The Ballot Brief
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

Alaska House District 25

3 candidates are tracked for Alaska House District 25 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Michael Bowles, DeLena M. Johnson and Steven L. Merritt. Candidate information follows official Matanuska Susitna Borough election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Michael Bowles (Republican), DeLena M. Johnson (Republican), Steven L. Merritt (Nonpartisan) are on the November 3 ballot for Alaska House District 25; DeLena M. Johnson is the sitting member, per the Legislature's official member table (akleg.gov). 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, DeLena M. Johnson, is on the ballot.

Alaska › Matanuska Susitna Borough › Alaska House District 25

Michael Bowles

Republican

Top priorities
  • Pursue fiscal responsibility in government and lower taxes
  • Protect the full Permanent Fund Dividend and support natural resource development
  • Emphasize personal liberty, property rights and smaller government

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Bowles serves as the Mat-Su Borough District 1 Assemblyman and previously worked as an industrial hygienist for the State of Alaska and as an investigator for the Alaska Board of Pharmacy, per the campaign site. He is a U.S. Army veteran who left active duty in 2013 and co-founded a food truck business in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
DeLena M. Johnson

DeLena M. Johnson

Republican Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Fiscal conservatism and a healthy state budget
  • Optimizing state revenue from oil exploration

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Johnson is the owner of Ethos LLC, a property management firm, and a two-term former mayor of Palmer who served as president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors, per the campaign site. She was executive director of the Palmer Museum and Visitor Center from 2008 to 2010, is a University of Alaska graduate, and has represented the district in the State House since voters first sent her to Juneau in 2016, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Steven L. Merritt

Nonpartisan

Top priorities
  • Focus on education quality, public safety and housing affordability
  • Address health care access and energy costs for Mat-Su families

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Merritt is a self-employed graphic designer, writer and editor with 25 years of experience who has volunteered on several Mat-Su area nonprofit boards, per the campaign site. He raised three sons in the Mat-Su Valley and is running as an independent for Alaska House District 25, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Next on your ballotAlaska House District 26

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Alaska House District 25 in 2026?

3 candidates are tracked for Alaska House District 25 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Michael Bowles, DeLena M. Johnson and Steven L. Merritt. Candidate information follows official Matanuska Susitna Borough election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Alaska House District 25 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough 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 Matanuska-Susitna Borough and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Alaska election office, or see the full Matanuska Susitna Borough sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Matanuska-Susitna Borough ballot

14 tracked races in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot
Alaska House District 27Alaska House District 28Alaska House District 29See all 14 Matanuska-Susitna Borough races
Candidate profiles
Michael Bowles, full profileDeLena M. Johnson, full profileSteven L. Merritt, full profileOfficial Alaska election office