Your Questions, Answered

  • The primary is not ranked choice. On August 18, 2026, all candidates from all parties appear on one ballot, and you simply vote for one candidate. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election in November, where ranked-choice voting is used.

    That's why your primary vote matters so much: with a crowded field — including 11 Republicans, 3 Democrats, and 3 independents in the governor's race — only the top four move on. If your preferred candidate doesn't make the cut in August, you won't have a chance to rank them in November. Voting in the primary is how you make sure the candidates you care about make it to the final race.

  • The governor of Alaska appoints every member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries, the Alaska Board of Game, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game commissioner. No active commercial harvesters currently sit on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and only one member of the Board of Fisheries lives in a coastal fishing community. That didn't happen by accident. It reflects years of appointment decisions made by a governor with little working knowledge of fisheries and no accountability to fishing communities at the ballot box. The governor doesn't manage fish directly, but the people the governor appoints do.

  • Three things matter most:

    1. Board of Fisheries appointments. The BOF sets the regulations that govern when, where, and how Alaskans fish. Every member is a gubernatorial appointee.

    2. NPFMC nominations. Alaska's governor nominates candidates to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the federal body that manages groundfish, crab, halibut, and salmon in federal waters. The Secretary of Commerce makes the final appointment, but the governor controls who goes on the list. 

    3. ADF&G commissioner. The commissioner sets the tone, priorities, and budget requests for the agency responsible for managing all of Alaska's fish and wildlife. The governor's choice of commissioner — their professional qualifications, experience, and values — shapes every decision the department makes.

  • No. Dock the Vote is explicitly nonpartisan. No candidate, regardless of party, should be elected without a working knowledge of Alaska's most iconic industry and one of our top economic drivers. Fisheries policy affects Democrats, Republicans, and independents equally. We're asking voters to evaluate candidates on fisheries literacy and commitment — not party label.

  • AMCC has done the leg work to create documents around the issues we face. Check them out here.

    At a minimum, ask:

    • What professional qualifications, experience, and values will you prioritize when appointing a commissioner for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game?

    • What factors will guide your appointments to the Alaska Board of Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council? 

    • Do you believe active commercial fishermen, subsistence users, and residents of coastal fishing communities should be represented on fisheries management bodies? 

    • Alaska's fisheries contribute significantly more to the state's general fund than is reinvested in their management and monitoring. Will you support increased funding for fisheries research, management, and enforcement? 

    • How will you ensure that fisheries management decisions are grounded in the best available science, particularly during periods of ecological change and uncertainty?

    If a candidate can't answer these questions, that's information.