Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

Alaska House District 40

2 candidates are tracked for Alaska House District 40 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Saima Chase and Robyn Niayuq Burke Frier. Candidate information follows official Northwest Arctic Borough election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Saima Chase (Democratic), Robyn Niayuq Burke Frier (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Alaska House District 40; Robyn Niayuq Burke Frier is the sitting member, per the Legislature's official member table (akleg.gov). Not on the November ballot: Rep. Burke, 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, Robyn Niayuq Burke Frier, is on the ballot.

Alaska › Northwest Arctic Borough › Alaska House District 40

Saima Chase

Democratic

Top priorities

Support responsible development with tribal and village consultation
Improve public safety, fire response and search and rescue in small villages
Address school funding shortfalls affecting classrooms

Per the statement filed for the Alaska Division of Elections' 2026 Official Election Pamphlet.

Biography

Saima Chase, a registered Democrat from Kotzebue, works as a tribal emergency manager and currently serves as mayor of the City of Kotzebue, per the statement filed for the Alaska Division of Elections' 2026 Official Election Pamphlet. She previously served as fire chief and as a search and rescue coordinator for the Northwest Arctic Borough, per the same statement. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.

Robyn Niayuq Burke Frier

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities

Resource development balanced with respect for the knowledge and culture of North Slope residents
A statutory increase to the base student allocation to stabilize school funding
State funding to match federal dollars for water, sewer, school and airport infrastructure

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Frier is from Utqiagvik and comes from the Akpik and Piquk families, per the campaign site. She served four years on the North Slope Borough School District Board of Education, including two years as board president, and has served on the Association of Alaska School Boards, Voice of the Arctic Inupiaq and Ilisagvik College boards, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Alaska House District 40 in 2026?

When is the Alaska House District 40 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 Northwest Arctic 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 Northwest Arctic Borough and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Northwest Arctic Borough ballot

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Candidate profiles

Saima Chase, full profile Robyn Niayuq Burke Frier, full profile Official Alaska election office