With less than a month until the 2024 election, some Alaskans are already looking ahead to 2026.
On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom approved a ballot measure that would reimpose financial limits on political candidates and donors. The bill currently faces a statewide vote in 2026.
Bruce Botelho, a former Alaska attorney general and one of the ballot measure’s three main sponsors, said he wants to see faster action. If the Alaska Legislature passes a bill “substantially similar” to the ballot measure, it would be removed from the 2026 ballot.
“I think we will work to get Congress to enact language that is substantially the same as this initiative so that we don’t have to put it on the ballot in 2026,” he said.
It’s unclear whether that will happen. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has previously said he prefers no restrictions, and lawmakers are considering a substantially similar proposal drafted by Rep. Calvin Schrage (I-Anchorage), one of the co-sponsors of the ballot measure. He refuses to move forward with the bill.
“My hope is that the approved ballot measure will demonstrate some of the strong support for campaign finance reform that I’ve been talking about for a while, and hopefully it will provide further impetus for action in Congress. “I hope so.”
The measure received 29,823 signatures from registered voters in Alaska, exceeding the 26,705 needed to qualify, according to a letter Dahlstrom sent Thursday to the ballot measure’s sponsors. The measure also met the minimum standards required by law in at least 30 of the 40 state House districts.
If sponsors had waited until after this year’s election to collect signatures, the number of signatures needed to qualify would have been even higher. That’s because the minimum number of signatures is based on turnout in the most recent general election, and turnout in presidential elections is typically higher than in off-year elections.
If voters approve the measure in 2026, individuals would be able to donate up to $2,000 to candidates and $5,000 to political parties each election cycle. A joint ticket between the governor and lieutenant governor could potentially contribute up to $4,000.
Political parties may donate $4,000 to candidates and $5,000 to other parties or political groups. These limits will increase with inflation every 10 years starting in 2031.
These limits are based on legislation created by Schrage.
Alaska has had no campaign finance limits since 2021, when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the state’s previous limits as unconstitutional. Alaska declined to appeal the decision, and both the 2022 and 2024 elections were held without limits on the amount of money that individuals can give to candidates.
The Ninth Circuit’s decision suggested that a different, updated funding limit may be constitutional.
Alaska’s previous restrictions were imposed by a 2006 voting law that became law with support from 73% of participating voters.
Supporters of the new measure say they expect similar support for their proposal.
“In our experience, people, no matter where they are on the political spectrum, are plagued by the influence of unlimited money in candidates’ campaigns,” Botelho said.
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