Walt Monaghan, former public safety official, tells committee he applied to strengthen trust in elections

Walt Monaghan, nominated to the Alaska Public Offices Commission, appeared before the House State Affairs Committee on April 22, 2025, and described his motivation as restoring and protecting public trust in election administration.

Monaghan said he spent decades in public service, including about 33 years as a police officer and time with the Department of Public Safety. “It’s an interest of mine to still contribute to my state,” he said, and described applying because he wanted “people to trust the state” and the election process.

Committee members asked Monaghan about campaign‑finance enforcement priorities and specific election administration issues in Alaska. Monaghan said he has limited direct election experience but intends to watch, learn and look for ways to refine processes: “I will be diligent on watching and listening and learning, and then see if we can make some improvements.”

On ranked‑choice voting, Monaghan said he views it positively in principle and cited cost savings as a reason for support: “I think ranked choice voting is a good candidate. I think it saves money.” The nominee also flagged concerns he’d seen in other states where ballot handling and damaged ballot boxes led to reduced public confidence; he did not identify a specific state.

No members of the public testified for or against Monaghan during the committee’s public‑testimony period. The committee recorded a recommendation to forward his nomination to a joint session for consideration in accordance with committee procedure. No confirmation vote occurred at the hearing.

Monaghan’s responses to the committee were introductory; he emphasized a learning posture, said he would monitor APOC work and look for improvements aimed at bolstering public trust in campaign‑finance and election‑related matters.