Anchorage lawmaker is 14th candidate to enter Alaska governor's race

Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News on Nov 10, 2025

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Anchorage state Sen. Matt Claman is the second Democrat and the 14th candidate to enter the 2026 Alaska governor's race.

Current Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is termed out from seeking reelection.

Claman, who represents West Anchorage, began serving in the state House in 2015. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2022 and won re-election last year. He previously served on the Anchorage Assembly and as acting mayor of Anchorage, after then-Mayor Mark Begich was elected in 2008 to serve as U.S. senator.

An attorney who moved to Alaska from Texas after graduating from law school, Claman previously served as president of the Alaska Bar Association.

Claman said Monday that he entered the already-crowded field because he "thought it was important for the voters to have somebody with my with my experience in the race."

He said in a brief interview Monday that he did not plan to resign his Senate seat. That means he will be prohibited from fundraising while the Legislature is in session.

"I will not be able to ask for money, but I can certainly ask for votes," Claman said.

The legislative session is expected to begin in January and could run through mid-May. He said he decided to enter the race with just under a year until the 2026 election in part to give him some time ahead of the legislative session to focus on fundraising.

In a race already stacked with current and former lawmakers, the field already includes Democratic former state Sen. Tom Begich, who was the only non-Republican in the race until now.

"I don't see this as a setting in which I am going to be trying to contrast with Tom Begich. I'm glad he's in the race, and I'm glad to be in the race," Claman said.

Begich has previously said he would drop out of the race if Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who lost her congressional re-election race last year, enters the race for governor. Peltola has hinted she is considering a run for office in 2026.

Claman said he was in touch with Peltola but did not commit to dropping out of the race if she enters it.

The Republicans in the race include former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson; Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom; Palmer state Sen. Shelley Hughes; former Attorney General Treg Taylor; former Revenue Commissioner Adam Crum; former Labor Commissioner and state Sen. Click Bishop; Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Edna DeVries; podiatrist Matt Heilala; businesswoman Bernadette Wilson; fisherman and author Henry Kroll; Palmer resident Bruce Walden; and James Parkin of Angoon.

Under Alaska's election system, all candidates will appear on the same primary ballot in August. The top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election.