Ten candidates are running in the nonpartisan general election for mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, on April 2, 2024. Four candidates lead in endorsements and local media attention: incumbent David Bronson, Suzanne LaFrance, Bill Popp, and Chris Tuck.
First elected in 2021, Bronson is running on his first-term record. Bronson says he opposed the Anchorage Assembly’s efforts to increase tax and spending rates and worked to reopen the city following the COVID-19 pandemic. Bronson says he has the “relentless commitment, vision, and a whole lot of heart” needed for the office.
LaFrance is a former member of the Anchorage Assembly who served as its chair during the first two years of Bronson’s term. LaFrance says she is running to “bring people together and get our future back on track.” LaFrance says her business experience and time on the assembly give her the necessary knowledge and skillset to turn Anchorage around.
Popp is a former president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, having spent 16 years in that role. Popp says he is running because Anchorage has become stagnant, mentioning economic and population growth, the state of public services, and the homeless population as areas of concern. Popp says he has “the connections to bring investment, new ideas, and a positive difference to our City.”
Tuck is a former state legislator who served as majority leader in the Alaska House’s bipartisan coalition after the 2020 elections. Tuck says he is running because Anchorage “is falling into disrepair, and I can no longer sit and let the dysfunction continue…Together we will rebuild Anchorage even better.” Tuck says his Anchorage 2027 plan is a roadmap for addressing the most pressing issues facing Anchorage in a single three-year mayoral term.
If no candidate wins more than 45% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 14 runoff.
Also running in the election are Darin Colbry, Breck Craig, Nick Danger, Dustin Darden, Jenny Di Grappa, and Phil Isley.
Although the election is nonpartisan, Bronson is a registered Republican, LaFrance is a registered nonpartisan, Popp did not declare his partisan affiliation in his candidate filing, and Tuck is a registered Democrat. The Alaska Republican Party endorsed Bronson and the Alaska Democratic Party endorsed both LaFrance and Tuck.
Currently, 63 mayors in the 100 largest cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 25 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, four are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two have unknown partisan affiliations.
