“I think you have a chance for one of the strongest coalitions in a very long time,” - Andrew Halcro, a former state legislator, moderate Republican and political commentator
The first leaves begin to take their fall colors on the trees in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)
By James Brooks
Final results from Alaska’s August primary election indicate existing coalition majorities in the state House and Senate are likely to continue after November’s general election and could even grow.
James C. “Jim” McDermott is running for Alaska’s U.S. House seat in the 2026 election. (Division of Elections photo)
By James Brooks
Jim McDermott, a Libertarian, became an unlikely figure in Alaska’s U.S. House race after four different candidates — three Democrats and a Republican — quit the contest, which put the eighth-place candidate into the last spot in Alaska’s top-four general election.
Elementary school kids go through the lunch line. Cuts to the nation’s largest food assistance program may cause students to lose access to free breakfast and lunch. (Photo by Marcus Constantino for West Virginia Watch)
By Kevin Hardy, Stateline
Cuts to the nation’s largest food assistance program will likely spill over into schools, causing students to lose access to free breakfast and lunch.
More than 1 million American children have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, following a recent federal law.
A demonstrator holds a sign protesting the proposed AKLNG gasline project outside the Alaska State Capitol, as lawmakers prepare to vote on a tax cut bill on July 16, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
COMMENTARY
By Larry Persily
President Donald Trump has a lot of irresponsible ideas: Igniting a trade war with Canada because I figure he never liked hockey; declaring that Lake Ontario should forevermore be called Lake America because it’s easier to spell; and taking much of Venezuela’s oil because no one can stop him and he loves the idea of the U.S. government owning shares in private businesses.
But rather than criticize the guy, the president’s actions give me an idea: The state needs to go full Trump if it is ever going to get a North Slope gas pipeline project built.
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