The chamber is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
After the 2024 elections, a 21-member coalition with a Democratic majority assumed control of the chamber and selected Charles Kopp (R) as coalition majority leader. Members of the Alaska House had also formed multipartisan majority coalitions that included both Democrats and Republicans after every election between 2016 and 2022. Although Republicans won a majority of seats in each election, the coalitions that formed after the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2024 elections all included Democratic majorities, while the coalition that formed after the 2022 election included a Republican majority. The current majority coalition includes 14 Democrats, five independents, and two Republicans.
In 2020, voters approved a ballot measure that replaced partisan primaries with top-four primaries and introduced ranked-choice voting for the general election. They voted 50.1%-49.9% against a 2024 ballot measure that would have repealed the system established in 2020. As a result, the 2026 elections will feature top-four primaries and ranked-choice general election voting.
Alaska House of Representatives general election 2026
Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Please contact Ballotpedia about candidate additions, withdrawals, or disqualifications.
Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Competitiveness
This section will be updated with information about the competitiveness of state legislative elections in Alaska. For more information about Ballotpedia's Competitiveness Analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
A person who seeks to become a candidate for office in a primary election must file a declaration of candidacy. This declaration must be made under oath before an authorized officer and must be filed with the Alaska Division of Elections. The form must be delivered in person or by mail at or before 5:00 p.m. on June 1 of the year in which the general election is taking place.[1][2]
At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy, a candidate must pay a nonrefundable filing fee to the Alaska Division of Elections. For the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, United States Senator, and United States Representative, the filing fee is $100. The filing fee for state legislative candidates is $30. Candidates must also submit a financial disclosure form (for further information on campaign finance requirements, see this article).[3][4]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent with the Alaska Division of Elections. The form must be filed no later than five days prior to the general election. A write-in candidate must also file a financial disclosure statement alongside the declaration of intent. If a write-in candidate is running for governor, the candidate must file a joint declaration of intent with a candidate for lieutenant governor.[5][5][6]
Article II, Section 2 of the Alaska Constitution states: A member of the legislature shall be a qualified voter who has been a resident of Alaska for at least three years and of the district from which elected for at least one year, immediately preceding his filing for office. A representative shall be at least twenty-one years of age.
A predominantly Democratic, 21-member coalition assumed control of the chamber following the election, with the new coalition majority leader being Charles Kopp (R). On Nov. 6, 2024, the coalition announced it had secured enough votes to select Rep. Bryce Edgmon (I) as speaker of the House.[10] As of Nov. 26, 2024, the new House Majority caucus contained 14 Democrats, five independents, and two Republicans.
Timeline
November 23, 2024: The majority coalition announced additional committee chairs and priorities.
Caucus priorities would include education, energy, retirement reform, and balanced budgets.
Neal Foster (D), Andy Josephson (D), and Calvin Schrage (I) would co-chair the finance committee. They joined Edgmon, Kopp, and Stutes on the majority leadership team.
November 6, 2024: A new majority-Democratic coalition announced they had secured enough votes to select Bryce Edgmon (I) as speaker. The majority leader would be Charles Kopp (R), and the rules committee chair would be Louise Stutes (R).[10]
November 5, 2024: Elections were held for all 40 seats in the chamber.
Republicans won 21 of the chamber's 40 seats, followed by Democrats with 13 and independent candidates with six. On Jan. 18, members elected Rep. Cathy Tilton (R) as Speaker of the House, at which point she announced a majority consisting of 19 Republicans, two Democrats, and two independents.[12]
Control of three seats remained unclear after the election.[13] One seat won by a Republican faced a recount. Two seats—won by a Democrat and Republican—faced legal challenges. In all three cases, the initial winners retained their seats.
