By Allison Sayer

On September 26, the Greater Copper Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum at Glennallen High School. It was attended by State Senate candidates Mike Cronk (Republican) and Savannah Fletcher (Undeclared), as well as State Representative candidates Pamela Goode (Republican), Brandon Putuuqti Kowalski (Democrat), and Rebecca Schwanke (Republican).

The Chamber of Commerce Board met before the forum to collaboratively produce questions for the candidates. These questions were put to the candidates by CRSD Student Council President Skyler Griffin and Vice President Michael Johnson. The opportunity to speak first and last rotated among the candidates. Government class students Brejanay Stone, Cheyenne Fields, and Calie Conway acted as timekeepers, keeping the candidates to three minutes per answer.

The candidates were asked how they would support subsistence hunting and fishing.

Schwanke stated, “Food security is number one.” She is in favor of predator control and prescribed burns. On fishing, she stated, “The upriver harvest comes first.” She noted the seven year moratorium on Yukon River king salmon and expressed dismay at its cultural ramifications. She added, “the state needs to be able to stand up to commercial interests,” including trawling.

Kowalski stated that groceries in rural communities are expensive, therefore people need to be able to hunt and fish. “The formulas don’t work,” he said, citing a “perpetual decline or resources.” He advocated for the state to work more closely with local organizations and rural communities, giving locals “more of a say in management decisions.”

Goode advocated for “accountability for state employees at ADF&G.” She recommended  wildlife management agencies listen to local expertise from advisory committees.

Cronk stated that there are major issues in the ocean that are affecting Alaska’s fisheries. He also pointed to recent work the legislature and administration had done. He pointed out increased Alaska Native representation on the Board of Fish and Board of Game recently. Additionally, he drew attention to a bill he co-sponsored last legislative sessionl l to “shut down the Area M [commercial] fishery.” He said he had known it would not pass, but the sponsors put it forth to highlight the needs of upriver subsistence communities. Cronk also stated that he was in a bison working group within the legislature. He clarified that despite the moratorium on Yukon River kings there would be a very limited catch for cultural reasons. “Subsistence needs to be a number one priority,” he said.

Fletcher stated there is a “critical need and we haven’t been seeing enough change happening.” She praised the work Cronk has been doing to date in the legislature on these issues. She stated, “Trawling bycatch is a major problem,” and agreed with Cronk that Area M commercial fishing impacts on upriver communities should be “minimized.” She added that fishing is not “just food,” citing mental health ties to subsistence fisheries.

The candidates were then asked how they would address the high cost of power and fuel.

Kowalski advocated for hydroelectric power and connecting communities to the rail belt grid. He stated support for a natural gas pipeline for both energy and job opportunities. He also supports building renewable infrastructure. He stated that these are all “long term solutions,” but communities need an “affordable short-term solution” for the coming winters. He advocated for cheaper transportation and storage of diesel, and working to reduce the amount of diesel communities purchase at a more expensive “emergency rate.”

Goode expressed that rural Alaskans need to be “self-sufficient. The government is not coming.” She said coal and a gas pipeline are good ideas, but wanted to “make sure that we don’t pay for the infrastructure with the PFD.” She also noted that funding increased PFDs would help residents pay for fuel: “If you had $1,800 you could buy fuel or solar panels.”

Cronk stated the rail belt tie is important and the PCE credit is “a big part of lowering costs,” but was concerned that any infrastructure costs would come from the PFD. He said the state is “close to a gas pipeline,” and hopes that tech companies can be enticed to invest, potentially in return for the resource of “cold freshwater” that is important to their server infrastructure. On renewables, he said “solar arrays make sense in some places,” but emphasized “We’re going to have oil and gas. We need the ‘all hands in’ approach.”

Fletcher stated the state needs a “mix of fossil fuels and renewables.” She advocated for short- term solutions such as winterization, improved windows, and arctic entries to produce energy savings. She stated agreement with several others on pursuing the gas pipeline and rail belt intertie, and a hope to seek federal funding for large infrastructure projects. She also stated that improving existing infrastructure could help with improving transmission efficiency and lower costs. She advocated for diversifying rural energy, including “rethinking the PCE to not just be diesel.”

Schwanke stated, “The number one thing to increase revenue and lower costs is to vote for Donald Trump in November.” She also referenced the upcoming Willow and Pikka projects as upcoming new sources of oil revenue for Alaska. Schwanke advocated for additional oil development in NPRA.

Schwanke wondered whether an upcoming federally-funded hydroelectric power project in Chitina could be connected to CVEA. She emphasized her desire to “draw investment to our state,” for infrastructure and expressed that “new hydro and new solar are great but won’t help every community.”

The final question asked candidates how they would be voting on Ballot Measures 1 and 2. Ballot measure 1 would “increase Alaska’s minimum wage, provide workers with paid sick leave, and protect workers from practices that violate their constitutional rights.” Ballot measure 2 would repeal the current ranked choice voting system.

Goode, Cronk, and Schwanke all stated they opposed Ballot Measure 1 and were in favor of Ballot Measure 2. Fletcher and Kowalski stated the opposite.

The tone of the forum was generally cordial, with candidates choosing to highlight their own positions rather than attack others. The only moment of sparring occurred when Cronk stated in his closing statements, “There is no such thing as an undeclared candidate,” implying that Savannah Fletcher is a Democrat. Fletcher responded in her closing statement that the majority of District 36 voters are registered as undeclared, continuing with the statement, that, regardless of political party, “I would help you If you broke down on the side of the road.” 

The candidates’ thoughts on emergency services and funding priorities were in our October 3 edition.

James Fields, who had also been running for the District 36 house seat, has withdrawn from the race.

The Copper River Record does not endorse any candidate for state or national office, nor do we  endorse any of the candidates’ positions.