Alaska Public Media publishes article, "Super PACs try to game Alaska’s open primary for U.S. Senate by elevating political unknowns," about super PAC spending for Richard Grayson and other candidates

Today, Friday, August 14, 2026, Alaska Public Media published an article by Liz Ruskin, "Super PACs try to game Alaska’s open primary for U.S. Senate by elevating political unknowns," about super PACs spending for Richard Grayson and other candidates.

Green Party Senate candidate Richard Grayson knows flyers with his name and face are clogging mailboxes around Alaska. But he doesn’t get them. He lives in Arizona.

A retired law school administrator, Grayson has run for office a lot, all over the country, with no expectation of winning.

“Egotism. I don't know. Curiosity,” he said, when asked why. “If you look me up, you see I've been doing this since 1979.”

He isn’t in Alaska to campaign and has raised no money. A group called Fair Deal Alaska has spent about $800,000 to help him and another non-Alaskan perennial candidate, Democrat Carol Hafner, with direct mail and text messages.

Fair Deal even has video ads promoting him on social media.

“It was an ego trip to see an actual, like, commercial,” Grayson said.

Grayson, though, is aware he’s a pawn in someone else’s false-flag operation.

Money is pouring into Alaska’s U.S. Senate race as the Aug. 18 primary nears.

...

As for Grayson, the Green Party candidate in Arizona, he doesn’t think he’ll finish in the top four of the primary, even with all the promotion.

And if he does advance to the general election? He said he’d do what he could to help Peltola, because he wants her to win.

“If I were on the (November) ballot, I would just tell people — and have her tell people —I support her,” Grayson said. “Don't vote for me.”

No matter how many — or few — votes Grayson gets, Alaskans will probably see his name on future ballots. He said he likes how easy the state makes it to become a candidate.

“You don't need any signatures,” he said. “You just have to give them a $100 check.”