By Paul A Bauer Jr.
My op-ed for Alaskans is framed to inform, not inflame, and to connect national instability to practical decision-making in the 2026 gubernatorial election. My spirit is civic, sober, and grounded in Alaska’s governing realities.
Alaskans are practical people. We live far from Washington, D.C., yet we feel the consequences of national decisions are faster and harder than most states. Energy policy, federal land control, law enforcement, elections, and courts are not abstractions here, they shape whether our community’s function or fracture.
As the country enters one of the most polarized periods in modern history, it is reasonable to ask a difficult question: Is the United States at war with itself?
The honest answer is “no,” not in the sense of tanks, militias, or rival governments. But the country is experiencing an internal conflict marked by deep mistrust, ideological extremism, and competing views of whether the Constitution is something to be followed or something to be “corrected.”
That matters for Alaska, and it should matter when we vote in 2026.
Large numbers of Americans now believe institutions apply the law unevenly, elections are administered in ways that favor one side, speech is punished while disorder is excused, and Constitutional limits are obstacles rather than guardrails.
At the same time, radical ideological factions, particularly on the far left, have been tolerated, enabled, or defended by elements within one major political party. What matters is that millions of citizens believe the system no longer treats them equally.
History is clear: countries do not unravel because everyone is wrong, they unravel because trust collapses.
Why Alaska Is Not Immune
Some argue Alaska can ignore national turmoil. That is a mistake.
Alaska depends on Constitutional clarity between state and federal authority, Neutral enforcement of law and order, public trust in elections and courts, and leaders willing to confront, not accommodate ideological extremism. I expect that we will experience some outside activism occurring this spring 2026 in Alaska.
When other states normalize sanctuary policies, selective prosecution, or ideological governance, the effects spread. They weaken federalism, undermine public confidence, and invite disorder.
Alaska cannot afford that, not with our geography, our infrastructure challenges, our energy economy, or our reliance on public safety and resource development.
The 2026 Gubernatorial Election Is About More Than Personality
My belief is that this election should not be about charisma, slogans, or social media performance, but it should be about governance under pressure.
Alaskans should ask every gubernatorial candidate:
- Do you believe the Constitution limits government power, or merely guides it?
- Will you enforce the law evenly, even when it is unpopular?
- Do you view radical political movements as legitimate partners or as destabilizing forces?
- Will you defend Alaska’s sovereignty against federal overreach?
- Can you lead decisively when institutions are under stress?
This is not about left versus right. It is about constitutional stability versus ideological drift.
Alaska’s Historical Advantage and Responsibility
We, Alaska, are young by state standards. We were built by people who understood self-reliance, fairness, and rule-based cooperation. Our success has never come from ideological experiments. It has come from competence, restraint, and respect for law.
In times of national uncertainty, states either anchor stability, or import chaos. To my observable knowledge, there are forces from outside influencing our state, not just in the current blitz of political ads but with an influx of voters escaping sanctuary states that they destroyed. As they escape their sanctuary states, they inherently bring their politics.
Then there are the vulnerable low information and low-income voters that need to communicate about the truth of what is occurring and the best candidate to address it. Are you going to be part of the problem, or part of the solution?
The governor and lt. governor elected in 2026 will play a decisive role in which path Alaska takes.
A Final Thought
Civil conflict does not begin with violence. It begins when people stop believing the system protects them. Alaskans still have a choice.
In 2026, voting less on rhetoric, and more on character, constitutional loyalty, and governing ability. Alaska does not need a gubernatorial team of candidates with showmanship, incompetence through inexperience, or displaying personality niceties. It needs leadership that understands the stakes and is willing to act accordingly, even aggressively if necessary.
Our future depends on it.
Paul A. Bauer Jr. is an Anchorage-based civic leader, military veteran, former elected official, and public integrity consultant. His work focuses on constitutional governance, election integrity, public safety, energy and resource development, and institutional accountability. Bauer emphasizes competence over showmanship, character over celebrity, and results over rhetoric in Alaska’s public leadership.