In the Nov. 3 general election, Alaska voters will decide consequential races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and the state Legislature, in addition to determining the fate of two ballot measures.
Under Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, in each race, voters can rank the candidates in order of preference on their ballot. If no candidate wins an outright majority of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those votes are then reallocated to second-choice candidates in what amounts to an instant runoff system. The process continues until a candidates receives more than 50% of the vote.
The Anchorage Daily News partnered with Alaska Public Media, the Alaska Beacon and KTOO Public Media to ask candidates for office a set of detailed issue questions. While a few candidates did not participate, ADN reached out to all of them multiple times and multiple ways, to ensure everyone had an opportunity to respond.
What you’ll see are their responses to ADN’s questions, many of which came directly from readers and listeners who shared what they wanted to hear about from the candidates.
The Homer Independent Press is republishing here ADN’s candidate Q&As for House District 6 and Senate District C. We reached out to incumbent Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, to allow her a chance to answer ADN’s original questionnaire, as she missed the initial deadline to do so. In fairness, we also allowed challenger Brent Johnson to resubmit his answers to the questionnaire. These updated answers are provided below verbatim as they were submitted to HIP.
Find the full voter guide compiled by the Alaska Beacon, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Public Media and KTOO on ADN’s website to read about other candidates for state House and Senate, as well as Alaska’s governor and U.S. House and Senate.
Compare the candidates
House District 6
Rep. Sarah Vance (Republican)
Birthplace: Texas
Would you be willing to serve in a coalition majority where members of the other party are in leadership? Why or why not? My district has made it very clear that Republicans and our worldview should be the governing majority. I am unwilling to sell my vote under a binding caucus to vote for their bills and budget that do not align with this district.
What’s the biggest need in your district, and how would you address it? The cost of living is the biggest issue not only on the Lower Kenai Peninsula, but across the state. I continue to support the AKLNG project, which would lower energy production costs in Cook Inlet, reduce regulation, and take other measures to stimulate the economy and lower the cost of living.
What should be done to improve public education in Alaska? Improving public education in Alaska needs a multifaceted approach that begins with parents’ choice in education. We can meet students’ needs by improving the BSA, providing targeted funding, and increasing CTE and access to trade schools in Alaska. Passing my bill to allow schools to consolidate healthcare with the state plan will save millions of dollars and help recruit and retain teachers.
How should the Legislature handle the Permanent Fund dividend? The Legislature should pass a bill to enshrine the dividend in the constitution. It takes a ¾ vote of the Legislature before a constitutional amendment can appear before the voters. Legislators who campaign on this promise should keep their word and make it happen. The dividend should not be treated as “leftovers” after government spending, but as the first draw from the fund’s earnings, putting that resource wealth directly in the hands of the people.
What does your ideal fiscal plan look like? How should the Legislature bring state expenses and revenue into line in the long term? I have been a long-time advocate for the comprehensive fiscal plan proposed by the Fiscal Policy Working Group. The plan included four pieces: 1. A strong constitutional spending cap. 2. Enshrine the PFD in the Constitution. 3. Budget cuts of $250 million per year. 4. Budget revenues in some form. The additional $800 million in projected revenue from the AKLNG is a great source of revenue without taxing the people.
When you look at the state budget, what’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to see cut or reduced, and what’s your No. 1 preferred way to raise new state revenue? I would love to see the Legislature work with the departments to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. The FBI has been identifying medical fraud in the state that takes funds from vulnerable people who need them, and the state could be more diligent in doing the same. Building the AKLNG project, with projected annual revenue of $800 million, would also provide jobs and revenue to local municipalities. Responsible development of our natural resources builds our economy, lifts people out of poverty, and reduces reliance on government.
What, if any, changes does the state need to make to its elections and voting system? The state needs significant election reform, starting with repealing RCV. We also need to pass the final version of SB 64 that I helped write. These
improvements help secure our elections and build greater voter confidence. The reforms include voter roll cleanup, data security, ballot tracking with multi-factor authentication, ballot envelope curing, improved rural voting access, and timely election results. All of these improve elections for every Alaskan voter.
