Bloc party: Alaska Democrats apparatchik converge on Juneau for election planning meeting this week

By
Suzanne Downing
-
19
Illustration by Grok A.I.

The Alaska Democratic Party State Central Committee meets this weekend at the historic Baranof Hotel in Juneau, starting with an executive committee meeting and legislative welcome on Friday, along with the annual McKinnon fundraiser, and the SCC meeting itself from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, followed by the Tongass Democrats’ winter auction.

On Sunday, the Democrats will have their caucus meetings before heading back to their respective corners of the state. Caucuses that may have meetings include the Black Caucus, Labor Caucus, LGBTQ Caucus, Progressive Action Network Caucus, Climate Caucus, and Young Democrats. There is no “economy caucus.”

The Alaska Democratic Party has kept a low profile since suffering major losses in 2024. After Rep. Mary Peltola spent $13.4 million in donor funds to try to get reelected, she was badly beat by now-congressman Nick Begich III, who only had $2.8 million to make the case that she needed to be retired.

Also, after telling Alaskans that Kamala Harris would win the presidency because of ranked choice voting, Democrats saw Donald Trump win the state by more than 54.4% of the vote.

But the Democrats will fight on for things like lavish retirement benefits for government employees and more surgical mutilation of children, who they have worked to confuse about their biological selves.

The Democrats are also going to do a victory lap because they gained total control of the Legislature in Alaska, with the help of Republicans such as Sen. Cathy Giessel, who may even make an appearance at the event, since she is now de facto key leadership in the Democratic Party.

Will Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, who also owes his win to Democrats and who is one of the highest ranking members of the Democrat caucus at this point, attend? Will Representatives Alyse Galvin, Bryce Edgmon, Rebecca Himschoot, Calvin Schrage, and Ky Holland, attend, since they owe their seats to the Democrats and caucus with them, while saying they are independent?

The Democrats have not yet announced who their speakers will be, but it’s likely that there will be a cameo by former Rep. Mary Peltola and other politicians who may have big plans for the future, including those planning to run for higher office. Rumors abound that the Democrats will back Peltola for governor, but that Sen. Forrest Dunbar also has aspirations. The Democrats will also begin vetting candidates for the 2026 cycle for U.S. House and U.S. Senate. The Democrats’ goal is to contest every race, even those it cannot win, if only to keep the Republicans busy.

The governor’s race may be their most important opportunity in 2026 to pull Alaska to the left.

At the national level, the party has gone even more fringe than the Alaska Democratic Party, with the election of anti-second Amendment activist David Hogg as one of the three vice chairs. He will work to ensure the national party has gun control at the top of its agenda, something that will make it even more difficult for Alaska Democrats to win converts. The party is still wedded to identity politics and DEI quotas.

The Baranof Hotel will be swarming with Democrats starting as early as Thursday. The hotel, built in 1939, is located downtown in a precinct that has 782 registered Democrats and 180 registered Republicans, with nonpartisans and undeclared voters making up most of the rest — 492 and 844 respectively.

Irony: Democrats attack Begich on boogyman ‘sales tax,’ while Anchorage Dems try to enact one locally

19 COMMENTS

  2. Conveniently right across from a gin bar. Good whiskey, however.
    And an easy walk to a couple weed stores.

  3. The public employee unions, the Alaska chapter of the NEA (aka Alaska Education Association) and the trade unions are in lockstep to dramatically increase public employee pensions so they will be buying dinners and drinks for Democrat and “independent” legislators; really an APOC loophole in many cases. These people are eliminating the PFD with their education spending and their movement back to defined benefit pensions for themselves as elected officials. It’s no wonder so many young Alaskans who want to work for the private sector are leaving. Alaska has purposefully become the number one state for SNAP and for government employment.

  4. Republicans would do well to see what the dems are doing. The dems have control of the legislature while having a clear minority of the voters. Rather than just screaming about voter fraud, blowing up balloons and silly ‘censures’, Republicans should seek to understand how they under performed President Trump in Alaska of all places. The dems are evil and all but you have to admit they know how to win. As long as Republicans focus on the 5% we disagree on, insist on purity tests and focus on social issues that are better left to individuals they will be on the outside looking in.

  5. Democrats are a sick bunch of bafoons. Mental illness has led to brainwashing and confusion. A cultist political party, not unlike a weird religion.

  6. While most Republicans are enjoying the developments in Washington, DC, it should be kept in mind that the Demos and the Left kicked the butt of Republicans here in Alaska. And in Anchorage, conservatives continue to weaken.

    • I agree. Everyone is celebrating Trump’s win and ignoring the fast movement here in Alaska to still take us down. Still too many sheep.

  8. There is no “economy caucus.”

    That’s because, “If socialists understood economics, they wouldn’t be socialists.” – Friedrich Hayek

  11. I am willing to bet good money the Dems won’t allow any non members in this meeting at all.

    How open and democratic of them.

Comments are closed.