Matthew “Bronco” Williams, an Anchorage-based private school teacher, has announced that he is running as an independent for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Williams, 28, has not held public office. He ran as a Democrat for the Mississippi state House in 2019 at the age of 21, and the U.S. House representing Mississippi in 2024. He recently moved to Anchorage, according to social media.
Williams is a mathematics and science teacher at Anchor Lutheran School, an Anchorage Christian school. His campaign website states that he studied theatre in Mississippi and education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Williams says he has published writing under the name “Bronco Williams.” His stated political priorities include “healing the economy,” providing a quality education and protecting the environment.
Two Alaska Democrats have filed to run for the U.S. House in 2026 — Matt Schultz, an Anchorage pastor, and John Williams, a Fairbanks history teacher. Bill Hill, a commercial fisherman and former superintendent of the Bristol Bay School District, announced in January that he would run for U.S. House as an independent.
Incumbent Rep. Nicholas Begich III, a Republican, unseated Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola in 2024. He is running for a second term. Peltola has announced that she is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Begich and Sullivan have a significant fundraising advantage against their challengers, according to recent filings.
The deadline to file for Alaska’s sole U.S. House seat is June 1. Alaska’s open primary election system means the top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the Nov. 3 election.