The Alaska Democratic Party now has its first declared candidate for the state’s sole US House seat on the 2026 ballot. At 10 pm on July 2, John Brendan Williams, a fisheries specialist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Sea Grant program, officially filed with the Federal Election Commission to run as a Democrat.
Williams brings to the race a resume centered on marine science, education, and commercial fishing. He currently works as a fisheries workforce specialist with Alaska Sea Grant in Cordova, a program jointly operated by NOAA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Because of the university affiliation, Williams is a government employee.
Williams is registered to vote in the University West precinct of Fairbanks, one of the more left-leaning districts in the state. He has lived and worked throughout Alaska’s coastal regions, arriving in Cordova in 1996 to work as a fish ecologist and scientific diver with the Prince William Sound Science Center.
He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University. His job history includes hands-on experience as a fisherman in Prince William Sound and the Copper River fishery.
Williams has also worked as a community liaison for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power’s ARCTIC program in Cordova, prior to transitioning to his current role with Sea Grant.
Alaska’s 2026 primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026, where all candidates, regardless of party, will appear on a single jungle primary ballot. The top four vote-getters will advance to the ranked choice general election in November.
Williams is the first Democrat to formally challenge incumbent Congressman Nick Begich III. He has made no formal announcement but has filed with both the Federal Election Commission and the Alaska Division of Elections.
During the last election cycle, Democrats had two candidate — Mary Peltola, the incumbent, and Eric Hefner, a felon who was serving time in prison out of state and who had never stepped foot in Alaska.
He seems like a nice enough guy, and it will not surprise me if Representative Begich defeats him outright prior to any vote ranking.
No Dr. Al again. Whatever they have on him shut him down permanently.
You all see how well the fisheries are doing.
Wonder if Mr. Williams, as a registered democrat, embraces the policies of the democrat party: open borders, mutilation of children in the name of ‘transgender’, defund the police, violence against law enforcement officials enforcing immigration laws, lawfare through leftist judges, climate change hysteria and on and on?
Mr. Williams would be smart to run as an independent and ditch the label of ‘democrat’ which is rapidly devolving into the party of chaos.
He was an undeclared voter in February, so he intentionally changed, which means he embraces the party platform you describe. – sd
john is a good guy he was in my fishing group. Nice for you to give him a write up. I do not think he is running for House. His middle initial is D for David and he is actually registered to vote in Cordova.