Mike Dunleavy (politician)

Michael James Dunleavy (born May 5, 1961) is an American educator and politician serving since 2018 as the 12th governor of Alaska. A Republican, he was a member of the Alaska Senate from 2013 to 2018. He defeated former U.S. senator Mark Begich in the 2018 gubernatorial election after incumbent governor Bill Walker dropped out of the race. He was reelected in 2022.

Early life, education, and teaching career
Dunleavy was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Scranton Central High School in 1979, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at Misericordia University in 1983. In 1983, he moved to Alaska and his first job was at a logging camp in Southeast Alaska. Later, Dunleavy earned his master's degree in education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He spent nearly two decades in northwest Arctic communities working as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. Dunleavy's wife, Rose, is from the Kobuk River Valley community of Noorvik. They have three children, who were raised in both rural and urban Alaska. In 2004, Dunleavy and his family moved to Wasilla, where he owned an educational consulting firm and worked on a number of statewide educational projects. Before his election to the Alaska Senate, Dunleavy served on the board of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, including two years as its president.

State legislative career
Dunleavy defeated incumbent state senator Linda Menard (redistricted from District G) in the District D August 28, 2012, Republican primary with 2,802 votes (57.42%). He was unopposed in the November 6 general election and won with 11,724 votes (94.24%) against write-in candidates.

Dunleavy held various committee positions during his first term. He served as chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, co-chair of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) Throughput Special Committee, vice-chair of the Senate Education Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and a member of the Legislative Council.

In 2014, Dunleavy ran unopposed in the Republican primary election on August 19. He defeated Democratic nominee Warren Keogh in the November general election with 64.65% of the vote.

During his second term, Dunleavy was chair of the Senate Education Committee and a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Federal Overreach.

Dunleavy introduced multiple bills and resolutions to expand and enhance public charter schools, correspondence study programs, tax credits for educational contributions, and a constitutional amendment for the use of public education. He was successful with legislation in his second term, establishing Alaska's parental bill of rights.

In 2013, Dunleavy sponsored legislation to create Alaska's correspondence school allotment program (SB100). This program allowed parents of students enrolled in correspondence (homeschool) programs to use state education funds, called "allotments", for educational materials and services from public, private, or religious organizations. The legislation was passed in 2014 via an omnibus education package, HB278. Dunleavy's initiative aimed to increase educational flexibility for families, enabling them to tailor their children's education to better meet individual needs.

2018
In 2017, Dunleavy announced he would run for governor in 2018 but abandoned the race in September 2017, citing heart problems. In December 2017 he announced his return to the race. He resigned his senate seat effective January 15, 2018, to focus on his campaign. Retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel Mike Shower was chosen as his successor by Governor Bill Walker and confirmed by the Alaska Senate caucus after numerous replacement candidates were rejected.

2022
In August 2021, Dunleavy announced his candidacy for reelection in 2022. He was reelected with 50.3% of the vote, becoming the first incumbent Republican governor of Alaska to be reelected since Jay Hammond in 1978 and the first Alaska governor of any political affiliation to be reelected since Tony Knowles in 1998.

Tenure


Dunleavy and Kevin Meyer were the Republican nominees for governor and lieutenant governor of Alaska, respectively, and were elected in the November 2018 general election. Dunleavy was sworn in on December 3, 2018. He appointed Kevin Clarkson to be Alaska attorney general.

Earthquake
A massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Southcentral Alaska on November 30, three days before Dunleavy took office, causing significant damage throughout the region. Within hours, he and his team assessed the situation at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) alongside the outgoing administration of Governor Bill Walker. On December 31, Dunleavy returned to the State Emergency Operations Center to personally thank the SEOC staff for their service.

On January 3, 2019, Dunleavy requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for federal assistance to Alaska. He thanked President Donald Trump for approving the request for disaster assistance on January 31. Dunleavy sponsored the Disaster Relief Act of 2019 during the legislative session to assist with response, recovery, and relief efforts after the earthquake. The bill passed the legislature and was signed into law on April 5, 2019. Dunleavy said: "This bill is going to be very important for Alaska – Southcentral Alaska – to make sure we get our bridges and roads up to speed. As springtime continues to uncover potential infrastructure issues, this relief money is going to help tremendously."

Wildfires
In August 2019, Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration as a result of multiple wildfires in Alaska. 2.6 million acres burned that summer. "This declaration frees up financial assistance to help the victims of these devastating fires begin to rebuild their lives as quickly as possible", he said.

Budget
On June 28, 2019, Dunleavy exercised line-item veto authority as governor to make cuts of $433 million, including a cut of $130 million (41%) of state contributions to the University of Alaska.

Also on June 28, 2019, Dunleavy vetoed $335,000 from the budget of the Alaska Supreme Court, stating that he did so because the Court had held that the state was constitutionally required to provide public funding for elective abortions.

