In Fairbanks on Friday, Alaska US Sen. Dan Sullivan told a crowd at the Lincoln Day Dinner that he will run for reelection in 2026. It was an unexpected announcement, although most Alaskans assume he will run for a third term.
In the lead up to the announcement, Sullivan talked about what happens when Republicans are in control of the White House: the Alaska Purchase, Alaska becoming a territory, Statehood, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Act, and, of course, all the great things President Trump did for Alaska in his first term—including opening ANWR, and all the things he’s already done and is planning to do.
“That’s our heritage as Republicans, and when it comes to Alaska, our heritage and our record for our state is really and truly remarkable. What about the Democrats? When Democrats are in charge, what happens to Alaska?….It boils down to two different visions for our state and country: the optimists–those who dare greatly and built our state, versus the pessimists, naysayers, and cynics who have aligned with the far left radical environmentalists,” he said.
“Here in Alaska, on one side, you have Republican leaders who see such great possibilities in our state and our people. Who see the key of the future for us is to unlock the wealth and private sector economy of our bountiful state–sustainable economic growth and job growth that we keep here…
“Here in Alaska, or more problematically back in DC, there are those who hold the oppositive vision, who hold the vision of Alaska as a big national park, who hold a vision of Alaska as a snow globe— people like Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer (By the way, Chuck Schumer has been having a real bad week, you may have noticed. We’re loving that. All of these liberals, far lefties are calling for him to step down. It’s just a glorious thing to watch.)
“So, what I’ve done in this position is to fight these guys tooth and nail during my time as your Senator. As your senator, I’m going to continue with your support to fight them. So it’s very appropriate, in Fairbanks, at a Fairbanks Republican Women’s Club Lincoln Day Dinner, that I’m honored to announce that I’m going to run again for the U.S. Senate in 2026!” he said.
Sullivan was first elected to the US Senate in 2014, after having served as Attorney General for Alaska and as the state’s commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. He beat Sen. Mark Begich that year. In 2020, Dr. Al Gross ran as the Democrat candidate against him, but Sullivan won with over 50% of the vote, beating gross by a nearly 13% margin.
Sullivan has never been in the ranked-choice voting scenario that was implemented in 2022, so this will be his first election in which he faces the squirrelly voting system that dark-money installed in Alaska. But having been the first Senate candidate to win with more than 50% of the vote since 2002, he stands a solid chance, especially in a political environment that favors Republican positions.
Sullivan’s announcement, made in his wife Julie’s hometown, received a huge round of applause, including a standing ovation from the Fairbanks Republicans attending the annual dinner, which was an event that the Interior Republicans host every year to honor President Abe Lincoln, the first Republican.