In both 2018 and 2020, Republicans won a numerical majority of seats but Democrats and independents joined with some Republicans to form a power-sharing agreement, gaining control of the chamber. In the 2022 elections for state senate, Republicans won a numerical majority of seats but Democrats and most Republicans formed a power-sharing agreement instead.[14]
Timeline
January 18, 2023: Representatives voted 26-14 to elect Rep. Cathy Tilton (R) as Speaker of the House. Tilton was not a member of the preceding governing majority. Following the vote, Tilton said the chamber's majority would consist of the following:
Nineteen Republicans: every member of the party apart from Reps. David Eastman (R) and Louise Stutes (R);
January 9, 2023: Superior Court Judge Herman Walker Jr. ruled that Rep.-elect Jennifer Armstrong (D) satisfied the state's three-year residency requirement and was eligible to assume office.[15]
December 23, 2022: Superior Court Judge Jack R. McKenna ruled that Rep. David Eastman's (R) membership in the Oath Keepers was not disqualifying and that Eastman could retain his seat in the chamber.[16] The plaintiff indicated he would not appeal the decision.[17]
December 22, 2022: A trial began to determine whether Rep.-elect Jennifer Armstrong (D) satisfied the state's three-year residency requirement to be eligible to assume office.[18]
December 15, 2022:The Alaska Landmine reported that the 19 incoming freshman members of the state House—nine Republicans, eight Democrats, and two independents—were in discussions to form a legislative coalition. The coalition would need two more legislators in order to organize a majority.[19]
December 12, 2022: A trial began to determine whether David Eastman (R) was ineligible to serve in the state legislature due to his membership in the Oath Keepers.[20][21]
December 8, 2022: A recount took place in the District 15 House race. Official election night returns showed incumbent Thomas McKay (R) leading Denny Wells (D) by seven votes.[22] The recount found McKay leading Wells by a nine-vote margin.[23]
November 30, 2022: The Alaska Division of Elections certified election results, with final results in three districts subject to appeal.[13]
November 8, 2022: Elections were held for all 40 seats in the chamber. Preliminary results showed Republicans winning 21 seats, Democrats winning 13, and independent candidates winning the remaining six. The six independent candidates were each more likely to vote with Democrats than with Republicans, according to James Brooks of the Alaska Beacon.[24]
A multipartisan coalition formally organized a governing majority in the Alaska House of Representatives on February 18, ending months of uncertainty over who would control the chamber after the 2020 elections. Members voted 22-17 on a plan of organization that placed coalition members at the head of House committees. However, two legislators who voted with the coalition caucus to select committee members, Reps. Sara Rasmussen (R) and Geran Tarr (D), said they will not join either the coalition or Republican caucuses. That left both groups without a numerical majority in the 40-member House.[25]
Though Republicans maintained a 21-seat majority in the House after the November 3 elections, it was unclear whether they would take control of the chamber or if the multi-partisan coalition that had controlled the House since 2018 would remain in charge. Usually, the majority party selects the presiding officer. But when Rep. Louise Stutes (R) announced support for the coalition group on December 9, legislators were split evenly into 20-member factions.
After Stutes left the Republican caucus, the outcome of a lawsuit Rep. Lance Pruitt (R) filed had the potential to affect control of the House. Pruitt filed the suit on December 10 to challenge the election results in his race against Liz Snyder (D). If the lawsuit had been successful, Republicans would have had a governing majority of 21 members after Stutes left the Republican caucus.[26] On January 8, 2021, the Alaska Supreme Court denied Pruitt's challenge and confirmed Snyder's victory. Pruitt's attorney, Stacey Stone, said Pruitt would not pursue any further actions to challenge the results.[27]
When the 2021 session began on January 19, House members adjourned shortly after an attempt to elect a temporary speaker failed in a tie vote (leadership candidates need at least 21 votes to be elected in the 40-member House).[28] After several other nominations for temporary speaker ended in ties, the House elected Rep. Josiah Patkotak (I) as speaker pro tempore, taking over for Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer (R) who had filled the role of presiding officer since the legislative session began.[29]
On February 11, 2021, Stutes was elected speaker of the House in a 21-19 vote. Rep. Kelly Merrick (R) broke with the Republican caucus and voted for Stutes.[30] After initially not saying whether she would join the coalition, which included Stutes, the chamber's 15 Democrats, and 4 independents, Merrick joined it on February 15. This gave the group a 21-member majority. However, on February 17, Rep. Sara Rasmussen (R) said that she would serve as an independent Republican and not join either the coalition or Republican blocs of the House. Rep. Geran Tarr (D) broke away from the coalition branch on February 18, also choosing to vote independently of either group. With Rasmussen and Tarr serving independently, the coalition caucus was left with 20 members and the Republican caucus with 18 members.[31][32]
A similar period of deadlock occurred after the 2018 elections. Republicans won 23 seats, Democrats won 16 seats, and a Democratic-aligned independent won another race. Although Republicans had a 23-16 majority with one independent, a coalition of 15 Democrats, four Republicans, and two independents elected Bryce Edgmon (I) as House speaker on February 14, 2019. Edgmon was elected as a Democrat, but changed his party affiliation to Independent before his election as speaker. The parties split control of key leadership positions and committees and elected Edgmon as speaker. The House majority consisted of 15 Democrats, eight Republicans, and two members unaffiliated with either party.[33] Of the eight Republicans who joined the majority coalition in 2018, only Steve M. Thompson and Louise Stutes were re-elected in 2020.