What threats do you see facing Alaska in the next four years? The major threats I see facing Alaska are a failing economy and increased cost of living. If the Legislature does not focus on building a strong economy by responsibly developing our natural resources, we will fail to thrive. I see this from energy to fisheries. We are already experiencing the potential for rolling blackouts because we have not developed natural gas. Without a reliable, affordable energy source, Alaskan families suffer from high costs, and industries struggle to survive.
What should legislators do to make Alaska a better place for children and families? The first step to improving family life is building a strong economy that provides good-paying jobs and gives families options for how to raise their families. When people are working and providing for their families, substance abuse decreases, and families handle stress differently. The Legislature could also shift its attention to providing services for the entire family. The Legislature has passed several incentives to encourage businesses to provide day care facilities and fill the gap for working families. The OCS foster care system also needs a complete overhaul so that families get the help they need rather than tearing them apart.
As Alaska’s average age rises, what needs to be done to make the state a better place for older residents? Several measures could improve senior life in Alaska, including maintaining the senior property tax exemption, expanding access to affordable senior living, and improving dementia care. Seniors want to live independently, with the option of in-home care without much fuss. The Legislature can improve training and work with responsible caregivers to support the growing aging population.
What should Alaska do to keep residents and visitors safe from crime and disasters? Preventing crime and preparing for disasters require different but complementary approaches. Teaching personal responsibility and neighborliness helps people prevent or avoid crime and respond effectively during emergencies. In recent years, the Legislature has strengthened criminal laws and public safety but has done little to help communities
prepare for disasters. We should establish a coordinated, executive-level approach that works directly with local governments and unincorporated communities to improve disaster preparedness.
What, if any, change would you make to state law to support the Alaskans who are dependent on fish harvests and the fishing industry? The Legislature can take several measures to improve the fishery. One measure is to apply cottage food laws to smaller fisheries, like my bill, HB 356, the Alaska Coastal Micro-Fisheries Act, which reduces regulations for small-boat fishermen to process their own fish. This will keep local businesses alive without competing with larger processors and help connect food to local communities. Another important measure is to provide accountability and oversight to the Board of Fisheries. Many people feel it has
become imbalanced and political, with little public input. The Legislature needs to pass a bill clarifying authority and governance.
What do people not know about you that you think they should know? I never knew my grandparents. So when Jeff and I got married, we prioritized raising our family near our parents so they could live a rich life. Doing daily life with them has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My greatest and most treasured distraction is having tea with them. We regularly sit and chat over tea and cake, knowing every moment is precious.
What should the Legislature do to help Alaskans with the high cost of living? First, get out of the way of building the AKLNG pipeline. This project will jump-start our economy by creating more than 8,000 jobs, bringing reliable, affordable energy to Alaskans, and providing a stable revenue source. Building the economy by attracting more industries to Alaska will reduce the cost of living and create better-paying jobs. Second, diversify transportation and access to Alaska by expanding the railroad to reduce the cost of goods.
How are the Trump administration’s policies working in Alaska? Where do you see them working well, and where do you see problems? President Trump, at Senator Sullivan’s urging, revoked Biden’s 64 executive orders on day 1 of his term that locked up Alaska’s economy. Trump’s policies have opened resource development, increasing oil production and bringing revenue and royalties to the state of Alaska, as well as good-paying jobs. The administration has funded millions to improve the rail belt transmission lines and the Port of Alaska and the Port of Nome, increasing security and access to goods. They have funded the rural health transformation that improves healthcare and continued to improve law enforcement by cracking down on child predators and criminals stealing through fraud.
Brent Johnson (Nonpartisan)
Birthplace: Seldovia
Would you be willing to serve in a coalition majority where members of the other party are in leadership? Why or why not? Yes. I’m nonpartisan so working with both parties is natural for me.
