The Alaska Republican Party is looking for qualified residents who wish to fill the recently vacated seat of Sen. Shelley Hughes (R-Palmer).

After a nearly 13-year run as a state lawmaker, Hughes resigned from the Alaska State Senate last week. First appointed to the Alaska State House in 2012 by then Gov. Sean Parnell, Hughes later served in the Senate from 2017 to 2025. She stepped down last week in order to focus on her run for governor.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy is required to fill her seat on or before Dec. 14, 2025. GOP Party Chairman Carmela Warfield is requesting qualified residents of District 25 and District 26 to apply before 5 p.m. on Nov. 20. The interview and selection process by legislative district committees 25 and 26 will take place at Band of Brothers Alaska (2050 N Merciful Cir, Wasilla) on Sunday, Nov. 23, at 4 p.m. Once completed, the Alaska Republican Party will send a list of their top three applicants to Gov. Dunleavy.

According to state law, when a vacancy occurs in the State Legislature, the governor has 30 days to appoint a qualified person to fill the seat. The appointee must be a member of the same political party as the predecessor. In this case that would be a registered Republican, or an independent or non-party candidate who still supports the GOP’s political goals.

Once appointed by the governor, the person must then be confirmed by the majority of Republicans in the legislature. If confirmed the person would serve out the remainder of Sen. Hughes’ term, which was set to expire in January 2026.

All applicants need to submit a completed Alaska Republican Party application, a financial disclosure, cover letter and resume. These must be emailed to admin@alaskagop.net, no later than November 20, at 5 p.m. Applications are available here.

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