The Ballot Brief
Copper River Census Area, Alaska

Alaska House District 29

4 candidates are tracked for Alaska House District 29 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Jessica I. Kusner-Kalarchik, Steve Menard, Gerald "Garret" Nelson and Kimberly Slone. Candidate information follows official Copper River Census Area election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Jessica I. Kusner-Kalarchik (Nonpartisan), Steve Menard (Republican), Gerald "Garret" Nelson (Republican), Kimberly Slone (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Alaska House District 29; Gerald "Garret" Nelson is the sitting member, per the Legislature's official member table (akleg.gov). Not on the November ballot: Rep. Rauscher, the sitting member for the district per the same table. The field advanced from the August 18, 2026 top-four open primary; the general election uses ranked-choice voting, and the party shown is each candidate's registration as printed by the Division of Elections.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Gerald "Garret" Nelson, is on the ballot.

Alaska › Copper River Census Area › Alaska House District 29

Jessica I. Kusner-Kalarchik

Nonpartisan

Top priorities
  • Supports building the North Slope gasline to bring gas to Southcentral Alaska with firm timelines and honest cost accounting
  • Wants a long-term state fiscal plan with a statutory dividend formula and an honest look at both spending cuts and revenue
  • Prioritizes Mat-Su Valley road, water and sewer infrastructure and expanding broadband to underserved areas

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Jessica Kusner-Kalarchik is a nonpartisan candidate for Alaska House District 29. She served 31 years in the U.S. Army, including deployments as a paratrooper, before recently retiring, and has a decade of experience as a registered nurse specializing in medical-surgical and operating-room care, according to her campaign site. She lives on rural property east of Palmer along the Glenn Highway.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Steve Menard

Republican

Top priorities
  • Protect the Permanent Fund Dividend and advocate for military veterans
  • Support senior citizens and small businesses in District 29

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Menard is a U.S. Marine veteran from a family with a history of service in the Alaska Legislature, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Gerald "Garret" Nelson

Gerald "Garret" Nelson

Republican Incumbent

Biography

Gerald "Garret" Nelson is a Republican candidate for Alaska House District 29. He was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to the seat after former Rep. George Rauscher was appointed to the Alaska Senate, and 2026 is his first election to the seat, according to Alaska Beacon. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Division of Elections' candidate list is the only verifiable source for Gerald "Garret" Nelson.

Kimberly Slone

Democratic

Top priorities
  • Supports safe staffing levels in hospitals
  • Wants to reduce Alaska's reliance on declining North Slope oil production to protect the state's fiscal stability
  • Backs constitutionally protecting the Permanent Fund Dividend; she says she started a petition toward that end

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Kimberly Slone is a Democratic candidate for Alaska House District 29 and a registered nurse with 16 years of healthcare experience in Alaska, according to her campaign site. She is an affiliate member of the Alaska Nurses Association and trained as a Climate Reality Leader under former Vice President Al Gore in 2018. She lives in Wasilla.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
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Questions about this race

Who is running for Alaska House District 29 in 2026?

4 candidates are tracked for Alaska House District 29 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Jessica I. Kusner-Kalarchik, Steve Menard, Gerald "Garret" Nelson and Kimberly Slone. Candidate information follows official Copper River Census Area election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Alaska House District 29 election in Alaska?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Alaska are on the Alaska election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Copper River Census Area ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Copper River Census Area and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Alaska election office, or see the full Copper River Census Area sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Copper River Census Area ballot

3 tracked races in Copper River Census Area, Alaska. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Alaska Senate District OSee all 3 Copper River Census Area races
Candidate profiles
Jessica I. Kusner-Kalarchik, full profileSteve Menard, full profileGerald "Garret" Nelson, full profileKimberly Slone, full profileOfficial Alaska election office