James
C. "Jim" McDermott
Libertarian Jim McDermott seeks Alaska's at-large U.S. House seat in 2026, his fourth run for the office
- sources
- 10
- positions
- 11
- endorsements
- 3
Background
James C. "Jim" McDermott is a Libertarian candidate for Alaska's at-large U.S. House seat in the November 3, 2026 general election. He is based in Fairbanks, where he has lived since March 2006, having previously resided in Anchorage from January 1991 to March 2006. According to his Division of Elections filing, he has run for the same seat in 2012, 2014, and 2016. 1210
McDermott retired from the U.S. Air Force as a master sergeant after 22½ years of service. He subsequently held roles including warehouse foreman for the Anchorage School District, college recruiter and student enrollment adviser for DeVry University, and director of the Fairbanks Small Business Development Center. He has also served as a Boots-to-Business instructor and an adjunct and business-term instructor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and his candidate filing identifies his occupation as writer. 1
He holds an M.S. in Business Organizational Management (with an Information Technology concentration) from the University of La Verne and a B.S. in Occupational Education (with a Business Administration concentration) from Wayland Baptist University. His filing also notes an appointment as an election commissioner with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, though dates and current status are not specified. 1
McDermott's campaign website outlines Libertarian-oriented principles and highlights his Alaska background spanning more than 35 years. He maintains campaign sites at jamesmcdermott.org and mcdermott4congress4alaska.com. 21314
At a glance
- Party
- Libertarian
- Running for
- U.S. House · District At-large, Alaska
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Writer / Small Business instructor and developer (Fairbanks, Alaska)
- Website
- linkedin.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Date unknownendorsementMcDermott lists Gary Johnson, Alaska Libertarian Party, and National Libertarian Party as endorsers
A voter-guide profile records McDermott listing Gary Johnson, the Alaska Libertarian Party, and the National Libertarian Party among endorsements or supporters he identified, along with family and friends.
Jim C. McDermott · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 7filingFEC records show no campaign-finance filing on file for McDermott as of Project Curia's October 7 update
Project Curia's FEC-based candidate page showed no campaign-finance filing on file for McDermott as of its October 7 update. The page noted that committees report periodically, so this is not definitive evidence he raised no money.
projectcuria.com · elections · candidateJames C. "Jim" McDermott, Alaska House, at-large district ... · Oct 7, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 3pollNYT/Siena poll shows McDermott at 5% among likely voters in Alaska U.S. House race
Among 504 likely Alaska likely voters surveyed September 24–October 1, McDermott received 5% as first choice for U.S. House. Begich led at 47%, followed by Hill at 35% and Hafner at 8%. In the ranked-choice simulation, McDermott received 5–6% before being eliminated.
Toplines: September 2026 Times/Siena Poll of the Likely Electorate in Alaska · Oct 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 18newsMcDermott advances to November general ballot after higher-finishing candidates withdraw
The Anchorage Daily News reported that McDermott would appear on the November ballot after receiving 1.2% in the primary, as multiple higher-finishing candidates withdrew. He is listed alongside Republican Nick Begich, independent Bill Hill, and Democrat Eric Hafner.
National Democratic group throws weight behind Bill Hill ... · Sep 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Aug 18filingMcDermott finishes eighth in Alaska primary with 1.2% (1,629 votes)
McDermott finished eighth in Alaska's August primary, receiving 1.2% of the vote (1,629 votes), well outside the top four advancing positions.
smarter.vote · races · ak-house-2026Jim McDermott (L) – AK-AL House 2026 | Smarter.Vote · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jul 23newsMcDermott responds to Alaska's Stance on Science questionnaire, backing fossil fuels and small nuclear plants
In a response dated July 23 to Alaska's Stance on Science questionnaire, McDermott emphasized Alaska's coal, natural gas, and oil resources and said he favored small nuclear power plants, particularly in rural areas.
smarter.vote · races · ak-house-2026Jim McDermott (L) – AK-AL House 2026 | Smarter.Vote · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Alaska Libertarian Party organizationMcDermott was endorsed by the Alaska Libertarian Party, as reported by News From The States on September 2, 2026. The exact date the endorsement was made was not specified. newsfromthestates.com
- Gary Johnson otherMcDermott listed Gary Johnson among his most important endorsements in a candidate questionnaire on iVoterGuide. This is a candidate-reported answer, not independent confirmation of a formal endorsement. ivoterguide.com
- National Libertarian Party organizationMcDermott listed the National Libertarian Party among his most important endorsements in a candidate questionnaire on iVoterGuide. This is a candidate-reported answer, not independent confirmation of a formal endorsement. ivoterguide.com
Past elections
General election results for federal office, from the Federal Election Commission.
| Year | Seat | Result | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | U.S. House AK-00 · LIB | Lost | 31,770 | 10.3% |
Covers the 2016 to 2022 general elections. The FEC has not yet published 2024 congressional results.
Sources 10
- [1] smarter.vote · races · ak-house-2026Jim McDermott (L) – AK-AL House 2026 | Smarter.Vote(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [2] projectcuria.com · elections · candidateJames C. "Jim" McDermott, Alaska House, at-large district ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
- [3] Toplines: September 2026 Times/Siena Poll of the Likely Electorate in Alaska(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
- [4] Jim C. McDermott(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
- [5] National Democratic group throws weight behind Bill Hill ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 18, 2026
- [6] Jim C. McDermott(opens in a new tab) Sep 17, 2026
- [7] James C. McDermott “Jim”, Alaska Libertarian(opens in a new tab) Sep 6, 2026
- [8] James McDermott - Scientist Network for Advancing Policy(opens in a new tab) Sep 6, 2026
- [9] Jim McDermott, a Libertarian from Fairbanks, makes top four for Alaska's U.S. House race(opens in a new tab) Sep 2, 2026
- [10] Principles(opens in a new tab) Aug 7, 2026