Mat-Su mayor files to run as a Republican for Alaska governor
Jun. 12—Edna DeVries, mayor of the Mat-Su Borough, announced on Thursday that she is running as a Republican to be Alaska's next governor.
DeVries, 83, has been mayor of the Mat-Su since 2021. She moved to Palmer in 1969 and was mayor of the city for over five years. She served two years as a state senator in the 1980s.
In a Thursday interview, DeVries said there are many issues facing Alaska and that she wants to focus on "listening to people, transparency in government and limited government."
DeVries, a conservative, said that she feels "very strongly" about election integrity and touted a 2022 ban on voting machines in the Mat-Su borough.
She said that she supports following a statutory Permanent Fund dividend, and said Alaska needs to "rein in spending" to address its fiscal challenges.
"We need to live within our means. And I don't see the state doing that right now," she said.
DeVries said that she is a supporter of school choice. She was critical of a substantial education funding boost approved by the Legislature this year. She said that "we need to have some accountability."
DeVries on Thursday filed a letter of intent with the Division of Elections to run as governor next year. That is the first step in launching a campaign, allowing the candidate to raise and spend money. DeVries said filing that letter is "sort of a testing of the waters."
"Let's see what the response is out there, and get out and talk to the people to see if they see the same needs in our state as I do," she added.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, is in the penultimate year of his second term. The Alaska Constitution forbids governors from holding office for a third consecutive term.
Three other Republicans have filed letters of intent to run for governor in the November 2026 election: Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, former Fairbanks Sen. Click Bishop, and business owner Bernadette Wilson.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
34 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
What do Republicans think of Elon Musk? What a poll found after feud with Trump
In the wake of his public feud with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk's popularity with Republicans has waned slightly, according to new polling. In the latest AP-NORC survey, 26% of Republicans said they had a very favorable opinion of the billionaire businessman. By comparison, that figure stood at 38% in April, marking a 12-point decline over the course of two months. Overall, though, a majority of GOP respondents, 64%, said they had either a very or somewhat favorable view of Musk, which is only down 3 points from 67% in April. Meanwhile, Democrats expressed slightly less aversion to Musk. Sixty-five percent of Democrats said they have a very unfavorable view towards the South African-born SpaceX CEO. This is down from 74% in April, marking a 9-point shift. But, the overall share of Democrats who have either a very or somewhat unfavorable view has remained relatively steady — dropping just 2 points from 87% to 85%. And, among Americans generally, Musk's popularity, or lack thereof, has not changed much. Fifty-seven percent of all respondents have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of him, while 34% have a somewhat or very favorable view. In April, these figures stood at 57% and 32%, respectively. The latest poll — which sampled 1,158 U.S. adults June 5-9 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points — came one week after Musk and Trump had an explosive falling out. The rift, which played out publicly, appeared to end the high-profile partnership between the world's richest man with the world's most powerful man. It began on June 5, when, during a White House press event, Trump said he was 'very disappointed' with Musk over his opposition to the GOP-backed spending bill. He also claimed Musk — who formally left his position at the Department of Government Efficiency days earlier — may be suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.' In response, Musk posted a series of inflammatory messages on X directed at the president. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election,' he wrote, adding 'Such ingratitude.' He also claimed the president is named in the Epstein files — a series of documents related to investigations of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — and shared a post calling for Trump to be impeached. Musk later deleted the post, AP reported. Later, Trump accused Musk of having gone 'CRAZY' and told CNN 'I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem.' In recent days, Musk has taken a conciliatory approach. 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,' he wrote on X on June 11. 'They went too far.' That post came after a phone call between the two men on June 9, according to the New York Times.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump DOJ Veteran Aaron Reitz Announces Run For Texas AG
(Texas Scorecard) – Aaron Reitz, a former deputy attorney general under Ken Paxton and recent Trump administration appointee, announced his campaign for the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general. Reitz made the announcement Thursday, a day after resigning as assistant attorney general for legal policy under Pam Bondi in the Department of Justice. He previously served as Paxton's deputy attorney general for legal strategy and as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. 'We are in a fight for the soul of Texas, our nation, and Western civilization itself,' said Reitz in a campaign statement. 'This is no time for half-measures or untested cowards.' 'As Attorney General, I'll use every ounce of legal firepower to defend President Trump, crush the radical Left, advance the America and Texas First agenda, and look out for everyday Texans,' he added. Reitz said he would use the office to pursue policies aligned with President Donald Trump's agenda, including increased border security, mass deportations, opposition to progressive prosecutors, and efforts to uncover election fraud. He also pledged to target Big Tech, support law enforcement, and defend constitutional rights. 'I led the fight on virtually every major legal campaign that Texans care about,' said Reitz, referring to his time under Paxton. 'I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Paxton to challenge the 2020 election when others ran scared.' His campaign announcement included praise from Trump, who described Reitz as 'a true MAGA attorney' and 'a warrior for our Constitution.' Reitz becomes the latest Republican to announce a campaign for attorney general, joining State Sen. Mayes Middleton. The race comes as current Attorney General Ken Paxton is not seeking re-election and is instead running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. After Reitz resigned from his federal position yesterday, he was greeted with support from those in the Trump administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sen. Cornyn: Provision to reimburse Texas for border security included in ‘Big Beautiful Bill'
AUSTIN (KXAN) — U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) said his provision to reimburse Texas for money spent on border security was included in the Senate's One Big Beautiful Bill. RELATED | What issues to watch as 'big, beautiful bill' moves to the Senate The Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs recently released the legislative text for the bill. 'I was proud to lead this push in the Senate, and I look forward to voting for the One Big Beautiful Bill with this border security reimbursement for Texas included in the coming weeks,' Cornyn said. RELATED | Trump's 'beautiful' bill spans 1,116 pages. Here's what's inside it According to Cornyn's office, Texas had spent more than $11 billion of taxpayer dollars on Operation Lone Star for border security. 'This is a win for Governor Abbott and the Texas Republican congressional delegation, who I worked with closely to ensure this reimbursement was made a priority,' Cornyn said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
