By Greg Sarber
Originally published in “Seward’s Folly,” the author’s personal Substack, August 10, 2026.
Over the weekend, a close friend asked me for help understanding the governor’s race. She had read the voter guide published by ADN but still didn’t know who to vote for. We spent half an hour on the phone, and afterwards, she said that the information was so helpful that I should write a blog post about it, so here it is, a very brief summary of the candidates running for governor from a conservative perspective. I hope it helps others trying to figure out the confusing jungle primary election.
I reminded my friend that, unlike the General Election in November, the primary election is not ranked-choice. She will only get one selection in the governor’s race, so she must pick the candidate that she thinks will best represent her views. I started by giving her a short blurb on each of the candidates, presented in the order they will appear on the primary election ballot, highlighting two candidates she might wish to vote for.
Meda DeWitt (NP) – Led the effort to recall Mike Dunleavy, so only Democrats will vote for her. Pass
Michael Loren Gilbert (R) – Former Costco product sample vendor, not a serious candidate. Pass
Matt Heilala (R) – A foot doctor who has never been elected to public office, and probably won’t be this year, no matter how conservative he claims to be. Pass
Shelly Hughes (R) – Right on most issues, but hit a bump in the road over the issue of paying a statutory PFD. Maybe
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D) – A liberal Democrat, so no vote from me. Plus, anyone who hyphenates his last name is automatically suspect. Pass
Henry Kroll (R) – Too lazy to fundraise even one dollar, so why should we care about him? Pass
Lesil McGuire (R) – Yikes! She was implicated in the 2007 legislative corruption scandal. Double Pass.
James W. JP4 Parkin (R) – A retired schoolteacher from a small town nobody can find on a map. Pass.
Destry Payne Sr. (U) – Has a couple of good ideas but is probably a better welder than administrator. Pass
Treg Taylor (R) – Had his chance and blew it. As Attorney General, he fumbled the issue of Grand Jury rights when he failed to challenge the SCO1993, making him unelectable. Hard pass.
Bill Walker (NP) – The original PFD thief, trying to fool us again. Won’t happen. Another Hard Pass.
Bernadette Wilson (R) – Might be the next Donald Trump or could be the next Kim Kardashian. Many unknowns remain about this candidate who claims to be conservative. Maybe
Tom Begich (D) – Has no accomplishments and is only running on his last name, made famous by other family members. He is an empty suit. Pass
Click Bishop (R) – Too cozy with Democrats when he was in the legislature. Pass
Dave Bronson (R) – A Tough guy who will fight the legislature, but questions remain from his time as Anchorage’s mayor about whether he can govern. Maybe
Adam Crum (R) – One of the first candidates to call SCO1993 unconstitutional, and popular on the lower Kenai Peninsula, but questions remain about his previous roles in state government. Maybe
Edna DeVries (R) – A solid conservative and excellent person, but Shelly Hughes is her twin and closest competition. Maybe
After going through the list, there are five Republicans who are viable candidates for governor: Shelly Hughes, Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson, Adam Crum, and Edna DeVries. The election polling is telling us that Wilson and Bronson are the two Republicans who poll the highest. However, I suggested my friend consider voting for one of these two ladies from the valley: Edna DeVries or Shelly Hughes.
Edna DeVries – DeVries is a knowledgeable and experienced conservative. She is currently the mayor of the Mat-Su borough and has also served as a state Senator. I interviewed DeVries, and she was on the right side of every conservative issue. DeVries has an honest manner of speaking. If she makes it to the general election ballot and participates in a debate with the other three gubernatorial candidates, she will be very well received by the voters. One important point people should know about Mayor DeVries is that she took an early interest in the SCO1993 Grand Jury problem before it became a campaign issue. She is committed to defending the Alaska Constitution, which impressed me. DeVries’ support for this issue should appeal to voters in the Kenai/Soldotna area who have been fighting a long battle to defend Grand Jury rights. DeVries deserves serious consideration by conservatives.
Shelly Hughes (R) – Up until late June, Hughes was the leading candidate on my short list, but she made a huge campaign blunder by saying she agreed with the legislature that it was not possible to pay a full statutory PFD. Other than the PFD, Hughes is on the right side of every other conservative issue. Most importantly, if elected, Hughes has said that she would fight the unconstitutional Supreme Court Order SCO1993. I recently heard Hughes when she gave a pre-recorded message to a conservative group in Homer one week ago. Hughes is a good candidate with a strong conservative message. She might surprise some people in the primary.
Any of the five Republican candidates would make a good governor. In the end, my friend, just like every other conservative, needs to vote for the conservative candidate that they feel would best represent them, and solve the difficult challenges facing our state.
Greg Sarber is a lifelong Alaskan. He is a petroleum engineer who spent his career working on Alaska’s North Slope. Now retired, he lives with his family in Homer, Alaska. Greg formerly served as a board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska.
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