FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senator Hughes Announces Resignation from Alaska Senate, Launches Full-Time Campaign
“Under my leadership, we will unlock Alaska’s potential – responsibly and boldly. My vision is not a series of one-liners, of rhetoric. My vision is an action plan. We will do this, Alaska!”
November 13, 2025
ANCHORAGE – AK This morning, Senator Shelley Hughes of Palmer announced she will resign from the Alaska Senate effective tomorrow at 5 p.m., to focus full-time on her candidacy for Governor of Alaska.
“After much prayer, reflection, and many conversations with my family and team, I am dedicating myself fully to serving Alaskans in a new way,” Hughes said. “This moment is born of purpose and conviction. Alaska stands at a turning point, and we must choose whether to let opportunity slip away and a downward spiral begin, or to step boldly into the future, into our destiny – a stronger, a greater Alaska for all of us and for generations to come.”
Hughes, who has lived in Alaska since 1976 and has called communities from Hoonah to Bethel and Fort Yukon to Fairbanks, Seward, and now Palmer home, spoke powerfully about the state’s resilience, potential, and promise, underscoring that her campaign will focus on moving Alaska from “decades of stagnation to generations of growth.”
“As your Governor, we will unlock Alaska’s potential, responsibly and boldly,” Hughes stated. “We will return Alaskan lands to Alaskan hands, achieve affordable energy, build the infrastructure to power our future, empower responsible development of our natural resources, elevate wildlife management, tackle head-on our declining fish, unleash the wealth around us and beneath our feet, and—importantly—unlock the wealth within Alaskans themselves.”
Hughes highlighted that Alaska currently has a rare opportunity with a federal administration friendly to Alaska’s interests. “This window won’t stay open long,” she said. “On day one, I’ll work to advance long-delayed projects, press for and secure solutions to long-standing obstacles. I don’t need on-the-job training. I know the issues, I know the players, and I have a record of keeping my word.”
Following her speech, Hughes introduced her Alaska-grown campaign team, her incredibly capable “A-Team”. The Alaskans for Hughes Campaign Manager is Gerad Godfrey, who brings decades of statewide leadership, public service, and expertise from the Alaska Native community. Samantha Correia is the Deputy Campaign Manager and a seasoned strategist with a background in national security, advocacy, and campaigns. The campaign team is also deploying regional directors across Alaska. So far, Hughes has named Nikki Rose and Ofelia Morse as Anchorage Co-Regional Directors, Tom Dients for Southeast/Juneau, and Eleilia Preston covering the Mat-Su, with Kodiak and the interior still in the works. Hughes also has a large policy team made up of experts in various fields, meeting frequently, and a deep bench of volunteers who are working on three upcoming fundraisers. The Campaign Chair of Alaskans for Hughes is Michael Rose, who offers myriad legal and campaign experience and successes.
Unlike other campaigns, Hughes pointed out, “We’re not relying on people who’ve never set foot in Alaska, national consultants, DC insiders, and Wall Street. Our team is made up of real—and very smart and competent—Alaskans. We are ready to rock and roll.”
Media Contact:
Samantha Correia
Deputy Campaign Manager
907-229-8860
