Alaska Gov. Dunleavy: No VP inquiry from Trump

Mike Dunleavy
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks on Sept. 11, 2023, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has not asked Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy to be his vice president, Dunleavy said Thursday.

Trump, after large victories in the Republican primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, is the presumptive GOP candidate, and there has been widespread speculation nationally about who he will pick as his vice-presidential candidate.

In a Saturday appearance on Fox News, Trump said he’s about 25% sure about one unnamed individual.

“The person that I think I like is a very good person, pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised,” Trump said.

In a Thursday speech to a joint meeting of the Alaska and Juneau chambers of commerce, Dunleavy noted his early support for Trump’s election to a second term and the fact that he met the former president nine times during his term in office.

“I’ve made no secret about who I think should get reelected,” Dunleavy told the chambers.

Asked after his speech whether he would be interested in becoming the vice-presidential candidate, Dunleavy said, “I’m focused on Alaska.”

“I’m interested in finishing off my term in Alaska,” Dunleavy said.

First elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, Dunleavy’s current term in office doesn’t expire until 2026.

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