Gov. Mike Dunleavy responds to the Legislature voting to override two of his vetoes at a news conference at the Capitol, alongside Education Commissioner Deena Bishop on Aug. 2, 2025. The governor said the abrasion on his forehead is from removing skin cancer. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska’s governor came to Juneau for last weekend’s special session with a noticeable abrasion on his forehead, the result of skin cancer surgery, he told reporters at a news conference after lawmakers voted to override two of his vetoes.
“I didn’t get beaten up by anybody, or the Legislature — they didn’t beat me up, either,” he told reporters.
Dunleavy had similar procedures in 2019 and 2023 to deal with basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer that is known to recur.
Talking to reporters, he joked that as a kid, he didn’t wear sunscreen enough and said that people should use it.
Jeff Turner, the governor’s communications director, said Tuesday he’s not aware if the governor plans any ongoing or future cancer treatments.