What’s the biggest need in your district, and how would you address it? Natural gas. The state needs to make sure LNG can be imported when needed. State regulators should make sure Alaskans don’t end up paying for two, competing import facilities. Continued efforts to find gas in Cook Inlet, as Blue Crest Energy is doing at their Cosmopolitan Unit is important. Building a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope will be carefully weighed in 2027. Australia, Indonesia, Louisiana, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Texas, and United Arab Emirates all selling LNG in Asia. Canada has entered that export market with their facility at Kitimat. It has been in operation fifteen months and has the advantage of a 48-inch pipeline, 416 miles long, that cost less than $11 billion to build. A second Canadian facility is planned for Ksi Lisims. The pipeline to supply this facility is estimated to cost $11 billion dollars. Final Investment Decision for it is expected by the end of 2026. These LNG sources make it harder for Alaska to build a $50 billion pipeline and sell LNG at a rate competitive with other sources. Government boondoggles in Alaska are numerous: Delta Barley, Point Mackenzie Agricultura Project, Seward Grain Terminal, Valdez Grain Elevators, Matanuska Maid Dairy, Healy Clean Coal Project, the Fast Ferries (M/V Fairweather & Chenega), catamaran ferry (M/V Susitna), and the investment in Peter Pan Seafoods are examples. It is the Legislature’s job to make sure the natural gas pipeline is financially feasible and will be a long-term benefit to Alaskans before agreeing to the project.
What should be done to improve public education in Alaska? The Task Force on Education Funding will make its report in early January 2027. I expect that 18-month study to launch a report with an important impact on the future of education in Alaska. About 70% of the students in our borough attend traditional public school. These include children whose parents both work, single parent children, and most of the special needs children. All these families are dependent on successful, traditional public schools and I intend to deliver for them.
About 30% of the students in our borough attend homeschool. That works great for families who can provide the time and who have the skill to teach. However, many teachers have told me that they often get children back into their classrooms who have been homeschooled and are academically far behind. That puts a burden on those teachers and their classes. Testing needs to be required for all homeschooled students so corrective measures can begin earlier.
How should the Legislature handle the Permanent Fund dividend? The Legislature should provide options and send the question for the voters to register their preferences. A “statutory dividend” would be about $3,800 with a total cost of about $2.5 billion. The current dividend of $1,000 requires about $660 million for funding. The difference is about $1.8 billion and no one has come up with a plan on where to get that money on a sustainable basis. Even if the dividend is kept at $1,000, inflation will eat away at it. Future Legislatures should have a clear message from the people on how to handle the dividend. Let’s let the people decide what they want to do!
What does your ideal fiscal plan look like? How should the Legislature bring state expenses and revenue into line in the long term? It’s my impression that voters want good schools, roads, fisheries, hospitals, courts and police services at reasonable prices. I believe the service side of this equation needs an influx from the revenue side, and the Legislature needs to find an increase of revenue that meets with the approval of voters. To do that I would have S Corporations and LLCs, like Glenfarne, pay a graduated income tax similar to what BP paid when it owned oil and gas properties in Alaska. I would also reduce the $8/ barrel tax credit oil companies enjoy on legacy fields.
When you look at the state budget, what’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to see cut or reduced, and what’s your No. 1 preferred way to raise new state revenue? Alaska suing the federal government could be reduced. There were 53 active suites recently. While some of those have borne fruit, many have not. Lawsuits over subsistence rights have a poor track record. As mentioned above, I would have S corporations and LLCs, like Glenfarne, pay a fair share of taxes and reduce tax credits on legacy fields.
What, if any, changes does the state need to make to its elections and voting system? I think Senate Bill 64, which was vetoed by the Governor, was a good bill. I’m a proponent of
“ballot curing,” the process which allows voters to fix mistakes that would otherwise disqualify
their ballot. Alaska allows ballot curing for in-person voting. It should be allowed for mail-in
ballots.
What threats do you see facing Alaska in the next four years? The state budget is threatened. Budget shortfalls have occurred annually, with the exception of 2022 and 2023, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed up oil prices. That history indicates more shortfalls will continue, and now that the Statutory Budget Reserve has been drained and the Constitutional Budget Reserve has recovered only slightly, future shortfalls are more critical. Political division threatens democracy everywhere in the United States. We need to unify people. Problems in fisheries are bad. In Cook Inlet east side setnetters have been closed for 4 years! King salmon are in low abundance across the state. Bering Sea snow crab and Chignik salmon are also in dire straits.
Schools have closed and scholastic achievement has fallen. Those problems will continue without unifying leadership and adequate funding.
