Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill Thursday that would have reimposed limits on campaign contributions in state elections, ensuring an August vote on a similar ballot measure will go forward.
The veto means that for now, donors can continue to give an unlimited amount of money to candidates for governor, the state Legislature and more. A federal appeals court ruled in 2021 that Alaska’s $500-a-year cap on individual donations to candidates was unconstitutionally low.
The bill would have capped donations to each candidate at $2,000 per election cycle. Political parties and other groups could contribute up to $4,000 to a candidate each election cycle. Donations to gubernatorial tickets would be capped at $4,000 for individuals and $8,000 for groups. Those amounts would be adjusted for inflation once a decade.
The bill aimed to reduce the influence of wealthy donors. Too often, rich contributors have a better chance to push for their priorities with legislators and other elected officials simply because they cut a large check to their campaign, House Bill 16 sponsor Rep. Calvin Schrage, an Anchorage independent, said in an interview.
“What House Bill 16 was about was ensuring that we fight corruption, or even the appearance of corruption, in our elections, and help restore some of the faith that voters have in their elected officials and in their government,” Schrage said.
It passed the Senate 12-8 and passed the House 21-19 in the closing days of this year’s regular legislative session.
Dunleavy says bill doesn't do enough to limit self-funding
In his veto message, Dunleavy said the bill didn’t go far enough to limit rich candidates from funding their own campaigns.
“Free speech and participation in elections should not depend on personal wealth,” Dunleavy wrote. “Alaska should not make it harder for citizens to support candidates while preserving a built-in advantage for those who can self-fund.”
As of the latest public report in February, most of the top fundraisers in the gubernatorial race had contributed thousands or tens of thousands to their own campaigns. Podiatrist Matt Helilala had put nearly $1.3 million towards his own race as of the February report.
Previously, in a 2022 interview with the Anchorage Daily News, Dunleavy said his “tendency is to just let people do what they want in campaign finance law, as long as it’s disclosed and it’s accurate.”
Schrage said the bill wouldn’t have addressed every campaign finance issue but argued it would have been a step in the right direction.
The veto was no surprise, Schrage said. That’s in part because House Republicans who opposed the bill voted to make the new limits take effect within the 2026 election cycle. One told the Alaska Beacon he was hoping to give the governor a reason to veto the bill.
Veto means August vote on ballot measure will proceed
Alaskans will have a chance to vote on a very similar measure in the August primary. Ballot Measure 1 would impose identical limits, and Schrage, one of its primary sponsors, said he hopes Alaskans come out to support it.
“I'm confident that voters at the end of the day will step up and re-express their desire to have these strong limits in place in Alaska,” Schrage said.
In 2006, Alaskans voted by a 3-to-1 margin to impose the $500 limit the court later threw out.
Because the bill was substantially similar to the ballot measure, the August vote would have been canceled if Dunleavy had allowed the bill to pass into law.
Primary election day is August 18.