Timeline
February 18, 2021: The House organized under control of the coalition caucus and approved a plan of organization by a 22-17 vote.[34]
February 17, 2021: Rep. Sara Rasmussen (R) said that she would serve as an independent Republican not affiliated with the coalition majority or the Republican minority.[36] Rep. Geran Tarr (D) also said she will serve independently and broke from the coalition branch of the House, leaving it without a majority.[37]
February 16, 2021: Stutes said that Merrick had joined the coalition branch of the House, giving it a 21-vote majority. Merrick did not respond when asked if she had joined the coalition. Merrick said the next step in the process is "for the committee on committees to convene, and try to come up with a functioning group. We’re working closely with both groups of legislators and we’re going to try to give every opportunity for folks to fill leadership positions.”[38]
February 11, 2021: Rep. Kelly Merrick (R) voted for Stutes as speaker, providing the 21st vote necessary for her to win the office. Merrick did not say whether she would join with the minority coalition on policy matters.[30]
February 4, 2021: The Alaska House of Representatives elected Josiah Patkotak (I) as temporary speaker of the House. Patkotak was chosen in a 39-0 vote after Rep. Mike Cronk (R) nominated him. Rep. Geran Tarr (D) was absent. Patkotak presided over the chamber until Louise Stutes (R) was elected permanent speaker.[39]
January 19, 2021: Control of the House remained undecided as members met and then adjourned shortly after a vote on a temporary speaker failed. Rep. DeLena Johnson (R) nominated Rep. Bart LeBon (R) as house speaker pro tempore, but the chamber vote ended in an even 20-20 tie. A candidate for speaker needed at least 21 votes in the 40-member chamber. Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer (R) presided over the House in the interim.[40]
January 8, 2021: The Alaska Supreme Court confirmed Rep. Lance Pruitt’s (R) 11-vote loss to Democratic challenger Liz Snyder on Friday, January 8. The court ruled that Pruitt did not provide sufficient evidence to sustain his challenge of the election results.[41]
December 30, 2020: Anchorage Superior Court Judge Josie Garton said that she found no issues with the Alaska Division of Election's vote count and that Pruitt's attorney failed to prove that changing the location of a polling place affected the results. The Alaska Supreme Court was scheduled to hear oral arguments concerning the case on January 8, 2021.[42]
December 10, 2020: Rep. Lance Pruitt (R) filed a lawsuit challenging the election results in District 27, where he ran against Liz Snyder (D). Pruitt said that the state did not adequately notify the public when the Alaska Division of Elections moved a polling location and that the Division of Elections did not secure absentee ballots.[43]
December 9, 2020: Rep. Louise Stutes (R) said she would join with 19 other representatives in the multi-partisan coalition. With 20 Republicans favoring a Republican-led majority, control of the chamber was uncertain. Twenty-one votes were needed for control.[44]
November 3, 2020: Republicans won 21 seats in the November 3 election, while Democrats won 16 and independents won three.