What should legislators do to make Alaska a better place for children and families? Provide good schools, good roads, clean air and water, access to good hospitals, well-funded and trained State Troopers, courts that provide prompt and fair trials, good jobs, promote trade, including with Canada and east Asian countries. Take an active role in reducing homelessness. And work together to find ways to pay for those things.
As Alaska’s average age rises, what needs to be done to make the state a better place for older residents? Ask Congress to reinstate cuts made to Medicaid that hurt Alaskans. The state should do more to support home health care. In Alaska, people 60-years old and older suffer the highest financial losses to scams. The Legislature should put together a task force to address this problem.
What should Alaska do to keep residents and visitors safe from crime and disasters? Provide the Alaska State Troopers with sufficient funding, training and retirement benefits. Support Village Public Safety Officers with good training and oversight. Copy programs that other states used successfully to reduce crime and substance abuse. Make sexual assault easy to report and bring perpetrators to trial quickly. Maintain the Northwest Wildfire Protection Agreement (an agreement of cooperation between Canada and northwest states). Maintain an emergency management division that is always trained. Continue to support Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council and Prince William Sound Citizens Advisory Council. Promote Ship
Escort Response System (SERVS) and Alaska Response Corporation (ARC).
What, if any, change would you make to state law to support the Alaskans who are dependent on fish harvests and the fishing industry? I wouldn’t change laws. I would work with biologists to rebuild fish and clam stocks. An audit of the Alaska Board of Fisheries is being done. The results should bring change. In addition, I think it would be a good idea for the Board of Fisheries to have a biologist or two as members, even if the Board has to be expanded to accommodate them.
What do people not know about you that you think they should know? My family homesteaded in Clam Gulch in 1959 when I was 4 years old. My parents built a 12 x 12 two story cabin where we lived until I graduated high school. For economic gain and sustenance, we planted big gardens, commercial fished for salmon, hunted, and picked berries. I learned the meaning of hard work and will couple that character trait with nearly 30 years of experience in Borough government to work for you in Juneau.
What should the Legislature do to help Alaskans with the high cost of living? Building the Dixon Diversion and raising the dam at Bradley Lake hydro project will be a step toward holding down electric rates. The Mount Saint Augustine Geothermal Project has received federal grant funding. This project holds promise and should be supported by the state. Any gas discoveries in Cook Inlet would help buy time before LNG imports are needed and before a pipeline from the North Slope is completed. Therefore, subsidizing exploration for gas is a worthwhile discussion. Out-of-area investors buy property and build homes, which raises the cost of housing. The state should look for incentives for local home ownership and for promoting long-term rentals over short-term rentals.
How are the Trump administration’s policies working in Alaska? Where do you see them working well, and where do you see problems? Tariffs and Trump’s war in Iran have raised the costs of goods in Alaska. Trump’s tariff war with Canada is hurting cross-border trade with Alaska that exceeds $1.3 billion and supports more than 20,000 jobs in Alaska. Trump’s reduction in permit policies help oil and gas companies but takes away critical local input from Alaskans and scientists. Loss of that advice puts Alaska’s ecosystem at risk, which threatens subsistence users and all Alaskans who rely on fish and game to fill their freezers. Under Trump, FEMA denied Alaska’s request for increased federal cost-share funding after Typhoon Halong hammered Western Alaska. This forced the state to cover 25% instead of 10% of recovery costs, amounting to tens of millions of dollars. Cuts to Medicaid is shifting millions of dollars of costs from the federal government to the state, while thousands of Alaskans are personally losing Medicaid coverage. The Trump administration blocked an estimated $46.4 million in federal education grants for Alaska. This money supported migrant education, English language learners, and professional teacher training. Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy, Jr., canceled $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine development, causing concern among Alaska’s medical professionals. His rhetoric on vaccines and public health agencies has further undermined public confidence in a state that already struggles with some of the lowest childhood vaccination rates in the country. The mRNA vaccine technology is at the forefront of cancer treatment development. That is certainly not something Alaskans want to cut!
Senate District C
Rep. Louise Stutes (Republican)
Birthplace: Seattle
Would you be willing to serve in a coalition majority where members of the other party are in leadership? Why or why not? Yes, I believe things get done by working collaboratively. I am interested in working with anyone who wants to move this state forward in a positive direction, and support coastal Alaska as well.
