Wasilla legislator announces run for Alaska governor

WASILLA, Alaska (KTUU) - A Republican legislator from Wasilla has joined the growing group of candidates running for Alaska governor in 2022.

Rep. Christopher Kurka (R-Wasilla) officially announced his candidacy in a video posted to social media on Monday. In it, he said he was reaching out to “all freedom-loving Alaskans.”

Kurka is serving his first term in the Alaska Legislature, having been elected in 2020. He is the former executive director of Alaska Right to Life.

“The dirty little secret of Juneau and Washington D.C. is that while most conservative officials talk tough about Republican ideals, very few have the intestinal fortitude, moral compass or even the intent to take the principle stand necessary to accomplish any real change,” Kurka said in his announcement video.

Kurka has filed a letter of intent to run in the state primary election, but is not yet officially registered with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy has registered with APOC as a gubernatorial candidate for 2022, as has former Gov. Bill Walker, running as an Independent. Anchorage Democrat Les Gara and Libertarian William Toien have also registered as candidates for the governor’s race, and Libertarian Roman Shevchuk has filed a letter of intent with APOC.

Under Alaska’s new ranked-choice voting system, all candidates will participate in the state primary election in August. The top four vote-getters will move on to the general election held in November, where the winner will be selected according to ranked-choice voting.

According to his campaign website, Kurka is running on a campaign that in part focuses on strong Second Amendment protections, anti-abortion legislation, election integrity and resisting “federal overreach.”

In a YouTube video posted Monday morning, former U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller gave Kurka his endorsement in the race for Alaska governor. He said this race needs a challenger.

“We’ve got to have somebody that’s fresh, we’ve got to have somebody that has integrity,” Miller said in the video. “We’re got to have somebody that’s not afraid to air everything in their past out, doesn’t have anything to hide. We need somebody that is willing to motivate the masses, the conservatives, the Libertarians, the independent-minded in the state.”

Gara, in a post to Twitter on Monday, welcomed Kurka to the race.

“We deserve a better Alaska with greater opportunity,” he wrote. “That means a fair share for our oil so we can have better schools, support children & elders, and fill 6,000 good-paying private & public sector jobs this Governor has left empty.”

Kurka did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Alaska’s News Source.

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