One week before the Alaska Primary election, candidate Shoshana Gungurstein has been exposed as probably a fake candidate, but one who is most certainly on the ballot for U.S. Senate, along with 18 others, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Gungurstein’s real name appears to be Shoshana Chagall, a Hollywood actress with a long list of credits in fantasy films.
Suspicions about Gungurstein, who is nonpartisan, had arisen over recent weeks in political circles. She had not applied for a Permanent Fund ever, and she was first registered to vote in Alaska in April of 2022.
Her address is at a bed and breakfast establishment in Juneau, and a post office box. Beyond that, she has no internet history as a Gungurstein. She has left no trace. Finally, an Alaska political blog took the plunge and called her out as a fake candidate.
Gungurstein has sponsored the Must Read Alaska Show for the past several weeks. Her ad appears on the Must Read Alaska home page and she paid promptly. Gungurstein was featured on the Must Read Alaska Show several weeks ago. She has yard signs in Juneau and a few in Anchorage. Gungurstein has been in parades, and last week attended at least one event in Anchorage, an instructional seminar on Ranked Choice Voting by Americans For Prosperity Alaska.
She voted as a Gungurstein, which means she had enough identification to get a voter registration card. As a candidate, she has amassed over $29,000 in contributions, mostly from out of state, but also over $16,000 loaned by herself to her campaign.
Anyone from any state can apply and run as a candidate in any federal race for any state. Vic Vickers of Florida ran in Alaska in 2008 against Sen. Ted Stevens. He had only moved to Alaska that year for the purpose of running for Senate. He quickly moved back to Florida.
Attempts to reach Gungurstein for comment were unsuccessful. Attempts to reach the Division of Elections to get more information about how Gungurstein ended up on the ballot were unsuccessful.
Read more about Shoshana Chagall at this link.
Visit her Federal Elections Commission financial statements here.