What’s the biggest need in your district, and how would you address it? A fiscal plan, which would enable fully funded services. I would address it by working with others that are willing to take the hard votes in order to move the state forward.
What should be done to improve public education in Alaska? Forward funding education would be a major step forward, and teacher retention is also critical. Funding education is also a critical component as well as education policy reform.
How should the Legislature handle the Permanent Fund dividend? The statute, which is 40 years old needs to be re-evaluated to reflect our ability to both pay our bills as well as pay out a PFD. Currently under the existing statute, paying out a full PFD, the earnings reserve could be depleted as early as 2029-2030, which would mean no further PFDs would be paid. This a fiscally conservative approach which would protect both the PFD and essential services.
What does your ideal fiscal plan look like? How should the Legislature bring state expenses and revenue into line in the long term? Closing S corp loophole, oil and gas tax reform, reassessing the PFD formula. I do not believe in taxing Alaskans in order to pay out a larger PFD.
When you look at the state budget, what’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to see cut or reduced, and what’s your No. 1 preferred way to raise new state revenue? Did not answer.
What, if any, changes does the state need to make to its elections and voting system? Receiving election results faster
What threats do you see facing Alaska in the next four years? Outside influences. Our ability to implement a fiscal plan. Federal overreach.
What should legislators do to make Alaska a better place for children and families? Adequate education system. Affordable housing. Public safety.
As Alaska’s average age rises, what needs to be done to make the state a better place for older residents? Supporting Senior living centers and Pioneer Homes. Ensuring affordable healthcare options and availability of in-home care.
What should Alaska do to keep residents and visitors safe from crime and disasters? Funding disaster preparedness and relief, as well as strong public safety funding.
What, if any, change would you make to state law to support the Alaskans who are dependent on fish harvests and the fishing industry? This year, I introduced and passed HB 117 which establishes an electronic monitoring program for trawl vessels fishing In state waters. It was the only bill that passed last year that addressed bycatch. As fisheries chair, I passed 5 fisheries bills in the last two years that affect fish policy.
What do people not know about you that you think they should know? My constituents are my top priority.
What should the Legislature do to help Alaskans with the high cost of living? Encourage affordable housing options
How are the Trump administration’s policies working in Alaska? Where do you see them working well, and where do you see problems? Did not answer.
Heath Smith (Republican)
Birthplace: Anchorage
Would you be willing to serve in a coalition majority where members of the other party are in leadership? Why or why not? Our mandate is to work with other elected officials to move meaningful legislation forward for the benefit of Alaskans. While that work can be done in a bipartisan way it does not have to be through the binding caucus coalitions that have proven inept at resolving our most pressing issues. Most recently this has been displayed in the AKLNG floundering in the Senate. How many Democrats have joined a Republican majority in the name of bipartisanship?
What’s the biggest need in your district, and how would you address it? Clarity. There has been little effort to communicate any real vision of how to move the state forward. Alaskans are tired of the year-to-year budget crisis circus that has persisted now for way too long. We need a long-term fiscal framework that shows our actions are grounded in purpose, not triage.
What should be done to improve public education in Alaska? I substituted in several schools in the district this past school year. I have seen first-hand the dedication and effort these teachers put into their students. I’ve also seen the struggles they face with absenteeism and the effects that has on the continuity of learning. Ultimately, I think School Boards, Site Councils, PTAs and parents at home need to come together and address the WHAT is happening, then ask WHY, and then determine WHAT they are willing to do. By in large, the State appropriates funding and the School Districts decide how to deploy that in educating our kids. I do believe providing funding earlier in the session is of great benefit for planning purposed and support that action. I cannot support a new defined benefit pension as the old one is currently about $7.2 billion in unfunded liability and is soaking up over half a billion dollars a year just to keep up with interest due on that debt.
How should the Legislature handle the Permanent Fund dividend? Alaskans are shareholders of a fund that has been built off of royalties from the subsurface mineral extraction that has been taking place in our state. Jay Hammond knew there was value in connecting the people to how the legislature builds its relationship with money and the size of government. We have been running structural deficits in this state for a long time and there has been little effort to balance the budget through any other means then ignoring precedent statute regarding the PFD. I believe our law makers should follow the law…or change it! They have chosen to just ignore it because it’s the easiest thing to do and the courts gave them a pass. I believe a good long term fiscal plan must include a resolution to this, and it will likely, seeing what’s happened over the last decade, take some compromise on the formula.