February 19, 2019: The organization of the Alaska House was announced. The House majority consisted of 15 Democrats, eight Republicans, and two members unaffiliated with either party.[45]
February 14, 2019: Rep. Bryce Edgmon was elected as House speaker three days after switching his party affiliation from Democratic to unenrolled. Edgmon, who also served as House speaker from 2017 to 2018, was supported by all 15 Democrats, independent Daniel Ortiz, and Republicans Louise Stutes, Gabrielle LeDoux, Jennifer B. Johnston, and Charles M. Kopp. Democratic leader Chris Tuck nominated Edgmon for the speakership.[47] Eighteen Republicans voted against Edgmon. Stutes and LeDoux were part of bipartisan coalition Edgmon led from 2017 to 2018. The Feb. 14 vote was the first time Johnston and Kopp supported Edgmon. They previously backed Republican leader David Talerico.[48] Rep. Gary Knopp, another Republican who did not support Talerico for speaker, was not present for the vote because he was on a previously scheduled trip back to his district. He said thought the speaker's vote was “a start to build that coalition concept” and said he hoped to join the coalition.[49]
February 13, 2019: Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) released a budget proposal that the Anchorage Daily News said contained $900 million in spending cuts.[50] See the full proposal here. One day earlier, he tweeted: "Elections have consequences, & the majority of Alaskans have chosen conservatives in #AKLeg, and expect a republican led majority. With the budget coming out tomorrow and the house absent from work for the last month, it’s time to get to work and do the people’s business."[51]
February 12, 2019: A vote to elect Rep. David Talerico (R) as speaker failed by a 20-20 margin. Rep. Gary Knopp (R) voted no despite saying one day earlier that he would vote for a Republican speaker. Rep. Louise Stutes (R) nominated Knopp as speaker. The vote also failed by a 20-20 margin. Knopp said he had originally intended to vote for Talerico before Stutes suggested that he be nominated as speaker instead. When asked about his Feb. 11 statement that said he would vote for a Republican speaker, Knopp said, “I am supporting a Republican nominee: myself.” Knopp also said he was bothered by a Facebook comment from Rep. David Eastman (R) on an article about Knopp. In the comment, Eastman discussed the procedures for recalling a state representative from office.[52][53]
February 11, 2019:
Rep. Gary Knopp (R) announced that he was returning to the GOP caucus and said he would “be the 21st vote to support a Republican-led coalition or caucus.” Knopp said he still believed that a narrow Republican majority would fracture when faced with divisive issues like budgetary policy, but he thought that the problems caused by an unorganized House majority were greater.[54]
Rep. George Rauscher (R) left the group of eight lawmakers attempting to negotiate a bipartisan power-sharing agreement (see Feb. 4 entry). Rauscher said, “We all worked in good faith and did everything we could to move forward with this concept, but after many hours now spent, I can confidently say that I do not believe all the hurdles can be addressed.” In response, Rep. Lance Pruitt (R), another member of the group, said, “[Rauscher leaving] doesn’t kill it. It’s still out there as that backstop.” As of Feb. 8, the group's plan would have created two co-leaders of the House (one Democrat and one Republican) as well as bipartisan committee co-chairs and equal membership on committees. Moreover, Democrats and Republicans both would have a limited number of opportunities to advance stalled bills out of committee.[56]
A vote to elect David Talerico (R) as speaker of the house failed, 20 to 17 (21 votes were required for the vote to pass). Democrats Zack Fields and Tiffany Zulkosky and Republican Gary Knopp were absent for the vote.[57]
February 7, 2019: Rep. Steve Thompson (R) said the Republican caucus had made offers to several Democrats asking them to join a majority coalition.[58]
February 5, 2019: The House reached its 22nd day in the legislative session without a majority. This matched the state record, set in 1981, for the longest period of time without a majority.
February 4, 2019:
The House held another vote for permanent speaker at the request of Rep. David Eastman (R). Republican leader David Talerico was voted down 20-20, the same margin he lost by on January 22. Again, Republicans Gary Knopp, Gabrielle LeDoux, and Louise Stutes voted against him. Knopp said he could possibly support Talerico in the future, but he said he first wanted the majority coalition to have the potential for success. Rep. Bryce Edgmon, the Democratic speaker from 2017 to 2018, was also nominated for the permanent speakership, but he declined to be considered.[59]
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that eight House members were working to create a power-sharing agreement between Democrats and Republicans. The group included three Democrats (Grier Hopkins, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Andi Story), four Republicans (Bart LeBon, Lance Pruitt, George Rauscher, and Josh Revak), and independent Daniel Ortiz. Hopkins and LeBon said the group was looking at power-sharing models used by evenly-split legislatures from other states and that they planned on presenting the different power-sharing options to members of the House. They said their goal for reaching an agreement was February 13, the day Gov. Mike Dunleavy's budget proposal was set to be released.[60]
