Trump's Alaska Rally Takeaways as He Backs Bernadette Wilson For Governor
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. President Donald Trump traveled to Alaska on Tuesday to shore up Republican Senator Dan Sullivan’s reelection bid, making a rare campaign stop as Republicans seek to retain control of Congress. Just hours before arriving in Anchorage, Trump threw his support behind Bernadette Wilson in the state’s crowded gubernatorial race.
“Now is the time for all Republicans to unite behind Bernadette,” Trump said during the rally.
Trump called Wilson a “fantastic choice” to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy. Wilson finished as the top Republican in Alaska’s August primary, but three Republicans remain in the race for governor, potentially splitting the party’s support in the general election. She faces fellow Republicans Treg Taylor and Dave Bronson, along with Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.
Related Story Alaska Could Elect Its First Democratic Governor in Decades Trump acknowledged the challenges posed by the divided Republican field.
“It’s tough. Think of it: You have three Republicans against one Democrat. That’s crazy,” he said, adding that the other two Republicans should have dropped out after Wilson’s primary showing.
Wilson thanked Trump in a post on X, saying she was “incredibly honored” to have his support and looked forward to working with his administration.
Trump also attacked Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, calling it a “phony rigged deal."
“So, Bernadette, good luck. It ain’t gonna be easy,” he said. “But I’m with you all the way.”
Alaska voters will decide in November whether to repeal the state’s open primary and ranked choice general election system. A similar repeal measure narrowly failed in 2024.
Trump’s visit was aimed at helping Sullivan secure a third Senate term as Republicans face a tough fight to maintain their majority in November. Sullivan is facing Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman.
Alaska has long favored Republicans in statewide elections. Democrats have not won a Senate race in the state since 2008 or the governorship since 1998.
But rising gas prices and persistent inflation could create an opening for Democrats in November. Peltola has highlighted the cost of living during her campaign, including posting about gas prices as she travels around the state.
Trump repeatedly emphasized that Sullivan was the “real Dan Sullivan,” distinguishing the incumbent from another candidate with the same name on the ballot.
Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, is also running for the Senate seat. Trump alleged that Democrats had put him forward to confuse voters.
Before Trump took the stage, the incumbent Sullivan criticized Peltola's energy policies.
"Democrats like Mary Peltola would rather import oil and gas from Mexico than drill it in Alaska," Sullivan wrote on X. "What're we gonna do? Keep the Senate and build the line."
Newsweek reached out to Peltola’s campaign for comment via email Tuesday night.
Videos showed a packed arena, while Sullivan said about 10,000 people were watching outside on a Jumbotron. The number of attendees inside the venue was not immediately clear. Videos taken before the event showed large crowds gathering outside the center in chilly temperatures.
Trump acknowledged the long journey to Alaska, telling the crowd there was no chance he would cancel the visit. He called Alaska a "special place" and pointed to his family connection to the state through his grandfather.
"You think I'd ever cancel? I don't cancel for Alaska," Trump said.
Before Trump spoke, Dunleavy called him "probably the best friend…ever in the history of the state."
During his nearly 90-minute speech, Trump signed unconditional pardons for Alaska business owners Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming. White House aide Natalie Harp brought the documents onstage.
The men co-owned Arm Rippin Toys, an Anchorage vehicle repair shop, and pleaded guilty in 2022 to Clean Air Act violations involving tampering with equipment used to monitor diesel vehicle emissions.
Trump criticized their prosecution, telling the crowd: "They want to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine."
Czubak thanked Trump, while Fleming used his remarks to urge voters to reelect Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich.
Trump promoted the proposed Alaska LNG project, which would transport natural gas through an approximately 800-mile pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope. The project completed its federal permitting process in December 2025, though construction has not begun.
Trump said Taiwan had agreed to buy 30 percent of the project’s gas output for 20 years and invest more than $4 billion in the project. Taiwanese officials had not immediately confirmed the latest announcement.
He also highlighted a proposed $162 million investment in high-speed internet access across Alaska. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said the agency would vote on the proposal later in October.
Carr said the agency was committed to working toward “getting every single person in Alaska connected to high-speed internet.”
A protester disrupted Trump's remarks and was escorted out as some members of the crowd booed.
Trump mocked the protester afterward, saying: "Now he has the displeasure of going home to his mother and father, who both voted for me, by the way."
Alaska's general election is November 3, with early voting beginning October 19. Voters will decide the gubernatorial race and congressional contests as Republicans seek to retain control of Congress.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here . Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Anna Commander and Edward T. Cummins
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