Anchorage — Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom late Friday overturned a four-day-old move that had removed former Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor from the November gubernatorial ballot, announcing she will certify his candidacy despite earlier findings that he had not completed a required financial disclosure.
Certification reversed after independent review
Dahlstrom, a Republican who oversees Alaska’s elections, said in a statement issued after 10 p.m. that she would reinstate Taylor and certify him for the general election. The decision also restored Republican legislative candidate Jose Tagle, who had been disqualified after submitting a blank financial disclosure and failing to correct it within the allowable timeframe.
The lieutenant governor’s office said the Alaska Department of Law, which Taylor oversaw until about a year ago, conducted an "independent review" of candidates’ financial statements and identified "numerous potential discrepancies between filed statements and public records." The department did not release the findings publicly.
In explaining her reversal, Dahlstrom said she was troubled by the reliability of recommendations that led to the initial disqualifications. She said certification decisions must rest on a process that can be applied uniformly across candidates.
"The Department of Law’s informal review has raised questions about the recommendations made on August 31," Dahlstrom wrote. "I will not withhold certification from two candidates on recommendations that, in light of this additional information, I cannot apply with confidence across the field of candidates. Certification decisions have to rest on a process that can be defended as to every candidate."
Immediate consequences in the campaign
Dahlstrom’s initial decision earlier this week to decline certification prompted swift campaign shifts. Taylor’s running mate, businesswoman Candi English, moved to replace him on the ballot and designated Taylor’s wife, Jodi Taylor, as her new running mate. With Taylor’s reinstatement, the campaign would need to determine whether other filings or substitutions remain in effect.
The Alaska Public Offices Commission first found last year that Taylor had not filed a required disclosure. The lieutenant governor’s office statement referenced that earlier finding but said the Department of Law’s informal review raised additional concerns about the process that produced the August 31 recommendations.
Unanswered questions and procedural issues
Officials did not make the Department of Law’s review public, and Dahlstrom did not provide documentation showing how the new findings undercut the earlier recommendation to deny certification. That lack of public documentation may leave legal and political observers, as well as opposing campaigns, with unresolved questions about how the reinstatements were reached.
Election certification is an administrative act with direct consequences for ballot access. Dahlstrom’s move underscores how internal reviews and interagency assessments can alter outcomes in close procedural contests leading up to the general election.
Timeline of key events
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Earlier (last year) | Alaska Public Offices Commission found Taylor had not disclosed required financial information. |
| Aug. 31 | Recommendations were made that led to disqualifications (per Dahlstrom’s statement). |
| Monday (this week) | Dahlstrom initially declined to certify Taylor; Candi English named Jodi Taylor as running mate. |
| Friday night | Dahlstrom reversed course and reinstated Taylor and Jose Tagle after an independent Department of Law review. |
What this means for voters and campaigns
The reinstatement returns a prominent Republican contender to the ballot and may complicate campaign planning in the final months before the general election. Candidates and parties typically must finalize ballots, coordinate absentee and early voting materials, and resolve any legal challenges well in advance of Election Day.
For voters, the episode highlights ongoing questions about compliance with financial disclosure laws and the administrative processes that determine ballot access. The lieutenant governor’s declaration that she could not confidently apply the prior recommendations across the board suggests Dahlstrom weighed the risk of uneven enforcement.
Next steps
- The lieutenant governor’s office may be asked to release the Department of Law review or additional documentation supporting the reversal.
- Opposing campaigns or the Alaska Public Offices Commission could pursue legal or administrative challenges if they believe the certification process was flawed.
- Voters and the media will be watching for clarifications about candidate filings and any remaining procedural changes before ballots are finalized.
As the November election approaches, the interplay among administrative reviews, campaign filings and public scrutiny is likely to remain a key factor in Alaska’s gubernatorial race.
