Currently holds the office of Alaska House of Representatives - District 14 until January 11, 2027.
Candidate for Alaska House of Representatives - District 14 in 2026 Alaska Primary Election.
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Get StartedMore than 70 Alaska communities — places with some of the highest rates of sexual assault in the U.S. — have no local police protection. That means, unlike most anywhere else in the United States, emergency help is hours or even days away. There are ways Alaska can work to improve law enforcement in our communities. I am supporting state policies that will help cities and villages hire officers who can not only respond to crime as it happens but prevent crime with strong youth mentoring and local partnerships. Learn more
We need a strong re-entry program from prison and from drug treatment programs so people have the support they need to stay in recovery, find meaningful work, go back to school, reunite with their families and live full lives. The state budget that I supported reflected some improvements this year, but we have more work to do. Learn more
Expand state funding for vocational and technical education programs so the two-thirds of Alaskan young people who enter the workforce after high school are ready to start their careers. Learn more
Strengthen vocational and technical schools so Alaskans can enter the workforce with the skills they need. Learn more
Pressure the federal government to pay its promised 40% share of funding for education of students with disabilities instead of the 14-15% it’s paying today, allowing smaller class sizes and more opportunity for individualized education. Learn more
Improve access to state funds for pre-K education in Alaska, including Head Start and Early Head Start. Learn more
Create incentives to educate highly-qualified teachers in Alaska and to keep them in our schools. Learn more
Mining provides an important economic development opportunity for Alaska, for local communities, and for Alaska Native Corporations. I support strong local input into a robust state permitting process. That’s why I am particularly concerned about transboundary mining and the role of Alaska’s communities in such permitting decisions. Alaska is a natural resource state and mining is a key part of our economy. However, so are our fisheries. I am opposed to the Pebble Mine Project because I believe that with current technology it is the wrong mine in the wrong location and represents too big a risk to our vital Bristol Bay fisheries business. Learn more
Key to sustaining our renewable fish resources are habitat protections and robust, science-based management systems. Changes in climate and ocean conditions are bringing many new challenges to fishermen and women, fisheries-dependent communities and fisheries managers. I will fight to ensure that state policies and financial resources provide the support needed to meet these challenges and sustain fisheries resources for all. I support subsistence rights and am working in Juneau to uphold them. Learn more
I recognize that many Alaskans rely on their PFD checks to survive, and as your State House representative I am working to protect your PFD. Efforts to reduce the PFD are the most regressive choice to balance the state’s budget and puts the burden on the poorest Alaskans. We must identify revenue sources that are progressive in their impact and that spread the burden to those who can carry it. Learn more
I support responsible exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in Alaska. Currently, the Alaskan economy depends on oil and gas production for jobs and state revenue, and it will continue to be dependent for at least the near future. I am encouraged by new on-shore discoveries and look forward to those projects advancing through the permitting and development process. I will strive to maximize Alaska-hire for any work done in the state. Alaska has some of the most stringent requirements for oil and gas operations in the world; I support those requirements and believe they should continue to be reviewed to ensure that they are adequately protecting the environment. I support the pursuit of a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to market. I am working with the State and project proponents to find opportunities to advance this project to completion. Learn more
Alaska’s fish are one of our most important natural resources. With well-funded and wise management, fishing is a truly renewable resource-based industry. Our commercial, sport, subsistence, and personal use fisheries are fundamental to our way of life and our economy. Commercial fishing employs nearly 40,000 people and generates over 2 billion in labor income. Furthermore, over one-third of Alaskans purchase sport fish licenses. Finally, aquaculture provides a significant growth opportunity for Alaska's economy. In-state commercial fisheries and federal waters in and off of Alaska annually account for more than one-half of the total volume and about one-third of the harvest value of all seafood harvested in the United States. Alaska’s fisheries provide vital sources of healthy seafood and cultural sustenance to our residents and are a critical component of Alaska’s tourism industry. Learn more
Alaska can lead the world in new energy production and innovative energy conservation. Alaska should be at the forefront of new production, research, and technology whether wind, solar, geothermal, biofuel, hydroelectric or tidal - all of these resources would help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions and control high energy costs in rural Alaska. As we move away from fossil fuel across the globe, Alaska can lead the world in new energy production. In the State Legislature, I am supportive of climate change and renewable energy research funding to Alaska’s universities. I support incentives to accelerate the use of renewable energy in our homes, businesses and public buildings. Learn more
We are the only Arctic state in the nation, providing the perfect laboratory for climate change study, mitigation, and ways to build homes differently using locally sourced energy. I advocate for policies and legislation that support these efforts. I want to see Alaska benefit from policies that encourage research and innovation in the development of alternative energy to reduce climate change. In addition, we are working to further enhance the funding for climate change research, not casting doubt on it. UAF is one of the most-cited research institutions in the world on climate change, and we should be steering more research dollars into our Universities. As noted above, Alaska should lead in creating jobs in energy conservation and climate-ready construction techniques. The Cold Climate Housing Research Center and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Fairbanks are leaders in this area. I want to be guided by science-based, data-driven information to help develop policy and legislative proposals that will help grow, and diversity Alaska's economy. Learn more
We must eliminate any restriction on the collection and study of data associated with gun violence. We cannot properly discuss this critical issue without access to accurate and comprehensive information. We must ensure that law enforcement has the legal tools necessary to take action when a person in crisis poses a threat to themselves or others. I am in support of legislation that would allow law enforcement to remove guns from the possession of someone who represents a threat to themselves or others. Finally, we need a fool-proof national background check system. Learn more
The most common cause of gun violence is bad people using guns for bad reasons. These people must be stopped before they act or punished fully once they do. Additionally, gun violence is the result of a number of societal factors that we must commit to addressing: depression and other forms of mental illness; social isolation; lack of educational support; lack of counseling; poverty; drug and alcohol abuse; criminalization of recreational drug possession and sales; and economic inequality. We must enforce existing laws on the books that punish criminals and keep people with records from getting guns. Additionally, we must provide access to effective services such as mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and vocational education. In addition, we must ensure that those demonstrating a significant threat to themselves or others are separated from any guns. Learn more
Our healthcare system is broken: it doesn’t cover enough, it’s hard for Alaskans to find doctors, and it’s too expensive for too many people. These costs are also standing in the way of economic growth. Too many small companies are unable to expand their businesses. Employers are seeing labor costs explode, while wages remain stagnant. The healthcare system has gotten too complicated; it is bureaucratic and cumbersome. Comprehensive healthcare must include coverage for illness and injury and also coverage for preventative care, maternal and reproductive care, mental health, vision, and dental. And it needs to be easy to navigate. In the Legislature, I am fighting for all of us to have comprehensive, affordable care. That includes protecting people with pre-existing health conditions so they don’t lose their insurance. Learn more
Invest in infrastructure, including broadband networks so everyone in the state can take advantage of high-growth internet-based careers and educational opportunities. Learn more
Fight for legislation to improve our state’s family leave, sick leave, child care assistance, nutritional support and programs that help parents support their child’s healthy development. Learn more
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.