Alaska presents the Republican Party with both a challenge and an opportunity. Nearly 60% of Alaska voters are undeclared or nonpartisan, the highest share in the nation. If we want to grow as a party and govern effectively, we must understand how Alaska voters actually make decisions, while holding firm to our core conservative principles.
The Alaska Republican Party is a grassroots organization, built from the bottom up and meant to reflect the American ideal of a party led by the people and accountable to the people. It is not, and should never become, a command-and-control operation where a small group dictates what legislators or districts are allowed to think or do. Its purpose is straightforward: elect conservatives. Doing that requires respecting the political realities of each district, whether solidly red, clearly blue, or somewhere in between, and supporting candidates who can win where they live while advancing conservative policy.
The numbers make this unavoidable. Based on the most recent data from late 2025, Republicans make up roughly one quarter of Alaska’s registered voters. Democrats account for about 12%. Nearly 60% are undeclared or nonpartisan. That is the electorate we are working with. Candidates who rely solely on partisan loyalty or ideological purity will not succeed. Winning requires earning trust beyond the base, especially among voters who may be skeptical of party politics but are open to conservative ideas on energy development, personal freedom and fiscal responsibility.
When politics becomes driven by urgency, fear, and absolute purity, people stop thinking for themselves. That kind of politics benefits activists and power brokers, not voters or communities.
Those voters are not the same everywhere in the state. Many rural and Mat-Su districts have strong conservative majorities focused on resource development, personal freedoms and limited government. Other areas, particularly urban and coastal districts, are more mixed. Voters there may support energy jobs and budget restraint while also valuing stability, subsistence rights, or a less confrontational style of politics. Ignoring these differences, or attempting to impose a single statewide strategy, undermines our ability to compete and win.
This is where Positive Conservatism matters. Our platform is not up for negotiation. Republicans believe in protecting life from conception, defending the Second Amendment, limiting the size and reach of government, balancing budgets, supporting Alaska’s resource economy and responsibly managing Permanent Fund earnings. Those principles are foundational. How we advance them matters. When internal disagreements turn into public shaming, personal attacks or ideological purity tests, the party grows weaker, not stronger.
Alaska’s large nonpartisan electorate is not hostile to conservative ideas. Many already lean conservative on issues such as energy independence, gun rights, personal responsibility, and living within our means. What turns them away is not our values, but how politics is practiced. Voters are wary of national-style outrage politics that demand emotional loyalty, discourage independent thought and treat disagreement as moral failure. That approach may generate attention, but it does not build trust, and it does not work in a state like Alaska.
When politics becomes driven by urgency, fear, and absolute purity, people stop thinking for themselves. That kind of politics benefits activists and power brokers, not voters or communities. Alaska voters, particularly independents and undeclared voters, value judgment, restraint and straight talk. They respond to leaders who can explain their reasoning, acknowledge tradeoffs, and focus on solving real problems rather than fueling constant conflict.
Positive Conservatism offers a better path forward.
When the pursuit of ideological purity becomes the goal, real results are sacrificed.
First, empower local districts. Precincts and district committees know their voters best. In solidly conservative areas, the party should fully support candidates who advance core principles. In competitive districts, it should back pragmatic conservatives who can build durable working relationships around shared priorities such as jobs, infrastructure and cost of living, while steadily moving policy in a conservative direction. The role of the state party is to equip, train and support candidates, not micromanage legislators.
Second, lead with solutions and results. Voters want to see what conservative governance actually delivers. The party must support legislators who focus on energy projects that create jobs, infrastructure that lowers costs and produces positive returns, education reforms that put families first and responsible budgeting that protects dividends without raising taxes. Tangible results matter more than slogans, memes, or bumper stickers.
Third, rebuild trust through competence and honesty. Alaska voters are tired of political grandstanding. They respond to clear explanations, realistic plans and steady leadership. When government falls short, conservatives should offer workable reforms that move toward smaller, more effective government without unnecessary disruption.
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Fourth, expand the base without surrendering principles. Districts’ and clubs’ outreach should be welcoming and focused on issues that matter to local communities. Discussions around energy, public safety, education, and cost of living bring in voters who may never attend a partisan rally but care deeply about Alaska’s future. Disagreement should be met with persuasion, not condemnation.
Finally, Republicans must focus on progress rather than perfection. In a divided State Legislature and in a state with mixed political values, meaningful change comes incrementally. Protecting gun rights, supporting small businesses, reducing regulatory burdens and strengthening local control are achieved step-by-step. When the pursuit of ideological purity becomes the goal, real results are sacrificed. Demanding immediate or sweeping reform, and return to purity, is not a path to lasting change. Reluctant conservative voters notice and reward steady, effective leadership that delivers progress over time.
If Republicans in Alaska embrace this bottom-up, positive conservatism, we can grow beyond our narrow base and become a governing majority again. Accountability matters, but it should come through informed debate, voter engagement, and elections, not public humiliation or internal warfare.
The goal is not to win arguments inside the party, but to win elections and advance conservative principles for Alaska’s future.
The views expressed here are those of the author.
17 Comments
if you reward legislators who don’t stand for conservative principles then you are only incentivizing dishonesty and cowardice . Electing a republican who votes with the dems is no better than electing the dem themselves. You will know them by the fruit on their tree, primarily their vote. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t reward bad behaviour.
“……. You will know them by the fruit on their tree, primarily their vote………”
Indeed. My problem are those who run as Republicans and who openly violate the party platform plank on abortion. That seems to be the issue that busts the RINOs, at least in Alaska. Down south, the 2nd Amendment is another. The party ought to enforce its platform among those elected under the party designation.
I would settle for GOP representatives who actually had, you know, conservative principles and stood for them. This turncoat crap once they reach the legislature gets damned old.
