Why are you running for governor and lt. governor?
Governor
Bill Walker
Nonpartisan candidate for Governor
I was born in Fairbanks and raised in Valdez, and have seen many changes in my lifetime in Alaska. Our state was built by leaders with a vision and the political courage to carry it out, and we need to get back to those roots.
I will rebuild trust in leadership by always being honest with Alaskans. I will also rebuild our state in a literal sense: submitting a full fiscal plan to the Legislature, addressing the child care shortfall, investing in education and the ferry system, confronting the affordable housing crisis, stabilizing our economy, creating opportunities for growth across our state and getting the most out of the historic federal infrastructure investment.
My running mate, Heidi Drygas, is also Fairbanks born and raised. She’s a former Democrat, and I’m a former Republican. We set aside our party labels to form a Unity Ticket to bring common sense decision-making back to Juneau. Above all, we are two Alaskans working to make it so our children and grandchildren have the same opportunities we did.
The current governor has no vision beyond his next election. He was elected by making big promises he knew he couldn’t keep, and he has torn down our schools and university system, ferries and countless other institutions that took generations to build up. Alaska needs to get our economy on track and create a positive future, but right now we have a governor who runs from tough decisions and looks to others for leadership instead of stepping up. Alaska deserves better.
Charlie Pierce
Republican candidate for Governor
Look at the state budget, our economy, our education scores and the unemployment rates in our state. In some of these categories Alaska ranks dead last. Look at the broken relationships between the governor and the Legislature. There is no sense of urgency to change anything. Our current government is simply not getting the job done. I believe I can, and that’s why I’m running for governor.
Les Gara
Democratic candidate for Governor
Alaskans deserve a future of better schools, good paying jobs and true, equal opportunity to succeed again. Twenty thousand more people have left Alaska than moved here under Gov. Dunleavy, because they see no future for themselves or future work for their children, and no commitment to public education.
As the only pro-choice candidate for governor, I want to make sure we protect reproductive freedom, and appoint judges who won’t reverse Alaska’s pro-choice caselaw. And I believe in equal rights, not government interference in decisions about whom one is allowed to love.
As someone who grew up in foster care, I believe everyone deserves the chance to succeed. Instead we have a state with struggling schools, years of austerity construction and community infrastructure budgets. That’s left people out of needed work, and caused many Alaskans to move to other states with their job skills.
This governor has shown a lack of commitment to protect our fish. His poor policies range from his misguided support of a toxic Pebble mine, to Outside factory trawlers the governor’s nominees have allowed to dump over 1,000 tons of halibut and over 500,000 chum dead, just in the Bering Sea. He’s given Outside corporations a priority over Alaska’s fish. That excessive waste needs to be reversed.
Mike Dunleavy
Republican candidate for Governor
I’m running because I want to build on the accomplishments of the past four years we’ve achieved despite natural disasters, a pandemic, an overreaching federal government and partisan opposition. I have a vision for Alaska that takes advantage of all its potential, from energy in every form to our global position as a logistics hub and as a proving ground for emerging technologies in everything from renewable energy to drones to micronuclear to hydrogen fuel. We’ve reduced our crime rates and increased our state troopers and Village Public Safety Officers. We’ve passed bipartisan education reform to ensure every student is proficient in reading by third grade. We’ve cleared the backlog of sexual assault kits and we’re collecting owed DNA. Except for education and public safety, we’ve cut the operating budget by 10% and we haven’t raised taxes. By increasing access to our abundant lands and waters, we can build food systems in Alaska that are secure and resilient to global supply chain disruptions. I believe in Alaska, I believe in Alaskans and I believe our best days are within reach. My vision for Alaska isn’t just for the next four years. My vision is for the next 50 years and beyond.