Hughes resigns from Alaska Senate, launches governor campaign

Sen. Shelley Hughes of Palmer announced resigned from the Alaska Senate effective Nov. 14 at 5 p.m., to focus full-time on her candidacy for Governor of Alaska.

“After much prayer, reflection, and many conversations with my family and team, I am dedicating myself fully to serving Alaskans in a new way,” Hughes said. “This moment is born of purpose and conviction. Alaska stands at a turning point, and we must choose whether to let opportunity slip away and a downward spiral begin, or to step boldly into the future, into our destiny – a stronger, a greater Alaska for all of us and for generations to come

The announcement does not a surprise as many have expected and anticipated her run for Governor. In July, Hughes, a Republican, announced her intent to run for governor.

A staunch conservative, Hughes has served in the Alaska Legislature for more than a decade and has been a member of the Senate since 2017, including a two-year turn as Senate majority leader. She has worked on a variety of issues during her tenure, putting an emphasis on energy, technology, education, and agriculture.

Hughes has called Alaska home since 1976, residing in communities from Hoonah to Bethel and Fort Yukon to Fairbanks, Seward, and now Palmer home.

During an event in Anchorage, Hughes praised the state’s resilience, potential, and promise, emphasizing that her campaign will focus on moving Alaska from “decades of stagnation to generations of growth.”

“As your Governor, we will unlock Alaska’s potential, responsibly and boldly,” Hughes stated. “We will return Alaskan lands to Alaskan hands, achieve affordable energy, build the infrastructure to power our future, empower responsible development of our natural resources, elevate wildlife management, tackle head-on our declining fish, unleash the wealth around us and beneath our feet, and—importantly—unlock the wealth within Alaskans themselves.”

Hughes said that Alaska currently has a rare opportunity with a federal administration that is friendly to Alaska’s interests. “This window won’t stay open long,” she said. “On day one, I’ll work to advance long-delayed projects, press for and secure solutions to long-standing obstacles. I don’t need on-the-job training. I know the issues, I know the players, and I have a record of keeping my word.”

Following her speech, Hughes introduced her Alaska-grown campaign team, dubbed the “A-Team”. The Alaskans for Hughes Campaign Manager is Gerad Godfrey, who brings decades of statewide leadership, public service, and expertise from the Alaska Native community. Deputy Campaign Manager is Samantha Correia, an experienced strategist with a background in national security, advocacy, and campaigns. Her campaign team is also deploying regional directors across Alaska. So far, Hughes has named Niki Rose and Ofelia Morse as Anchorage Co-Regional Directors, Tom Dients for Southeast/Juneau, and Eleilia Preston covering the Mat-Su, while Kodiak and the interior still in the works. The Campaign Chair of Alaskans for Hughes is Michael Rose, who offers myriad legal and campaign experience and successes.

“We’re not relying on people who’ve never set foot in Alaska, national consultants, DC insiders, and Wall Street. Our team is made up of real—and very smart and competent—Alaskans. We are ready to rock and roll.”

The campaign for Alaska’s next governor is quite robust, with 12 declared republican candidates—four from the Mat-Su Borough including Hughes, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, Adam Crum, and Palmer resident Bruce Walden.