In September 2020, Dunleavy agreed to reimburse the state $2,800 for allegedly partisan advertisements that were paid for with state funds. Dunleavy did not admit to wrongdoing, but stated that it was in the best interest of the state to resolve the allegations.

On September 6, 2022, a complaint was filed against Dunleavy alleging that his campaign was paying staffers with state funds.

In 2023, one of Dunleavy's advisors, Jeremy Cubas, resigned after inflammatory statements he made on his podcast became common knowledge.

Job approval
A 2021 Morning Consult poll listed Dunleavy among the top 16 most popular governors in the United States.

In 2023, a Morning Consult poll showed Dunleavy as the fifth-most popular governor, with a job approval rating of 63%.

Recall attempt
On July 15, 2019, an effort to recall Dunleavy began after a public backlash over his cuts to public assistance, education and the University of Alaska ($135 million cut to state funding, about a 41% reduction). It was the second recall petition against a governor in Alaska history, the first being the failed petition against Governor Wally Hickel. Had the recall election been successful, Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer would have become governor.

To have the petition certified by the Division of Elections, the petitioners were first required to submit 28,501 signatures (approximately 10% of the voting population in Alaska's last general election). On September 5, 2019, volunteers submitted 49,006 petition signatures. On November 4, 2019, the Division of Elections declined to certify the recall petition after the Alaska attorney general Kevin Clarkson, a Dunleavy appointee, issued a legal opinion. Clarkson acknowledged that the petitioners had submitted enough signatures and paid the necessary fees, but asserted that "the four allegations against the governor 'fail to meet any of the listed grounds for recall—neglect of duty, incompetence, or lack of fitness'". The petitioners said they would appeal the division's decision.

In January 2020, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth rejected the division's decision not to certify the recall petition. The state appealed Aarseth's ruling to the Alaska Supreme Court, which on May 8 affirmed that the recall effort could proceed.

The "Recall Dunleavy" effort failed to submit enough signatures to trigger a recall election in November 2020 or in 2021. Dunleavy won a second term as governor in November 2022 as part of the usual electoral process, making him the first governor to be reelected since Tony Knowles in 1998, and the first Republican governor to be reelected since Jay Hammond in 1978.

Alaska Reads Act
In 2020, Dunleavy announced a bipartisan initiative called the Alaska Reads Act, which "focused on enhancing interventions for struggling readers and offering targeted school-improvement in the state's lowest performing schools". The Alaska Reads Act aimed to improve reading for kindergarten through third-grade students with a reading intervention program, teacher training, and data reporting requirements. Dunleavy worked with State Senator Tom Begich to introduce the bill. The Alaska Legislature passed the Alaska Reads Act in May 2022. Implementation of the program began in 2023. Program outcomes in 2024 showed improvement. At the beginning of the school year, 41% of students reached early literacy benchmarks. By the end of the year, this figure increased to 57%. Among kindergartners, the proficiency rate rose from 24% at the start of the year to 60% by the year's end. Dunleavy issued the statement, "I'm encouraged by the improvements Alaska's students are already experiencing because of the Alaska Reads Act, as these results are beginning to show, when we implement effective education reform, Alaska's students are capable of success."

COVID-19
On March 11, 2020, Dunleavy's office declared a state of emergency to ensure all entities had the necessary response resources a day before the first case arrived via a foreign national in Anchorage. Two days later, Dunleavy ordered public schools to close from March 16 to 30. That April, Dunleavy activated the State Emergency Operations Center under Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Joint Task Force-Alaska was stood up to provide a coordinated effort for the Alaska Army and Air National Guard, the Alaska State Defense Force, and the Alaska Naval Militia to support the state.

On May 19, Dunleavy announced the lifting of all state mandates for businesses and public gatherings, keeping only a mandatory (but unenforced) quarantine period for persons coming from out of state. A month later, Dunleavy announced a new extension of the two-week quarantine measure that required visitors to Alaska to present a negative test for the virus if they were not willing to self-quarantine for two weeks.

In April 2021, Dunleavy announced that Alaska would offer free vaccinations to tourists at major airports starting June 1, as part of the United States' vaccination campaign. That October, Dunleavy refused to issue another COVID-19 disaster declaration, thinking it unnecessary. "Exercising the Disaster Act does not give our team any more health tools than what they need and are using right now", he said, adding, "Masking is, as I have stated, a local issue best left to local leaders." Dunleavy later clarified that he didn't endorse mask or vaccine mandates but wouldn't ban them either. The next month, he ordered state agencies to ignore federal vaccine mandates, arguing that they were "unconstitutional" and "completely unnecessary" and claiming that Alaska had handled COVID better than nearly every other state.