January 29, 2019: With the Alaska House eight days away from setting a record for longest period of time without a permanent leader, James Brooks of the Anchorage Daily News published an article with commentary from legislators on what was causing the deadlock. Read the commentary below. The record of 22 days was set in 1981.[61]
January 22, 2019: The Alaska House voted down a nomination of Republican leader David Talerico (R) for speaker of the house. The vote was 20-20, with Republican Reps. Gabrielle LeDoux, Louise Stutes, and Gary Knopp voting with all 16 Democrats and independent Daniel Ortiz against the nomination.[62]David Eastman (R), who previously said he might not vote for Talerico, voted in favor of the nomination. Rep. Chris Tuck (D) nominated Bryce Edgmon (D), the house speaker from 2017 to 2018, for the same position. Tuck withdrew the nomination shortly after Talerico was voted down, saying he expected the Edgmon nomination to fail as well. Knopp said that he would not vote for Talerico or Edgmon and that he still hoped to form a bipartisan caucus.[63]
January 17, 2019: The Alaska House continued to operate without a majority in place. Because of this, no committees could be formed and legislative business could not be conducted.[64]
The House voted 35-4 to install Rep. Neal Foster (D) as speaker pro tempore so that he could preside over the chamber in place of Lieutenant Gov. Meyer. This was not the same as electing a speaker of the house, and Foster's powers were limited to administrative tasks like accepting nominations for a permanent speaker of the chamber. Before Foster was elected, the House rejected a bid by Rep. Mark Neuman (R) to be speaker pro tempore, 19-20.[64]
The House also swore in Sharon Jackson (R) after declining to accept her nomination on Jan. 15 (see entry below for more details), and it voted to keep House staff employed until a majority could be formed.[64]
January 15, 2019: The 2019 legislative session convened without a majority caucus in place.[65] With no majority having formed, incoming Lieutenant Gov. Kevin Meyer (R) began to serve as the presiding officer until the House could decide its organization and elect a speaker.[66] According to Josh Applebee, Meyer's chief of staff, the lieutenant governor is granted few powers by the state constitution apart from swearing members in and allowing them to vote on chamber leadership. He said, “There’s no committees to be appointed, communications from the governor and the Senate can be received but not acted upon; they basically sit on the clerk’s desk.”[67]
Meyer swore in just 39 members of the House (22 Republicans, 16 Democrats, and one independent) because Democrat Chris Tuck raised a point of order over whether Sharon Jackson (R) could be sworn in by Meyer, a member of the executive branch. Jackson was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) as the replacement for Nancy Dahlstrom (R), who Dunleavy appointed as commissioner of the Department of Corrections on December 5.[68]
January 9, 2019: Knopp gave an interview to Nat Herz of the Alaska Energy Desk where he continued to say that a 21-member Republican majority would not work and that the chamber needed a bipartisan majority to function.
January 4, 2019: Following oral arguments, the Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the finding by special master Eric Aarseth that the Division of Elections acted properly when it held a recount in the District 1 race and found that Bart LeBon (R) defeated Kathryn Dodge (D) by one vote.[69]
December 21, 2018: A group calling itself the Coastal House Legislators (Reps. Bryce Edgmon (D), Neal Foster (D), Louise Stutes (R), Daniel Ortiz (I), Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D), Gabrielle LeDoux (R), John Lincoln (D), Tiffany Zulkosky (D), Sara Hannan (D), and Andi Story (D)) released a joint statement that said, "It is our goal to be part of a strong, hard-working majority whose highest priorities are the prosperity, safety, health, and well-being of the people of Alaska...[We] want fellow House members to know that we are, and will remain, united in our determination to join a coalition that is dedicated to passing a responsible budget, keeping Alaskans safe, and protecting the Permanent Fund and the Permanent Fund Dividend. We will only participate in a coalition that is dedicated to these goals."[70]
December 20, 2018: Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth ruled that the Alaska Division of Elections properly counted ballots in the District 1 recount and said he would issue a report on Dec. 21. Aarseth said, "The Legislature has made the emphasis that a prompt decision, in my words, is more important than perfection in the election process itself." The Alaska Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Aarseth's report Jan. 4.[71]
December 20, 2018: Gov. Dunleavy selected Sharon Jackson (R) as the replacement for Nancy Dahlstrom (R) in District 13. Jackson's nomination was subject to confirmation by House Republicans.[72]