What does your ideal fiscal plan look like? How should the Legislature bring state expenses and revenue into line in the long term? An Ideal fiscal plan would map out how the State can broaden its view on private sector growth and embrace the truth that a healthy private sector leads to a healthy public sector. Maximizing value cannot be defined and only defined as tax revenue. We saw the fallout of ACES and have been in recovery mode ever since. Much of the unsustainable expansion of government was born out of those massive revenues that are now gone.
We need to look at the structure of the Permanent Fund and how it is being managed. One could say that it is not producing maximum value in the marketplace. … Talk of combining the corpus and the ERA is intriguing but must have a solid guardrail to ensure the fund cannot be overdrawn. I’d like to move down from a 5% POMV to a 4.7% draw which builds in an automatic inflation proofing component. It would need to include a spending cap adjustable for inflation and a PFD structure that is constitutionalized. We need to be open to a process that evaluates the effectiveness of the allocation of our money. This means an honest assessment of our department structures and outputs. Government is not inherently efficient and, in some ways, can’t be due to the mandated scope. That said we should always be willing to embrace improving. Incentivizing new revenue vs. taxing it out of existence is probably a good start balancing a budget. What is our fair share of zero?
When you look at the state budget, what’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to see cut or reduced, and what’s your No. 1 preferred way to raise new state revenue? I’d really like to aggressively pay down the $7.2 billion unfunded liability from the old defined benefit pension. Its current amortization schedule is broken and will only get worse over time. It is currently costing the State over 1/2 billion dollars a year just to pay the interest penalties. If that debt could be retired it would free up massive amounts of money to the State, Municipalities and School Districts by reducing the required TRS and PRS contributions dramatically.
What, if any, changes does the state need to make to its elections and voting system? I think properly managing the voter rolls is very important. Voter ID seems relatively easy and achievable. I think enough of the electorate wants some reasonable improvements that it should not be ignored.
What threats do you see facing Alaska in the next four years? The egos of long tenured legislators standing in the way of stability and hope.
What should legislators do to make Alaska a better place for children and families? Be bold, plant trees to which we will never enjoy the shade of. This is no longer about us.
As Alaska’s average age rises, what needs to be done to make the state a better place for older residents? Mobility is a major component of independence and quality of life. Partnering with local organizations to ensure reliable transportation for our older residents is available is very important.
What should Alaska do to keep residents and visitors safe from crime and disasters? Our Troopers and VPSOs need to be staffed and funded to a level that provides proper coverage and ability to be effective. We also need a court system that is capable of prosecuting criminals vs. letting them walk because the case load has them maxed out.
With disasters we need to increase funding to the Alaska State Defense Force and emphasize the importance that group plays with providing local knowledge and expertise when partnering with Alaska National Guard and the Red Cross in times of disaster.
What, if any, change would you make to state law to support the Alaskans who are dependent on fish harvests and the fishing industry? Most want politics to steer clear of trying to manage our fisheries. They want science to be the guiding star. Our primary job should be to properly fund the science side and then support those findings with the additional funding to develop, implement, monitor and enforce them. If the industry, after that, can’t seem to support those then it may force the hand of the legislature.
What do people not know about you that you think they should know? The movie “12 Angry Men” taught me a lot about human nature and how personal bias creates blind spots that can be incredibly limiting. Diversity of thought and life experience enriches the conversation. A closed mind leaves no room to learn.
What should the Legislature do to help Alaskans with the high cost of living? Currently it would be to pass a AKLNG tax package that allows the project to move forward! If we have to import natural gas just wait and see what that does to our electric bills. They are projecting them to increase by as much as 30%. Energy is a huge cost driver in Alaska and inhibits economic growth and pinches the wallet of everyone.
How are the Trump administration’s policies working in Alaska? Where do you see them working well, and where do you see problems?The reversal of all the punitive executive orders under the previous administration has gone a long way to allowing the State to exercise access to our resources and will help set the stage for Alaska to lead this country in ensuring or energy independence well into the future.