Abortion
Dunleavy opposes abortion. In July 2019, he vetoed $334,700 for the state to pay for abortions from the court system's budget. The Dunleavy administration wrote, "The legislative and executive branch are opposed to state-funded elective abortions; the only branch of government that insists on state-funded elective abortions is the Supreme Court." A year later, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Jennifer S. Henderson ruled that Dunleavy's vetoes in 2019 and 2020 were unconstitutional and violated the separation of powers doctrine: "In spite of this Court's faith that the Alaska judiciary remains independent and committed to its essential function of deciding cases according to the rule of law, the Court must unfortunately conclude that in vetoing funds appropriated to the State appellate courts in express retaliation against the Alaska Supreme Court for its legal decision-making, the Governor violated the separation of powers doctrine."

Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend
As a candidate and governor, Dunleavy advocated for the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD), consistently pushing for full statutory payments to Alaskans. The Alaska Permanent Fund is a state-owned investment fund established in 1976 to invest surplus revenue from Alaska's oil and gas reserves. The PFD is an annual payout from the fund's earnings to eligible Alaska residents. During Governor Bill Walker's administration, the payments were reduced through the legislative budget process. A fundamental change in how the payouts were conducted resulted in smaller checks.

In 2019, Dunleavy introduced bills to restore the dividends and repay Alaskans for the previous reduced payments, saying, "The PFD must be paid out according to the law, Alaskans must be paid back what the governor arbitrarily took from them, and future actions involving the PFD must be approved by voters." In 2020, he submitted a budget amendment to the legislature to fully fund the 2019 dividend.

Dunleavy also submitted bills to establish a PFD Land Voucher program to allow Alaska residents to receive land vouchers worth twice the value of a dividend for purchasing state land. This initiative aimed to promote land ownership among residents and enhance state revenue.

Despite legislative resistance, Dunleavy continued to advocate higher dividends. In 2021, he proposed an amendment to the Alaska Constitution to guarantee the dividend's payment by using a formula. By 2022, with oil revenues rising to unexpected levels, a $3,700 PFD was proposed to give immediate economic relief to Alaskans facing high inflation and fuel costs. Revenue forecasts suggested that the state could afford significant PFD payments while maintaining budget surpluses and savings.

Environment
Dunleavy rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. In February 2019, he abolished Alaska's climate change task force, a team instated by Bill Walker, calling it unnecessary.

In September 2019, during a meeting at the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds with Mark Gordon, Dunleavy said that warming the Arctic could be good for Alaska, believing that it could create further business opportunities. In October 2019, Dunleavy clashed with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter over the Green New Deal proposal, saying that the Green New Deal would impact our civilization as we know it.

Energy and natural resources
In September 2020, Dunleavy expressed support for renewable energy ideas: "I know there's a view on the part of some that a Republican governor that is supportive of Alaska's resource extraction industries, including those around fossil fuels, would not want anything to do with renewables" and "It makes total sense to explore pumped hydro, using wind as a main source of energy and the reservoir as the batteries."

In February 2022, Dunleavy denounced the Biden administration's request for suspension of the Ambler Road Project: "The Biden Administration has opened yet another front in its war on Alaska. You would think President Biden would want to improve access to American sources of copper and other strategic minerals that are needed in our combined efforts to increase renewables. Instead, actions like this only serve to push development to Third World nations that don't have the environmental ethic that Alaskans have. This pendulum swing away from the last federal administration's approval disregards extensive environmental studies and widespread social engagement while creating instability in long-term investment."

Dunleavy has encouraged the United States Environmental Protection Agency to approve the permit for Pebble Mine, which other Alaska politicians oppose because it would threaten the fishery of Bristol Bay.

Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference
In May 2022, Dunleavy sponsored the first annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage. Over 80 speakers, including policymakers and experts, discussed strategies to harness Alaska's renewable energy resources and achieve energy independence. Over 500 people attended. On the conference's first day, Dunleavy signed into law a nuclear microreactor bill intended to create low-cost, reliable power for communities, remote villages, and resource development projects, and reduce reliance on volatile energy sources.

Carbon offset markets
In 2023, Dunleavy introduced a legislative package to diversify Alaska's revenue through carbon markets alongside existing oil and gas revenues and the Alaska Permanent Fund. The legislation, signed into law on May 23, established rules for storing carbon dioxide underground and initiated a carbon offsets program. This initiative aimed to complement existing industries, not replace them.

"This bill specifically creates new authorities for State agencies to license, lease, and administer the State's pore space for geological storage; administer pipeline infrastructure for transportation of captured carbon to geological storage facilities and administer injection wells and carbon storage facilities; and protect correlative rights of all subsurface owners."

