’s focused on what Alaska’s rural stations need to stay on air, and she’s not seeing a lot of opportunity. CPB is the main source of funding for many of Alaska’s 27 public radio stations and a significant contributor to Alaska Public Media’s budget, too.

“I have no surety that these small stations that provide such important connections within their community are going to be able to stay afloat,” she said.

The general managers of rural stations in Alaska have warned about that, too, though some are still holding out hope for other funding.

One source might be a $10 million fund at the Interior Department, in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, that assists tribal stations. Murkowski said a dozen Alaska stations might qualify.

“But when we’ve talked to folks over at Interior about how this is all going to work, it’s truly radio silence,” she said. “And I don’t think they’re denying us information. I think they truly do not know.”

Even if they are eligible, Murkowski said Alaska stations would have to compete with stations in other states for a share of the $10 million and can’t bank on getting any of it.

Though the Senate has now voted to claw back two years of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the corporation still exists. Congress could appropriate new money for it to send to rural stations. Murkowski said that would be a tough sell to her Republican colleagues.

“I will just remind you of that vote that you saw last night on my amendment,” she said. “It was made very, very clear — and I don’t have the tweet in front of me, you’ve seen it — but the president said … basically, ‘Anybody who wants my endorsement, you better not support the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.'”

Murkowski said she hasn’t given up on sending money to CPB. She hopes public radio and tv supporters around the country are “going to start weighing in with their lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, and saying, ‘Hey, how are we going to keep this alive?'”

Sen. Dan Sullivan didn’t grant an interview request to explain why he voted against Murkowski’s amendment. He has described himself in letters to constituents as a supporter of funding for public radio stations. In 2020, he accepted a “champion of public broadcasting” award from America’s Public Television Stations.

A Sullian spokeswoman said by email that Sullivan has warned for years that NPR is biased, but that he is talking to the Trump administration about finding support for rural Alaska stations.

Having cleared both chamber of Congress, the rescission bill heads to President Trump to sign into law.

Editor’s note: Alaska Public Media receives funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This story was written and edited within the Alaska Public Media newsroom, and no Alaska Public Media executives outside the newsroom reviewed it before publication.

This story and headline have been updated to reflect the bill’s passage in the House.

A bill to defund public broadcasting of about $1 billion and claw back more than $8 billion in foreign aid has cleared its first hurdle in the U.S. Senate.

Fifty Republican senators voted yes on a procedural motion to consider the bill Tuesday evening. With the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance, the bill has enough support to get to the Senate floor for debate and possible amendment.

Sen. Dan Sullivan voted yes on taking up the bill. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is one of of three Republicans who voted against the preliminary measure. She said public broadcasting is vital, particularly for rural areas.

“It’s not just your news,” she said, just before Tuesday’s vote. “It’s your tsunami alerts. It is your landslide alert. It is your volcano alert. It is the weather to let you know it’s safe to go out and get on the fishing grounds. It’s your educational programming. I am going to continue to be an advocate for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”

More importantly, Murkowski said, it’s Congress’s job to appropriate money, and the White House hasn’t even specified which specific programs would be rescinded.

Next, the Senate will vote on a long series of amendments, a process referred to as “vote-a-rama,” which can stretch on all day and night. A final vote is expected late Wednesday or Thursday.

Senate Republican leaders have already made changes to bring a few Republican holdouts on board. They ditched a plan to cut an international AIDS program known as PEPFAR. They’re also restoring other specific overseas health and nutrition programs.

So far, the bill still rescinds roughly $1 billion dollars — two years of funding — for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. To win over Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, the administration promised to use other funds to keep 28 tribal stations in nine states going. It’s not clear that any of those are in Alaska.

About 4,000 miles from the Capitol, in Bethel, Kristin Hall was following the action closely. She’s the interim general manager of KYUK, a radio and TV station that’s not tribally owned.

“Truly, we’re all kind of on pins and needles. It feels almost surreal,” she said.

KYUK broadcasts across the vast Yukon-Kuskokwim delta, reaching an area roughly the size of South Dakota. About 70% of its funding comes from the federal government, through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Hall said the rescission would decimate the station.

“We would have to cut a majority of our staff,” she said. “Our services would be just really stripped down to the bare minimum.”

In addition to saving money, the rescission achieves long-standing policy ideals for conservative Republicans who want to shrink America’s role in international aid and feel public broadcasting doesn’t reflect their perspectives.

The U.S. House narrowly passed the bill last month, with the help of Alaska Congressman Nick Begich. If the Senate makes changes, it will have to go back to the House. The bill has to become law by Friday or the rescissions measure expires.

Editor’s note: Alaska Public Media receives funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This story was written and edited within the Alaska Public Media newsroom. No Alaska Public Media corporate officials read it before publication.