Mike Dunleavy

Mike Dunleavy

Republican Party

Governor of Alaska

Tenure

2018 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

6

Predecessor

Bill Walker

Prior offices

Alaska State Senate District D

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Alaska State Senate District E

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Compensation

Base salary

$145,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Contact

Official website

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Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

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Mike Dunleavy (Republican Party) is the Governor of Alaska. He assumed office on December 3, 2018. His current term ends on December 7, 2026.

Dunleavy (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Governor of Alaska. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Dunleavy was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1961 and moved to Alaska in 1983. He received a bachelor’s degree from Misericordia University and a master’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He worked in education as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. Dunleavy also owned an educational consulting firm and served on the Mat-Su Borough School Board.

Dunleavy served in the Alaska State Senate from 2012 to 2018. He represented District D until 2014 when redistricting moved him to District E. In 2018, Dunleavy resigned from the legislature to run for governor.

In 2018, Dunleavy was elected Governor of Alaska when he defeated incumbent Gov. Bill Walker (I) and Mark Begich (D) in the general election. At the time of the election, Dunleavy said, “I don't think the state is being managed well, you know that when you look at the educational results, public safety results, our high unemployment, lack of investment, I mean the list goes on and on. These are all man-made issues, so I decided to take the step and run for office because I think I can manage the state a lot better.”

During his 2018 campaign, Dunleavy said his priorities as governor would include “growing the economy, developing our natural resources, eradicating criminal behavior, controlling state spending, and demanding better results from our schools.”

Dunleavy won re-election in 2022 when he defeated Les Gara (D) in the general election, 51.1% to 47.8%. As a result, Dunleavy became the first governor in the state since 1998 to win two consecutive terms. This was also the first gubernatorial election in Alaska to use a top-four primary and ranked-choice voting for the general election, a system voters approved in 2020. In his second term, Dunleavy said he would focus on public safety, food security, and energy security.

Since Dunleavy assumed office in 2019, the Alaska House of Representatives majority operated under a bipartisan governing coalition. The state Senate majority operated under a bipartisan governing coalition since 2023. Under this agreement, the two parties split control of leadership positions and committee chairs.

In his 2024 State of the State address, Dunleavy said, “As long as I’m governor, I’m going to work to make sure that the Alaska dream is within reach for anyone who wants to pursue it, so that we can realize our motto of North to the Future.”

Elections

2022

See also: Alaska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Alaska

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Mike Dunleavy in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Mike Dunleavy	50.3	132,632	0	Won (1)
		Les Gara	24.2	63,851	0	1
		Bill Walker	20.7	54,668	0	1
		Charlie Pierce	4.5	11,817	0	1
		Bruce Walden (Write-in)	0.0	0	0	1
		Undeclared Write-insUndeclared write-in candidates may advance past the first round in some ranked-choice elections. If the official source reports write-in votes by candidate name, Ballotpedia displays them alongside the ballot-qualified candidates. However, if write-in votes are reported without a name, they will instead be included in the total write-in votes figure in Round 1. Please consult the official elections source for more details about unnamed write-in candidate vote totals past Round 1.	0.3	784	0

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 263,752
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Alaska

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Alaska on August 16, 2022.

Scroll for more

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Dunleavy (R)	40.4	76,534
✔		Les Gara (D)	23.1	43,660
✔		Bill Walker (Independent)	22.8	43,111
✔		Charlie Pierce (R)	6.6	12,458
		Christopher Kurka (R)	3.9	7,307
		John Howe (Alaskan Independence Party)	0.9	1,702
		Bruce Walden (R)	0.9	1,661
		William Toien (L)	0.7	1,381
		David Haeg (R)	0.6	1,139
	Submit photo	William Nemec II (Independent)	0.2	347

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 189,300
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jim Cottrell (R)

2018

See also: Alaska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: Alaska gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 21 Republican primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Alaska

Mike Dunleavy defeated Mark Begich, incumbent Bill Walker, and William Toien in the general election for Governor of Alaska on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Dunleavy (R)	51.4	145,631
		Mark Begich (D)	44.4	125,739
		Bill Walker (Independent)	2.0	5,757
		William Toien (L)	1.9	5,402
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	605

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 283,134
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Alaska

Mark Begich advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Alaska on August 21, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark Begich	100.0	33,451

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,451
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Alaska

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Alaska on August 21, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Dunleavy	61.5	43,802
		Mead Treadwell	32.0	22,780
		Michael Sheldon	2.3	1,640
	Submit photo	Merica Hlatcu	1.5	1,064
	Submit photo	Thomas Gordon	1.4	994
	Submit photo	Gerald Heikes	0.7	499
	Submit photo	Darin Colbry	0.6	416

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 71,195
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jacob Kern (R)
• Scott Hawkins (R)

2014

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Alaska State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 19, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 2, 2014. District D incumbent Mike Dunleavy was unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Warren Keogh (nonpartisan) in the general election. Mikse T. Willoya-Marx (D) withdrew before the primary.

Alaska State Senate, District E, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Dunleavy Incumbent	65%	9,048
	Nonpartisan	Warren Keogh	35%	4,881
Total Votes				13,929

2012

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2012

Dunleavy ran in the 2012 election for Alaska State Senate District 4 (D). He defeated incumbent Linda Menard in the Republican primary on August 28, 2012, and was unopposed in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.