Carrie Harris (Republican)
Birthplace: Bergstrom Air Force Base, Austin, Texas
Would you be willing to serve in a coalition majority where members of the other party are in leadership? Why or why not? Yes if it benefits my district. My oath is to the people who elect me, not to a coalition, a political party, or backroom leadership. My responsibility is to the voters who live here.
What’s the biggest need in your district, and how would you address it? The greatest need in our district is protecting the coastal economy that keeps our communities alive. When our fisheries are strong, our entire region is strong. That means ending in‑state trawling and safeguarding commercial, guide, sport, and personal‑use fisheries so our economic base stays stable for the long term.Fishing is the foundation of our region, but we must maintain the infrastructure that supports it. Our harbors need upgrades. Maritime transportation moves people and goods, and with it comes the need for workforce and seasonal housing. We can fund these priorities by cutting the waste built into our current legislative system.If we protect our fisheries and rebuild our coastal infrastructure, our communities stay alive and our children have a future here.
What should be done to improve public education in Alaska? We must aggressively eliminate administrative duplication and redirect millions back into classrooms, meaning the actual classroom, not another administrative position. Alaska currently funds 54 distinct school districts, which means 54 superintendents, 54 HR departments, and 54 payroll systems. Consolidating these redundant central offices into regional hubs will generate massive savings and allow volume‑purchasing discounts. We must support early literacy by providing parents of toddlers aged three and up with a structured phonics curriculum tied to measurable performance incentives. Reading by fourth grade is too late; reading midway through first grade should be the goal, and reading by the end of first grade should be the standard. Reading and writing in cursive should begin with loops in second grade, and by the end of third grade students should be proficient in reading and writing in cursive. If we fix the system instead of feeding it, Alaska’s kids will finally get the education they deserve.
How should the Legislature handle the Permanent Fund dividend? The traditional statutory formula must be fully funded and constitutionally protected. That is the only way to contain unnecessary growth of state government. As long as that money is available, there is always a new benefit, program, or bureaucracy waiting to be created. The PFD is not a government handout, regardless of how much government wants to use it to hand out money for unnecessary, expensive, and redundant programs. It is a critical tool that keeps the public involved in government. It is a check on legislative integrity. Without this direct stake, public support for the resource development that funds our entire economy would collapse.
What does your ideal fiscal plan look like? How should the Legislature bring state expenses and revenue into line in the long term? Once we protect the PFD, we must fix the structure that keeps creating the same problems.
Revenue Reform: Replace our volatile net oil tax with a stable 6% gross severance tax on oil, a 7.5% gross tax on gas, a 16% royalty floor, and a 0.331% flat corporate tax on resources. This keeps us competitive with Texas. Expense Reform: Consolidate our 54 school district administrations into 10 regional hubs to eliminate top‑heavy bureaucracy. Hunt down redundant programs and cut, consolidate, or standardize them depending on whether they actually need to exist.
Audits must include physical inspections, because what is written down is not always what is real. A public website for reporting government waste must be visible and accessible, because spreadsheets do not always reflect reality. Finally and I hope to achieve this in my first year move the capital and legislature out of Juneau and into the state‑owned Atwood Building in Anchorage. Lawmakers should not treat the state treasury like a travel and per diem piggy bank. Holding sessions in Anchorage cuts millions in unnecessary travel and housing stipends.
Anchorage already has the hotel space for mass public participation during the winter.
I cannot wait to see busloads of people from the South Kenai Peninsula, Seward, and other parts of our district joining us at the Capitol in the Atwood Building. With administrative savings and a stabilized tax code, we can constitutionally lock in the statutory PFD formula and safely fund historical back pay through a fixed installment plan. A stable fiscal structure keeps Alaska honest.
When you look at the state budget, what’s the No. 1 thing you’d like to see cut or reduced, and what’s your No. 1 preferred way to raise new state revenue? My number‑one cut is redundant administrative bureaucracy, and my number‑one revenue mechanism is a flat wellhead resource tax. By consolidating our 54 school district central offices into regional hubs, we eliminate duplicative HR and payroll departments without removing a single dollar from classrooms.
