Anchorage podiatrist is 6th Republican to enter Alaska governor's race

Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News on Jul 14, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Matt Heilala, an Anchorage podiatrist who serves on the state medical board, is the sixth Republican to enter Alaska's 2026 governor's race.

Current Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is termed out from seeking reelection.

Other Republicans already in the race include Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, former state Sen. Click Bishop, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, Anchorage business owner Bernadette Wilson, and James Parkin of Angoon.

No registered Democrat has entered the race.

Dunleavy appointed Heilala — a foot and ankle surgeon — to the Alaska Medical Board in 2021. There, he took a leading role in asking Alaska lawmakers to limit gender-affirming care for minors.

Heilala has never held public office, but he is a frequent donor to Republican candidates and causes. He contributed more than $13,000 to Dunleavy's 2022 reelection campaign. He has also contributed thousands of dollars to the recent campaigns of Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Earlier this year, he gave $1,000 toward an ongoing effort to repeal Alaska's open primaries and ranked choice voting system.

In a media release Friday, Heilala wrote he is "fed up with the current extreme partisanship in politics."

"Elected officials can respect differing opinions, build trust, and find common ground without abandoning principles," he wrote.