Hitler post sparks controversy in Anchorage school board race

Candidate claims opponent's social media post praising Hitler's economic policies is 'too extreme'

Apr. 3, 2026 at 4:51am

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An avant-garde painting of a school building repeated in overlapping, fractured, geometric waves of dark blue, forest green, and burnt orange, conceptually representing the divisive politics surrounding education reform in Anchorage.The heated debate over the future of Anchorage's public schools is reflected in this abstract, fragmented painting.Anchorage Today

A controversial social media post by Anchorage school board candidate Alexander Rosales, in which he appeared to praise Hitler's economic policies, has sparked outrage from his opponent Rachel Blakeslee. Blakeslee claims the post shows Rosales is 'too extreme' for the role, while Rosales argues the post was taken out of context and does not reflect his true values.

Why it matters

The school board race has become a heated battle over the direction of the Anchorage School District, with Rosales calling for major reforms and Blakeslee positioning herself as a moderate voice. The Hitler post controversy has further inflamed tensions and raised questions about the candidates' fitness for office.

The details

In a campaign mailer, Blakeslee claimed that a 2024 social media post by Rosales praised Hitler, saying the Nazi leader 'pulled Germany out of economic hardship, potentially saving millions of lives.' Rosales denies being a Nazi sympathizer, arguing the post was a narrow historical observation taken out of context. He also stands by a separate post calling the Anchorage School District 'garbage' and suggesting it should be shut down, though he says that statement was misinterpreted.

  • Rosales' controversial social media post was dated August 31, 2024.
  • The Anchorage school board election is scheduled for April 7, 2026.

The players

Rachel Blakeslee

A nonprofit leader and Anchorage School District parent who is running for the school board. She has accused her opponent Rosales of being 'too extreme' based on his social media posts.

Alexander Rosales

A veteran, father, and former Anchorage School District substitute teacher who is running for the school board. He denies being a Nazi sympathizer and says his controversial social media posts have been taken out of context.

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What they’re saying

“When you're talking about Hitler, you know, having economic policies that saved lives, I cannot think of a context in which that statement would be accurate and or appropriate.”

— Rachel Blakeslee, Candidate

“It only takes a couple of minutes to sit down and talk with me and know that those are not my values at all. It's somebody who's a self-proclaimed Nazi hunter that is trying to label me as something because they can't do this race off of merits alone.”

— Alexander Rosales, Candidate

What’s next

The Anchorage school board election is scheduled for April 7, 2026, and the controversy over Rosales' social media posts is likely to continue to be a central issue in the campaign.

The takeaway

This race has become a proxy battle over the future direction of the Anchorage School District, with Rosales calling for major reforms and Blakeslee positioning herself as a moderate voice. The Hitler post controversy has further inflamed tensions and raised questions about the candidates' fitness for office, underscoring the divisive nature of education policy debates in the community.