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Here are the 6 Alaska legislators running unopposed this year.JUNEAU — Six of Alaska’s legislative incumbents are likely sailing to a smooth victory in November.Three senators and three members of the House of Representatives are running unopposed heading into the state’s open primary in August, according to campaign filing paperwork.The filing deadline was 5 p.m.They represent just a fraction of the 50 legislative seats up for grabs in this year’s general election, with many of the filings for challengers pouring in over the weekend and on Monday leading up to the deadline.The races are more competitive this cycle than in recent years.In 2024, 11 legislators ran unopposed.Seven seats went unchallenged in 2022, when all 60 seats were up for reelection after redistricting.The lawmakers who won’t face an opponent this year include some of the Legislature’s most senior members, and they are all members of the bipartisan majority caucuses in the House and Senate.Among them are Sen.Bert Stedman, a Sitka Republican, and Sen.Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat.This stands in contrast to several high-profile contested races, including the six-way race to succeed independent House Speaker Bryce Edgmon in Southwest Alaska as he pursues an open Senate seat, and independent Rep.Ky Holland’s faceoff with former Department of Natural Resources Commissioner John Boyle in South Anchorage.Whoever’s elected in November — whether they are running unopposed or face tight races — will be part of the reshuffling of power as caucuses reorganize and vie for control in the next two-year legislative cycle.While the House and Senate are currently led by bipartisan majority coalitions, Republicans have formed the minority in both chambers.No more candidates can join the race, but they can drop out up until June 27.Below are the incumbents who are running unopposed.[Alaska legislative races to watch in the 2026 election] Senate Wielechowski, who represents East Anchorage in the Senate, has served nearly two decades in the Legislature.He’s chair of the Senate Rules Committee, a position influential in coordinating which bills end up going to a floor vote.In an interview, Wielechowski said this is the first election of his career in which he has not faced an opponent.He said that won’t change his plans to talk with voters, but it will free up more time to focus on the next legislative session, including efforts to strengthen policy priorities that failed to pass last year.That includes a bill to reinstate a pension program for public employees and another to reform state elections, both of which were vetoed by Gov.Mike Dunleavy.Now that Dunleavy is termed out from seeking reelection and the race for a new governor is underway, Wielechowski says he hopes the next session will be a time to pass legislation that’s been “bottled up” under Dunleavy.“It’s been a long eight years, and you know, whoever gets elected will come in with new energy and new ideas, and my hope is that they’ll have an open mind on a lot of these important issues, and my hope is we can have conversations with them,” Wielechowski said.Stedman represents a Southeast Alaska district stretching from Ketchikan to Sitka and Yakutat.He would be one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the Legislature, with 23 years in the Capitol so far.Stedman is co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which is instrumental in drafting the state’s yearly capital budget.Löki Tobin, an Anchorage Democrat, represents a district that includes downtown, Fairview, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Government Hill.Tobin, first elected in 2023, is nearing the end of her first term.She serves as the chair of the Senate Education Committee.House of Representatives House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp is heading back to the House without an opponent for the first time.Kopp, a Republican, said he was surprised and “humbled” that he didn’t have a challenger for this year’s race after three terms in the Legislature representing several South Anchorage neighborhoods.He was first elected in 2016 and served two terms before losing his 2020 reelection bid to fellow Republican Rep.Tom McKay in the then-closed primary.He returned to the Legislature last year after besting Rep.Craig Johnson, another Anchorage Republican, in 2024.Kopp is one of only two Republicans, along with Rep.Louise Stutes, in the bipartisan House majority coalition.With Stutes seeking a Senate seat and several closely watched legislative races underway, the composition of the House caucuses next year remains uncertain.Kopp pointed out that he represents a district where Democratic then-incumbent Mary Peltola garnered more votes than Republican Nick Begich III in the 2024 U.S.House race, while Republican Donald Trump won more votes than Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the presidential race.“I am in a very purple district, and they simply will not tolerate a hard-right or a hard-left approach, and the voting shows that,” Kopp said.Kopp said that his place in the bipartisan majority is the “lane that I had to be in,” where he can support policies he values: a balanced budget, a dividend the state can afford and a stronger retirement system.Genevieve Mina, an Anchorage Democrat, has served two terms.She represents a district that includes Airport Heights, Mountain View and Russian Jack.Sara Hannan, a Juneau Democrat, has served four terms.She represents District 4, which includes downtown Juneau and Douglas Island.Hannan is also a member of the House Finance Committee.