December 12, 2018: Republicans in House Districts 13 and 14 nominated Craig Christenson, Sharon Jackson, and Richard "Clayton" Trotter as potential replacements for state Rep.-elect Nancy Dahlstrom (R) in District 13. According to KTUU, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) would be responsible for choosing Dahlstrom's replacement from among the three nominees and House Republicans would need to confirm the replacement.[73]
December 9, 2018: In an interview with The Anchorage Daily News, Knopp said he did not believe a 21-member Republican majority would be stable, particularly if that majority included David Eastman (R). The ADN reported that Eastman was the sole “no” vote against legislation 75 times from 2017 to 2018 and that he had more solo “no” votes than all other legislators combined from 2013 to 2016. Knopp said that he was attempting to organize a 24-member bipartisan majority (12 Democrats and 12 Republicans) that would divide leadership positions between the parties and avoid divisive tax legislation (including oil and gas taxes and broad-based taxes). Knopp said there was Democratic support for the idea, but Republicans had not yet accepted it. Louise Stutes (R) and Daniel Ortiz (I) both expressed support for the proposed coalition.[74]
December 8, 2018: Rep. Gary Knopp (R)—one of the 20 Republicans who appeared at a November 7 press conference to announce they were forming a majority coalition—said he was leaving the Republican caucus.[65] Knopp said, “A 21 member caucus cannot succeed. It’s doomed for failure and I’m not going to be on that train. I’m not joining the Democrats either. I’m doing this to try and force a true coalition.”[75]
December 7, 2018: The Alaska Supreme Court appointed Eric Aarseth, a Superior Court judge from Anchorage, as a special master to oversee Dodge's appeal. The Supreme Court said Aarseth's report would be due on December 21 and that oral argument in the case would be set for early January.[76]
December 5, 2018: Dodge (D) announced that she would appeal the result of the recount to the Alaska Supreme Court, challenging the Division of Elections' decision on four ballots.[77] Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) also announced that he was appointing state Rep.-elect Nancy Dahlstrom (R) as the commissioner of the Department of Corrections, creating a vacancy to be filled by Dunleavy.[78][79]
November 30, 2018: An automatic recount was held in the District 1 race.[80] The recount showed LeBon (R) with 2,663 votes and Dodge (D) with 2,662 votes. The state review board determined that the uncounted ballot marked for Dodge was spoiled and would remain uncounted. According to Alaska Public Media, Dodge had until December 5 to appeal the result to the Alaska Supreme Court.[81] See more from Juneau Empirehere.
November 26, 2018: The District 1 race was certified as a tied race. Josie Bahnke, Director of Division of Elections, said there was one uncounted ballot marked for Dodge (D) and that the state review board would determine its status on Nov. 30.[82]
November 23, 2018: A hand audit of 522 absentee ballots in the District 1 race was held.[80]
November 21, 2018: This was the final day for overseas ballots to arrive and be counted in the District 1 race.[83] A review of all in-person ballots and an initial count of absentee ballots showed that Dodge (D) and LeBon (R) had received 2,661 votes each.[80]
November 16, 2018: A total of 309 absentee ballots were counted in the District 1 race.[84] LeBon (R) took a five-vote lead, but 68 absentee ballots had not been returned yet.[83]
November 13, 2018: Dodge (D) took a 10-vote lead over LeBon (R) in the District 1 race after questioned ballots were counted.[84]
November 8, 2018: Eastman told KTOO that he would not commit to voting for Talerico as speaker but that he did plan to vote for a Republican. He said, “I think we’ve got the right 21. But that still leaves 21 options for speaker. And I haven’t figured out which of those options is the best one for my district and the things I care about.”[85]
November 7, 2018: Twenty Republican representatives held a press conference where they announced they had won the majority in the chamber and would elect Rep. Dave Talerico (R) as House Speaker. A caucus would need 21 votes to elect the House speaker.[85]
In attendance was District 1 candidate Bart LeBon (R), who led Kathryn Dodge (D) in a too close to call race by 79 votes.[86]
Not in attendance were Rep. David Eastman (R), who KTOO said was a conservative representative known for breaking with Republican leadership in the last session, and Reps. Gabrielle LeDoux (R) and Louise Stutes (R), both of whom caucused with the Democratic-led majority coalition in the last session.[87][85]
Commentary on deadlock in house leadership race
The following commentary on the deadlock in the state house leadership race is from a January 29 Anchorage Daily News article by James Brooks.[61]
Rep. Bryce Edgmon (D): “It’s not issues that are separating us. At this point, I think it’s more party politics.”
Rep. David Talerico (R): "I’m assuming that it’ll have to be a mixed group [of Democrats and Republicans] at some point...I’ve been asked a few times which day I think it will be. Well, I wish it was yesterday.”
Rep. Andy Josephson (D): “Because Gov. Dunleavy is believed to be a budget hawk, and has opposed new revenue concepts, it’s actually made us more cohesive as a group of 19 because I think there’s a belief there has to be some counterweight vis-a-vis that philosophy.”