A couple of things come to mind.
1. What is the “reward” you are speaking of? I doubt most legislatore consider winning their election a reward. Rather most of them are motivated to be a servant of their voters. Frankly it is a horrible job that no one in their right mind would consider a reward.
2. If you read the article you would know that each district has different and varied ideas of the “levels” of conservatism they agree with. A politician is elected to serve those constituents, which may or may not be you.
3. I am not sure how you can call following what the majority of a disctrict wants to be dishonesty or cowardice unless you actually reside in that district and know what that districts values are.
4. What you call bad behavior might actually be good behavior for the voters in that district, which is why that legislator keeps getting sent back. It is not a reward, and it is not just done to piss you off. If you want to change the legislator, you need to change the culutre of his or her district. So when are YOU gonna go walk doors and attend meetings in those districts where legislators have not followed your interpretation of the AKGOP conservative principles?
In this context, “reward” means you give them your vote.
You stated that Republicans believe in protecting life from conception, defending the Second Amendment, limiting the size and reach of government, balancing budgets, supporting Alaska’s resource economy, and responsibly managing Permanent Fund earnings. These are core conservative principles that resonate deeply with Alaskans who value freedom, fiscal responsibility, and our state’s unique way of life. Yet, if these ideals truly guide your decisions, how can you justify voting for measures that dramatically expand government’s role in energy policy and perpetuate the debunked climate control agenda? Such actions not only contradict our shared values but also burden hardworking Alaskans with unnecessary regulations, higher costs, and threats to our economic independence. You mentioned, “What they fail to grasp is that HB50 was going to pass. It had to pass to move the gasline forward.” I fully appreciate the pragmatic realities of politics and the need for progress on critical infrastructure like the gasline, which could bring jobs and revenue to our communities. However, this mindset overlooks a fundamental opportunity: preventing such coercive tactics from taking root in the first place. Imagine a stronger, more unified Republican Party—one that exercises true command and control over its resources and endorsements. In that scenario, RINOs who betray conservative principles by caucusing with the left would receive zero party funding or support to cling to their seats. We’d reclaim the leverage needed to halt these harmful compromises outright, safeguarding our economy and principles without capitulation. Ultimately, I’d far rather see you halt misguided projects altogether than hand easy victories to the left—victories that erode our freedoms, inflate government overreach, and inflict real pain on Alaskan families. Let’s stand firm for the values we both profess and build a party that delivers results, not regrets. What steps will you take to make this a reality?
Thomas. Perhaps you could point to the data that supports this statement? “…burden hardworking Alaskans with unnecessary regulations, higher costs, and threats to our economic independence. You mentioned,”
Maccabe, be a man already and stop hiding behind your keyboard! Call Thomas Lovings and allow him and his audience to question you on your swamp filled thinking!!
ARE YOU AFRAID OF BEING EXPOSED?
Maccabe needs to sit down and shut up! Better to read Zach gottschalks article “cowardice is not leadership “! He describes maccabe to a T!
I’ll be staying an Independent, I need to see checks and balances before I ever vote Republican again.
McCabe and Yundt must be sharing GPT accounts. They present two versions of the same leftist crap: ‘as a legislator, let me tell you how I should legislate.’
The grassroots are, by nature, disruptive to the establishment and its standards. And when a politician violates those standards, it’s the grassroots – NOT the politician – who decides if, when, and how to hold the politician accountable.
This article is unbelievably tone deaf, as McCabe is one of the most abusive politicians – to the Republican Party, to Republican legislators (ethics and APOC attacks), and even his own constituents (Republican viruses).
He did make one good point: district 30 is a solid red/Republican district, and he should experience every bit of confrontation the grassroots and multiple primary challengers can muster against him.
We are looking for honesty and good character traits in our legislators. They need to be working for the “common good.” Unfortunately we elect dishonest legislators , the turncoats” who rode into an election win on our president’s coattails. They made their traitorous move for personal benefit or to benefit the unions who may “own” them. They do not realize what it means to work “for the people.” Their interpretation of their role is reversed and they go into office expecting to spend state money on pet projects instead of balancing the budget and working with the governor. All of the legislators should have moved our capital to the mainland for all of us.
As Ronald Reagan said- “I did not leave the republican party, the republican party left me”. I am one of the 60% that switched affiliation to “undecided”. You ask us to re-join, but that will not fix the problems. As Nick Freitas said when asked about fixing the education system- “When the education system is filled with communists, there is no fixing it, burn it down and rebuild”.
First thing that elected Republicans in Alaska need to do is stop being Democrats.
You have chosen this public office and with it come criticism when you are two-faced sir! Get over it. How dare you lecture us when most, not all of them, of you legislators/politicians blatantly lie to our faces. We see through your bravo Sierra and are not going to take it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!
If a candidate wants to be an independent he or she should publicly say so. The reason Rino candidates chose the Republican label is that they are running in districts that they wouldn’t have a chance otherwise. Statewide the GOP does very well in number of registered voters with a two to one lead over the Democrat registrations. Basically it’s a matter of honesty.
A lot of comments here of republicans *completely* missing the point. “How dare republicans ever work with democrats” (for when a functioning government is just too radical a concept for you lmao), “(this issue) defines all conservatives” (no issue defines republicans as a whole including abortion) waaaah.
How bout y’all ask the liberals how purity tests have been working for them? How the idea that democrats are a monolith has been working out over on that side of the aisle? Spoiler alert since a lot of you don’t get it: it doesn’t. It hasn’t. They’ve been winning reactionary elections, not winning based on being a purity test monolith. Only a quarter of the state is registered republican because republicans are playing the exact same game that democrats are. Y’all really aren’t different at all. Why would anyone register as democrat lite at this point?