Treg Taylor, left, and Candice English filed candidacy paperwork for governor and lieutenant governor respectively at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Anchorage on June 1. (Marc Lester / ADN)
The little-known running mate of former Attorney General Treg Taylor is set to run for governor in Alaska, after Taylor was disqualified from appearing on the ballot for failing to disclose the names of his tenants as required by law.
Republican Candi English, a wealthy Anchorage businesswoman and first-time candidate, picked Taylor’s wife Jodi as her running mate. But it’s not clear whether Jodi will be allowed to run since Jodi — just like her husband — did not disclose the full names of the tenants in the properties they own.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees Alaska elections, said Monday morning that Treg Taylor would not be allowed to run because his financial disclosure statement “did not substantially comply” with the law. But Dahlstrom has yet to rule on Jodi’s candidacy.
Jodi, who oversaw the couple’s real estate investments while her husband served as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s chief legal adviser, has never run for office.
Dahlstrom said the determination that Treg Taylor would not be allowed to run was “a difficult decision made under an extraordinarily tight timeline and in circumstances we have not faced before.”
Candice English, photographed at the Alaska Division of Elections office in Anchorage on June 1. (Marc Lester / ADN)
As of Monday evening, English was poised to run against a Democrat and two other Republicans.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state lawmaker, received 22.5% of the vote, making him the top vote-getter in the crowded primary, which drew 17 candidates, including 12 Republicans. The second-place finisher, fellow Democrat Tom Begich, withdrew from the race Friday after receiving 20.8% of the vote.
The Republican field is set to include Anchorage businesswoman Bernadette Wilson and former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, who said they would both remain in the race despite pressure from GOP leaders to consolidate.
Wilson and Bronson have similar campaign platforms and are both aligned with President Donald Trump, as is Treg Taylor.
English kept a low profile leading up to the primary, with no social media presence, and it was not immediately clear whether she held views that would set her apart from the other two Republicans in the race.
In response to requests for comment from Treg Taylor, Jodi Taylor and Candi English, Quincy Azimi-Tabrizi — the Taylors’ oldest daughter — provided a one-sentence statement from English by text message.
“We were given no time to act on this. We are here to make sure that California mega donors don’t control the future of Alaska,” the text message read.
Jodi Taylor speaks with a reporter in a room at the Inlet View Tower on Oct. 4, 2023. (Loren Holmes / ADN archive)
The statement appears to reference Kreiss-Tomkins’ campaign contributions. The majority of his campaign funding came from wealthy Lower 48 donors, though he has also touted the large number of Alaskans who have contributed to his campaign. Treg Taylor, meanwhile, was the biggest donor to his own campaign, having spent more than $600,000 on his campaign. English also gave the campaign more than $124,000.
If English is disqualified from running before the ballot is finalized, the next candidate in line could move up to the general election ballot.
The sixth-place finisher was Republican former Labor Commissioner Click Bishop, a moderate candidate who had support from unions across the state leading up the primary. However, Bishop and his running mate Greta Schuerch withdrew from the race Monday afternoon.
“In the spirit of Senator Ted Stevens, ‘To hell with politics, do what’s right for Alaska,’ Greta and I are hereby suspending our campaign,” Bishop said in a written statement. “From day one, this was always about Alaska and doing what we believe is right for our state. Alaskan voters will decide the best path forward in November.”
In seventh place was Republican Adam Crum, a former state revenue commissioner.
The multitude of Republicans set to appear on the November ballot could complicate GOP leaders’ efforts to rally behind a single candidate.
Alaska’s U.S. Rep. Nick Begich on Sunday endorsed Wilson, who received 10% of the vote, ahead of Bronson’s 8.1% and Taylor’s 7.3%. Wilson worked for Begich’s 2024 campaign, which paid her between $5,000 and $10,000 last year, according to her financial disclosure.
“My commitment throughout the process to the candidates was that I would back the first place Republican finisher,” Begich wrote in a social media post. “Bernadette Wilson finished as the leading Republican in the primary. Consistent with that commitment, I am endorsing Wilson for Governor. Now is the time for Republicans to come together.”
“While I believe other Republican candidates should rally behind Wilson to increase our chances of winning, I will rank any Republican who remains in the race on my ballot,” Begich added.
Alaska’s ranked choice voting system allows voters to indicate their preference for more than one candidate. If the top vote-getter failed to receive 50% of first-place votes, the winner is determined by ranked choice tabulation.
In 2022, Begich lost a U.S. House bid after he and former Gov. Sarah Palin, a fellow Republican, spent much of the election cycle attacking each other. Democrat Mary Peltola won. After that experience, the Alaska Republican Party pressured all of Begich’s Republican opponents in the 2024 race to drop out, clearing the way for Begich to win.