Two Republican States, One Big Election Day: What's Happening in Alaska and Wyoming
Alaska and Wyoming are holding their 2026 primary elections on Tuesday, August 18. A primary is the first round of voting where each state narrows down the field of candidates before the final vote in November. Both states are reliably Republican, but the races on this ballot could change who holds power at the state and national levels (Al Jazeera).
Alaska's Unusual Voting System
Alaska's polls open at 7am local time (15:00 GMT) and close at 8pm local time (04:00 Wednesday GMT), with two time zones staggering poll closings. Unlike most states, Alaska does not hold separate Republican and Democratic primaries. Instead, all candidates appear on one single ballot, and the top four vote-getters advance to the general election in November. Voters approved this system in 2020 through a measure called Ballot Measure 2. Alaska's general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026 (Al Jazeera).
The Race for Alaska Governor
Seventeen candidates are running to replace Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a strongly pro-Trump Republican who cannot run again because of term limits (laws that limit how many times someone can hold an office). The Republican field includes Click Bishop, Shelley Hughes, Lesil McGuire, Dave Bronson, Adam Crum, Edna DeVries, Treg Taylor, and Bernadette Wilson. On the Democratic side, former state Senator Tom Begich and former state Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins are running. Former Governor Bill Walker is competing as an independent, meaning he is not tied to either major party (Al Jazeera).
The US Senate Race in Alaska
The US Senate race is drawing the most national attention. Sixteen candidates are running for Alaska's Senate seat. The two leading candidates are incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan (meaning he already holds the seat) and former Democratic Representative Mary Peltola, who represented Alaska in the US House from 2022 to 2025. Alaska has not sent a Democrat to the US Senate since 2008, making Peltola's campaign a notable test of whether the state is shifting politically. The Cook Political Report, a respected election analysis group, ranks Alaska's 2026 Senate race among the most competitive Senate contests in the country (Al Jazeera).
A poll conducted in March 2026 by Alaska Survey Research found Peltola ahead of Sullivan among Alaska primary voters, 46.4 percent to 40.9 percent. Peltola also polled ahead of Sullivan in a simulated general-election matchup. Complicating things further, two Republicans named Dan Sullivan appear on the primary ballot, which could split votes for the incumbent in a crowded field (Al Jazeera).
Outside groups have also entered the race. Super PACs (organizations that can spend unlimited money to support or oppose candidates, as long as they do not directly coordinate with the candidates) have spent more than $2 million trying to boost Alaska Senate candidates who are not considered serious contenders, according to Alaska Public Media. Under Alaska's top-four system, this tactic can change which candidates make it to the general election (Al Jazeera).
Wyoming's Primaries
Wyoming's primary features a large turnover of Republican leadership, with contests at the statehouse, governor's mansion, and US Capitol. The Republican candidates in Wyoming's 2026 primaries include Jill Edwards, Harriet Hageman, John Holtz, Samuel Mead, and Jimmy Skovgard, according to Ballotpedia. The Wyoming Secretary of State's 2026 primary election candidate roster also lists Hageman and Skovgard as Republican candidates. Wyoming's general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026 (Al Jazeera; Ballotpedia).
Why These Primaries Matter Beyond State Lines
These primaries arrive as part of a national August election cycle in which Alaska, California, Florida, and Wyoming all hosted contests that could affect the balance of power in the US Congress (WBAL-TV).
In Alaska, the combination of the top-four primary, ranked-choice general elections (where voters rank candidates by preference instead of choosing just one), and heavy outside spending creates a situation where candidates with little chance of winning can still affect the outcome. Imagine a narrow doorway that only four people can walk through: if outside money helps a weak candidate squeeze into one of those four spots, the entire general election looks different. The two Dan Sullivans on the same ballot show how this works in practice. If even a small number of voters confuse the two, the incumbent's vote total could drop in a race where every percentage point matters.
For Wyoming, having so many leadership positions open at the same time is unusual. When the governor's office, state legislature seats, and congressional seats all turn over in a single election cycle, it tests whether the Republican Party can organize effectively without the advantage of incumbents already in place. Hageman, who currently holds Wyoming's single House seat, faces Republican primary challengers, showing that even in strongly Republican areas, members of the same party still compete against each other.
The Alaska Division of Elections is publishing a Ballot Measure Pamphlet for the 2026 primary election, with the pamphlet mailed ahead of voting (Alaska Division of Elections). The Wyoming Secretary of State's Office announced the start of the 2026 election cycle on May 14, 2026, with the primary election scheduled for August 18 and candidates able to file in person or online (Wyoming Secretary of State).
Results from both states will determine which candidates advance to November 3 general elections that could influence the makeup of the US Senate and House, as well as gubernatorial and state-level leadership in two of the most reliably Republican states in the country.
