With the House district maps all but set for the Mat-Su Valley, there is an open seat, and Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Jesse Sumner and Stephen Wright have already filed letters of intent to run. Both are Republicans.
When Wasilla Republicans Rep. David Eastman and Rep. Christopher Kurka were put into the same district, it put Eastman’s old district — 10 — renumbered to become District 26, without an incumbent lawmaker.
Wright said he moved back to Banner Way in January of 2021 and had previously lived in Meadow Lakes for three years. Wright has run for office since 2016, when he ran for Congress against Congressman Don Young. He ran for lieutenant governor in 2018, and State Senate in 2020 against Sen. David Wilson.
Sumner ran for office for the first time when he challenged Rep. David Eastman in the 2020 primary for District 10. He got 1,420 votes, while Eastman won reelection with 1,589. He has not indicated which seat he will run for — House or Senate.
The House District 26 seat was created through redistricting, a process that takes place every 10 years after the U.S. Census.
