Is Governor Dunleavy headed to Washington D.C.?

For weeks leading up to the election of former and future President Donald Trump, rumors and speculation ran rampant that if Trump were to win, there could be a spot for Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Now, as President-elect Trump fills out his cabinet this week, those rumors have grown that the governor could be tapped to become a cabinet member, with most predicting he would be named Secretary of the Interior.

Governor Dunleavy is currently serving his second term, which will end in December 2026, but if he is offered a job within Trump’s administration, multiple sources report that the governor is open to taking a job with Trump.

Speculation ramped up on Tuesday when the Governor and Lt. Governor Nancy Dahlstrom canceled a scheduled Facebook Live announcement. No explanation has been given yet.

Meanwhile, the President-elect has called for a smoother path to congressional confirmations for his Cabinet, urging Republican Senate leadership on the social media platform X to consider recess appointments, pushing for a faster track for executive confirmations.

If Governor Dunleavy were to leave office, Lt. Gov. Dahlstrom would become governor, while Alaska’s Adjutant General, Torrence Saxe, the third in line for succession, would then become lieutenant governor, all in line with the state constitution. A special election would not be necessary unless Dahlstrom also leaves office.

Governor Dunleavy would not be the first Alaska leader to leave office to serve a president. In 1969, former Governor Wally Hickel left office to serve President Richard Nixon, also serving as Secretary of the Interior.