Rep. Gary Knopp (R) on why Republicans had not joined a coalition: “I think the new candidates, the freshmen, and some of the incumbents are scared of the direction the party’s taken in the last few years.”
Knopp was specifically referring to the Republican Party of Alaska running primary challenges against members who defected after the 2016 elections.
Rep. Louise Stutes (R) on why members were reluctant to elect a speaker from the other party: “We see very similarly in the issues at hand. The problem seems to be whether you have an R or a D behind your name.”
Rep. Mark Neuman (R): In a paraphrase from Brooks, Neuman said a changeup in the Democratic and Republican leadership could offer a path forward. He also said he was concerned that members were paying too much attention to their constituents on social media when making decisions.
1981 House deadlock
The record for the longest time the Alaska House went without a majority was set in 1981 when a majority did not form for 22 days after the start of the legislative session. Democrats won 22 of 40 seats in the chamber, but they were unable to organize a majority because their members did not agree on the leadership of the Finance Committee.
Eventually, Democrats put together a slim majority and elected Rep. Jim Duncan (D) as speaker. He served as speaker until June 2018 when Republicans lured several Democrats who were unhappy with the length of the session away from the majority coalition. They deposed Duncan as the chamber leader and installed Rep. Joe Hayes (R) as the new speaker.
Duncan's allies sued the new majority, claiming that their actions were unconstitutional. However, an Alaska Superior Court dismissed their claim.[88][89]
Tied races in Alaska
According to Alaska state law, a race that remains tied after a recount shall be determined by a game of chance.[90]
The last tied race in Alaska was the House District 37 Democratic primary in 2006. Bryce Edgmon (D) defeated state Rep. Carl Moses (D) in a coin toss.[91]
Republicans lost two seats but still retained a numerical majority in the chamber. However, a coalition between House Democrats, three Republican representatives, and two independent representatives gave effective control of the chamber to Democrats.
Democrats fielded unopposed candidates in nine districts, while Republicans had six unchallenged candidates.
In the five districts with open seats, four districts had general election competition. All five seats were previously held by Republicans.
If Democrats were to make any gains, it would have been in the 25 districts that had general election competition between two major party candidates; only seven seats were competitive or mildly competitive in 2014.[92]
Five incumbents—two Democrats and three Republicans—were defeated in the primary election.
Following the general election, there was no change to the majority control of the Alaska House of Representatives, which was held by Republicans. However, the Democratic Party gained two additional seats, going from 14 to 16 seats. The Republican Party dropped three seats from 26 to 23. One seat was held by an Independent.
Heading into the November 2 election, the Republican Party held the majority in the Alaska House of Representatives. In the election, the Republican Party picked up three more seats, while the Democratic Party lost two seats, giving the Republican Party an overall 8-seat advantage in the state house.
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Alaska Party Control: 1992-2025 No Democratic trifectas • Six years of Republican trifectas Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Alaska completed its state legislative redistricting on May 24, 2022, when the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted a new map of state Senate districts at the direction of the state supreme court. In its ruling, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a May 16, 2022, decision by the Third District of Alaska's Superior Court that determined that the mapping of state House districts to Senate ones was unconstitutional and ordered the Alaska Redistricting Board to adopt another proposed plan for pairing the districts. Click here to read more about litigation surrounding Alaska's legislative boundaries. These maps took effect for Alaska's 2022 legislative elections. On May 15, 2023, the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted its 2022 interim maps as final state legislative maps. The final maps were used in the 2024 elections.[95]
Alaska had initially enacted legislative district boundaries on November 10, 2021, following a 3-2 vote by the Alaska Redistricting Board. The three Republican-appointed board members voted in favor of the map and the two nonpartisan board members voted against it.[96] On March 25, 2022, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that one state House and one state Senate district did not comply with the state constitution and required they be redrawn.[97] The Alaska Redistricting Board adopted new legislative district boundaries to comply with the state supreme court's ruling on April 13, 2022.[98]
↑Under Ballotpedia's competitiveness criteria, districts that have a margin of victory of less than 5 percent are considered highly competitive. Districts that have a margin of victory from 5 to 10 percent are considered mildly competitive.
↑A coalition between House Democrats, three Republican representatives, and two independent representatives gave effective control of the chamber to Democrats.
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Donald Trump/Mike Pence 