Unlocking Alaska Initiative
Dunleavy's administration took several initiatives to assert state control over federal lands and waters. These efforts aimed to reduce federal overreach and increase Alaska's autonomy in managing its natural resources. In March 2021, Dunleavy announced the "Unlocking Alaska" initiative to assert state control over approximately 800,000 miles of Alaska's navigable rivers, lakes, and tidelands. This move aimed to end decades of federal obstruction and delay in recognizing Alaska's ownership of these waters, and to enforce state rights promised under the Alaska Statehood Act. The initiative was inspired by the Supreme Court decision Sturgeon v. Frost, which affirmed Alaska's authority over its navigable waters within federal conservation units. Dunleavy emphasized reducing federal interference and enhancing state management for economic use and recreational access. He took legal and administrative actions, including a lawsuit against the federal government, issuing trespass notices, and sending cease-and-desist letters to federal agencies such as the Forest Service and the National Park Service.

Dunleavy's "Unlocking Alaska" initiative was boosted when the Interior Board of Land Appeals upheld Alaska's ownership of 7,552 acres of submerged lands under the Kuskokwim River. This decision validated the state's long-standing claims under the Equal Footing Doctrine and the Submerged Lands Act. The state had initially applied for a recordable disclaimer of interest, which the Bureau of Land Management denied. The appeal's success supported further actions by Alaska to assert land rights and challenge federal overreach. "The essential legal principles supporting Alaska's win in this case are the same ones underlying my 'Unlocking Alaska' Initiative", Dunleavy said. "While it's taken nearly six years, the Interior Department has acknowledged that the U.S. Constitution and federal law make it clear Alaska owns submerged lands in Alaska."

Repeal of SB91 and other initiatives
Dunleavy's campaign platform focused on repealing and replacing Senate Bill 91 (SB91), a comprehensive criminal justice reform act signed into law by Governor Bill Walker on July 11, 2016. SB91 implemented recommendations from a 2015 Alaska Criminal Justice Commission report to reform Alaska's parole and pretrial systems, generally lowering criminal punishments for nonviolent offenses. But the implementation of SB91 coincided with a spike in crime, leading to concern and anger among many Alaskans. This rise in crime was largely attributed to the reforms SB91 introduced.

In January 2019, Dunleavy announced that he would repeal and replace SB91 and declare "war on criminals" by proposing four bills that would increase criminal penalties for sexual offenses; reverse a range of reductions to sentences; add a new category of crime called terroristic threatening; increase bail and give judges more discretion in how people charged with crimes are released before trials; and reduce the use of parole. He said, "If you are a criminal, this is the beginning of the end for your activities", and "If you're going to assault people—if you're going to engage in sexual assaults, physical assaults—this is going to be a very unsafe place for you. We're not going to tolerate it at all." One of these bills, House Bill 49 (HB49), passed the legislature and repealed many reforms made in 2016. On Twitter, Dunleavy posted, "Public safety has been priority # 1 for my admin, I'm pleased the House has passed legislation to repeal the failed SB91 & replace it with common sense crime laws that will give police, judges, & prosecutors the tools they need to address the crime wave in Alaska." He signed HB49 into law on July 8, 2019.

Sexual assault rape kits
In 2021, Dunleavy's administration announced that thousands of unprocessed sexual assault kits had been cleared. In 2016, it was discovered that there was a significant backlog of SAR kits. Dunleavy said, "We've put in place internal steps to prevent this kind of backlog from ever happening again and added resources to the State crime lab to ensure every kit is tested within 90 days or sooner." His initiative included the use of software and a tracking database to allow survivors and agencies involved in sexual assault response to track the status and location of sexual assault examination kits.

George Floyd
In May 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Dunleavy called the act "horrific" and thanked Alaskans for their peaceful protests. "People absolutely have the right to protest: This is America", Dunleavy said. "What occurred in Minneapolis when Mr. Floyd was killed in that police action, we all know is terrible." But Dunleavy expressed concern that the protests in Alaska could spread COVID-19, noting that any events that combine people being in close proximity with singing and shouting can spread the virus. He emphasized advice from state officials that people at gatherings wear face masks or stay at least 6 to 10 feet away from others.

Immigration
In May 2022, Dunleavy expressed opposition to the termination of Title 42 by the Center for Disease Control: "The Termination Order is detrimental to the states tasked with enforcing immigration standards, and it is not logically appropriate" and "This policy runs contrary to the Biden Administration's other declarations because it is expressly premised on the decrease of COVID-19, but the Administration has ignored these facts by enforcing mandatory vaccination and mask mandates."

Voting rights
In January 2022, Dunleavy called on legislators to "improve election integrity" by prohibiting automatic voter registration, tracking absentee balloting, requiring signature verification, and implementing voter roll maintenance, saying, "We just want to make sure that as we move forward in Alaska that our concerns, our worries, are taken care of."