Alaska State Senate, District 4 (D) Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Dunleavy	57.4%	2,802
Linda Menard Incumbent	42.6%	2,078
Total Votes		4,880

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mike Dunleavy did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Campaign website

Dunleavy's campaign website stated the following:

“	Restore Law and Order Mike Dunleavy knows that the first priority of government has to be ensuring public safety. Right now, Alaskans are under siege from violent criminals and property thieves. Bill Walker’s catch and release crime bill is a big part of the problem, because it sent the wrong message to the criminal element in our society. As Senator, Mike Dunleavy voted NO on Bill Walker’s disastrous SB91 crime bill. As Governor, Mike Dunleavy will restore law and order. Criminals will no longer have free run on our streets. Shrink Government and Balance the Budget Alaska’s budget problems are primarily due to a bloated state budget. Alaska’s state government spends more money per capita than any other state. As Senator, Mike Dunleavy proposed a balanced budget solution that doesn’t require new taxes or raiding the People’s Permanent Fund Dividend Grow the Economy and Put Alaskans Back to Work Alaska’s economy ranks last in the country and Alaska has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Bill Walker’s economic policies have been disastrous on Alaska’s economy. His erratic and hostile behavior towards the private sector has frozen outside investment. His raid on the Permanent Fund Dividend has taken billions out of Alaska’s retail economy and cost Alaska thousands of jobs. Mike Dunleavy knows the best way to solve Alaska’s economic troubles is to grow the pie for everyone. He will attract new investment and hook up Alaska’s huge new oil finds to the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Bill Walker is a wet blanket on business activity, Mike Dunleavy will be a breath of fresh air. Protect the Permanent Fund by Restoring the People’s Dividend Mike Dunleavy believes that the Permanent Fund Dividend belongs to the people of Alaska, not the government. As governor, he will restore the public trust and restore the Dividend. A vote for Mike Dunleavy Pays Dividends!	”
—Mike Dunleavy's 2018 campaign website

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Mike Dunleavy

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Donald Trump  source  (Conservative Party, R)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Won General
Nancy Dahlstrom  source  (R)	U.S. House Alaska At-large District (2024)	Primary	Withdrew in General
R. Ole Larson  source  (Nonpartisan)	Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District school board District 6 (2023)	General	Won General

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Mike Dunleavy

Measure	Position	Outcome
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Constitutional Convention Question (2022)  source	Support	Defeated

Political career

Governor of Alaska (2018-present)

Dunleavy was elected governor of Alaska in 2018.

Alaska State Senate (2013-2018)

Dunleavy served in the Alaska State Senate from 2013 to 2018.

Click [show] to see Dunleavy's state Senate committee assignments

Committee assignments 2017 legislative session At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees: Alaska committee assignments, 2017 • Finance • State Affairs, Chair 2015 legislative session At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Dunleavy served on the following committees: Alaska committee assignments, 2015 • Education, Chair • Finance • Transportation 2013-2014 At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Dunleavy served on the following committees: Alaska committee assignments, 2013 • Education, Vice chair • Finance • Labor & Commerce, Co-chair • Senate World Trade • Senate Taps Throughput, Co-chair • Legislative Budget and Audit

Click [show] to see legislation Dunleavy sponsored during his final years in the state Senate
Sponsored legislation The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Mat-Su Borough School Board (2009-2012)

Dunleavy served on the Mat-Su Borough School Board from 2009 to 2012.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Mike Dunleavy campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Governor of Alaska	Won general	$2,757,882	$2,788,924
2014	Alaska State Senate, District E	Won	$143,825	N/A**
2012	Alaska State Senate, District D	Won	$92,843	N/A**
Grand total			$2,994,550	$2,788,924
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Analysis

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Alaska

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Alaska scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2017

In 2017, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 17 through May 17. The legislature held a special session from May 18 to June 16, a second special session from June 16 to July 15, a one-day special session on July 27, and a fourth special session from October 23 to November 21.

• The Alaska Business Report Card

Legislators are scored by the Alaska Business Report Card on "how supportive they are of Alaska’s private business sector."

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 19 through May 18 (extended session). The Legislature held a special session from May 23, 2016, to June 19, 2016. The Legislature held a second special session from July 11 to July 18. The Alaska Business Report Card Legislators are scored by the Alaska Business Report Card on "how supportive they are of Alaska’s private business sector." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].
In 2015, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 20 through April 27 (Session extended). The first special session was held from April 28 to May 21. The second special session was held from May 21 to June 11. A third special session was held from October 24 to November 5. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].
In 2014, the 28th Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 21 to April 20. The Alaska Business Report Card Legislators are scored by the Alaska Business Report Card on "how supportive they are of Alaska’s private business sector." National Federation of Independent Business: 2013-2014 Voting record Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].
In 2013, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 15 to April 14. Ballotpedia staff did not find any state legislative scorecards published for this state in 2013. If you are aware of one, please contact editor@ballotpedia.org to let us know.

2012

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].
In 2012, the 27th Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 17 to April 15. It was in special session from April 15 to April 30. The Alaska Business Report Card Legislators are scored by the Alaska Business Report Card on "how supportive they are of Alaska’s private business sector."

Noteworthy events

Tested positive for coronavirus on February 24, 2021

See also: Politicians, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with or quarantined due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
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On February 24, Dunleavy announced he tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier, on February 22, Dunleavy said he had tested negative for coronavirus after coming into contact with someone who was positive for the virus. He entered a self-quarantine, but got re-tested after he began to feel unwell.

Ballot measure activity

Ballot measure support and opposition for Kay Ivey
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Constitutional Convention Question (2022)	2022	Supported	d Defeated

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Dunleavy and his wife, Rose, have three children.

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bill Walker	Governor of Alaska 2018-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Alaska State Senate District E 2015-2017	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Alaska State Senate District D 2013-2015	Succeeded by -