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Republican

Matt Heilala

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Republican

Matt Heilala

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Alaska Governor winner? (Person)

$183.1K

NOV 7, 2026

General Election

Voters choose the office holder.

12 more

Overview

Current rolePodiatrist (DPM)

PartyRepublican

Political ideologyConservative Republican

GenderMale

LocationAlaska

BackgroundPodiatrist (DPM)

EducationArizona State University (W. P. Carey School of Business) — Executive MBA (2019–2021)

Notable personal detailsMatt Andrew Heilala is a Republican candidate for governor of Alaska in the 2026 election cycle. He is a podiatrist (DPM) based in Anchorage and has served as a member/appointee of the Alaska State Medical Board since 2021. Heilala has described being born in Anchorage in 1969 and being raised on the Kenai Peninsula, with early experience in Alaska commercial fishing.

SourcesShow

aws.state.ak.us matt4governor.com ktoo.org kmxt.org en.wikipedia.org linkedin.com matsuregional.com alaskabeacon.com elections.alaska.gov alaskawatchman.com mustreadalaska.com meetings.muni.org thealaskacurrent.com multistate.us kucb.org legislation.ballotpedia.org commerce.alaska.gov bhfs.com reddit.com akleg.gov unalaska.gov adn.com apnews.com advocate.com alaskapublic.org alaskagop.net mat4governor.com arcamax.com rwjf.org signalhire.com urban.org congress.gov erininthemorning.com mediamatters.org knba.org alaskalandmine.com predictionedge.com instagram.com ballotready.org fec.gov nga.org docquery.fec.gov govinfo.gov nass.org

Positions

LiberalConservative

Healthcare

Supports restricting certain medical treatments for minors and has promoted disciplinary action against providers who deliver gender-affirming care to youth; no broad agenda for government-run universal coverage appears on his campaign materials.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

The candidate has advocated for restricting abortion protections in Alaska and supported official Medical Board language characterizing late-term abortions as unethical and urging legislative changes to align state law with community values. He has publicly pushed for reducing the scope of abortion access while serving on the Alaska State Medical Board.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 15, 2026

Matt Heilala is in the news because Alaska election officials ruled him ineligible for the August primary ballot in the U.S. Senate race. The decision can still be appealed, and officials said the challenge involved concerns that his candidacy could confuse voters because he shares a name and party affiliation with Sen. Dan Sullivan. Earlier reporting also noted that Heilala had not yet selected a running mate for Alaska’s 2026 governor race, which candidates need to qualify for the primary ballot.

aws.state.ak.us+43

Articles

TBThe Boston Globe1 month ago