Walker leads early fundraising for Alaska governor’s race

Former Gov. Bill Walker has raised more money than any other candidate in this year’s Alaska governor’s race over the past five months but is heading toward the Aug. 16 primary election with less cash in his campaign war chest than Republican candidate and incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Walker, an independent, raised $831,896 between Feb. 2 and July 15, according to new filings with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, and reported $751,299 in cash on hand as of July 15.

Dunleavy reported raising $761,669 between Feb. 2 and July 15, while Democratic candidate Les Gara reported raising $484,385.

Dunleavy’s campaign said it had $768,263 in cash on hand after accounting for debts and expenses, the most of any governor candidate, while Gara’s campaign said it had $655,876.

All three men are seeking to be among the top four finishers in the upcoming primary. Ten people are running for governor this year, and the four candidates who receive the most votes will advance to the November general election.

Voters will be asked to pick one candidate in August and then will rank the four finalists in order of preference in November.

Charlie Pierce, the Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor running for governor as a Republican, reported raising $64,193, while Christopher Kurka, a Republican state legislator from Wasilla, reported raising $12,423. No other candidate reported raising more than $3,000.

Campaign contributions are an indicator of a candidate’s support, but they are not directly correlated with victory. In 2020, independent U.S. Senate candidate Al Gross raised more money than incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan but lost the general election by more than 12 points.

Some political observers suggest the number of contributions, rather than the amount, may be a better indicator of success.

APOC records show Gara had the most individual contributions and the most from within Alaska, followed by Dunleavy and Walker, in order.

All three of the biggest candidates benefited from the elimination of Alaska’s limits on political donations.

Gara’s campaign received $16,500 from Robin Brena, the Anchorage attorney who brought the legal case that erased Alaska’s limits.

Dunleavy received $200,000 from his brother Francis and $100,000 from Bob Penney. Both were major backers of Dunleavy’s 2018 run for governor.

Walker received three $100,000 donations from contributors outside Alaska. One was attributed to CNN journalist Jason Carroll, another to Kathy Murdoch of New York City and the third to Greg Orman, an independent former politician in Kansas.

Orman unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate and governor in Kansas as an independent.

In the 2018 Alaska governor’s race, third-party groups spent millions of dollars. Campaign finance disclosures between Feb. 2 and July 15 do not show large donations or spending by third-party groups in this year’s race.

The Republican Governors Association previously donated $3 million to support Dunleavy’s re-election campaign, but that money has not yet been spent.