Dunleavy vetoes new limits on political donations

Veto sidesteps a problem with timing and a potential conflict with a ballot measure that Alaskans are already voting on

The Alaska State Capitol is seen on Thursday, July 9, 2026. (James Brooks / Alaska Beacon)

By James Brooks

Alaska Beacon

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have reimposed limits on the amount of money that individual people can donate to political candidates.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Alaska’s prior limits in 2021, and the Dunleavy administration declined to appeal the decision. Alaska has been without limits on political contributions since then.

At the time of the court decision, Dunleavy said he was opposed to campaign finance limits, and in a veto message Thursday, he expressly stated that he opposed capping the amount of money that someone can give a political candidate.

Counterintuitively, some proponents of limits on campaign cash said they were pleased with the governor’s veto of House Bill 16.

A ballot measure identical to the vetoed bill is slated for statewide vote in the Aug. 18 primary election. Ballots for that election have already been printed and are being sent this week to military voters overseas.

Under the Alaska Constitution, if lawmakers enact a substantially similar law to a ballot measure scheduled for a vote, the ballot measure vote is canceled.

“If the bill had passed, any votes for or against the measure would not have been counted,” said Stephen Kirch, a spokesman for the Alaska Division of Elections.

Now, the measure will go forward and those votes will be counted.

In addition, the governor’s veto fixes a problem with the start date of HB 16. As written, the bill would have taken effect after the 2026 election.

But under the Alaska Constitution, a bill automatically takes effect 90 days after enactment unless a supermajority of lawmakers vote for something different.

When HB 16 passed the House, opponents of the bill voted against the so-called “effective date” clause. As a result, had the bill become law, it would have taken effect in the middle of this fall’s elections, instead of after them.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission, which would have been in charge of implementing the new limits, held an emergency closed-door conference with its attorneys last month to discuss the problem.

“What was concerning was the dilemma that I think APOC and most importantly candidates would have been facing … in trying to implement it somewhere between the primary and the general elections,” said former Alaska Attorney General Bruce Botelho, a supporter of both HB 16 and the identical ballot measure.

Rep. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, sponsored both the ballot measure and HB 16. By text message, he said he was disappointed by the governor’s veto.

“Fortunately, the ultimate power in Alaska doesn’t rest in the governor’s office; it rests with the people. This issue will be on the ballot this August, and I look forward to Alaskans expressing their will at the polls,” he said.

Supporters of the campaign finance ballot measure are confident it will pass muster at the polls. In 2006, 73% of participating voters approved a prior measure; the limits that measure imposed were the ones canceled by the 9th Circuit in 2021. 

The Alaska Legislature attempted and failed to pass new limits in 2022 and 2024 before passing HB 16 on the last day of the 2026 regular session. 

If voters approve the new-limit ballot measure in August, individuals would be limited to giving $2,000 per donor per candidate in each two-year election cycle. 

For the governor’s race, where a lieutenant governor candidate and governor candidate run together on a single ticket, the limit would be $4,000. The limit for donations from one person to a political party or group would be $5,000.

If a group wants to donate to a candidate, the limit is $4,000 per candidate, or $8,000 for the governor’s race.

Those limits would be adjusted for inflation every 10 years.

In his veto message, Dunleavy said he believes the limits would give an advantage to wealthy candidates who can fund their own campaigns.

“It restricts ordinary political participation while leaving personal wealth as a preferred path to political influence. This bill, if it became law, would radically tilt in the favor of the wealthy when it comes to elected office,” the governor said of HB 16.

“Free speech and participation in elections should not depend on personal wealth. Alaska should not make it harder for citizens to support candidates while preserving a built-in advantage for those who can self-fund.”

By text, Schrage said limits are important for protecting the integrity of candidates and elected officials while fighting corruption.

“All Alaskans deserve a government that answers to them, not to well-funded special interests,” he said.

• James Brooks Cascade is a longtime Alaska reporter who lives in Juneau. He previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.