To stabilize revenue, a flat tax based strictly on gross value at the wellhead eliminates corporate loopholes and ensures Alaskans always know exactly what our resources are bringing in. No feast‑or‑famine spending only stability.Stable revenue means stable communities.
What, if any, changes does the state need to make to its elections and voting system? While I personally dislike Ranked Choice Voting, I deeply respect the constitutional initiative process that created it. RCV was voter‑driven, and any effort to alter or repeal it belongs strictly to the people, not politicians. I also respect the initiative to change it.The benefit of these ballot fights is that they keep Alaskans intensely engaged, motivated, and politically active.
What threats do you see facing Alaska in the next four years? None of our priorities matter if the system itself is broken.The greatest threat facing Alaska is political entrenchment and elected officials who believe they answer to special interests rather than their constituents. When politicians view themselves as above the people they represent, transparency fails, resource revenues are mismanaged, and public trust collapses.We need a legislature that remembers it serves the people not the other way around.Accountability is the foundation of every other solution.
What should legislators do to make Alaska a better place for children and families? We must protect family financial security through a full PFD and build safe, accessible infrastructure. Paying the full statutory PFD provides immediate, critical relief against our high cost of living.All future highway construction and major repairs should integrate a dedicated multi‑use trail. These trails must be separated from the highway by a median buffer, span eight to ten feet wide, and safely accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, e‑bikes, and ATVs.Strong families build strong communities.
As Alaska’s average age rises, what needs to be done to make the state a better place for older residents? We must provide real tax relief for long‑term seniors and guarantee stable local medical access. For Alaskans who have paid local property and sales taxes for 20 years, I propose abolishing their property taxes and cutting their sales taxes in half through a senior card.To secure healthcare access, we should fund doctors directly through state‑backed contracts, recover costs through insurance billing, and reinvest surpluses into a revolving fund to hire more physicians. Because these providers would be state‑contracted, care denials would be eliminated, and standard co‑pays would be waived for seniors.Seniors deserve stability and respect. Ensuring good medical care and keeping taxes low encourages people to put down roots and stay, raising community value significantly.
What should Alaska do to keep residents and visitors safe from crime and disasters? I will introduce bills to strengthen property rights, secure transport hubs against illegal drugs, and demand accountability. I support expanding Castle Doctrine protections to include all outbuildings and vehicles, along with passing Purple Paint property‑posting laws.To combat the drug epidemic, we will station drug‑detection K9 units at every cruise ship and ferry port of entry, fully vetting passengers, luggage, and ship employees. If a cruise ship brings in drugs through an employee, that ship will pay hefty fines. Their mules will be held in state until trial. Accountability starts at the top. I support random drug testing for state legislators to ensure those making our laws are held to the same standards as everyday Alaskans.
What, if any, change would you make to state law to support the Alaskans who are dependent on fish harvests and the fishing industry? Alaska’s fisheries belong to the people of Alaska, we are the true constitutional beneficiaries of Alaskas natural resources. Our fish should never be sacrificed to commercial interests. I will fight to end trawling within state‑managed waters. While most visual and ecological damage occurs in federal waters, the destruction within our state boundaries is entirely within our power to stop. Every local ecosystem matters, and I will defend them.Protecting our fisheries protects our identity.
What do people not know about you that you think they should know? Creativity keeps me moving forward
What should the Legislature do to help Alaskans with the high cost of living? We must immediately return resource wealth to the people and secure transparent tax structures. This means paying the full statutory PFD and scheduling back payments owed to residents.Returning resource wealth keeps families afloat.
How are the Trump administration’s policies working in Alaska? Where do you see them working well, and where do you see problems? Federal policies must always be evaluated through a single lens: whether they protect Alaska’s right to develop our resources and grow our economy. Several federal initiatives focusing on resource independence, regulatory rollbacks, and infrastructure support align with our needs. Whenever federal policy creates friction for our unique supply chains or mandates top‑down solutions that do not fit rural Alaska, I will push back to protect our sovereignty. We must work to transfer federal land to the state and secure full control of our oceans for trade and economic security.Alaska’s sovereignty must always be defended. I am committed to restoring accountability, protecting our resources, and making Alaska a place where families can stay, work, and thrive.
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