Election 2022: Five candidates in a race for two local assembly seats

Candidates for two local districts on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly had the opportunity to submit answers to the Frontiersman candidate questionnaires as part of our 2022 election coverage. For the State House and Senate coverage, see frontiersman.com. For Mat-Su School Board election coverage, frontiersman.com and the Sunday print edition.

District 1

Tim Hale

I am a natural-born Alaskan, raised on Prince William Sound, and a graduate of Valdez High School. The first summer after graduation, I was here in the Valley fighting the Miller’s Reach fire in the Division of Forestry Intern Crew. It was that summer that I fell in love with Butte. I went on to study civil engineering and construction management at UAF. Since then, I’ve worked as a construction surveyor and heavy equipment operator working in Mat-Su and across the state. I became a full-time Butte resident in 2014.

It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve my friends and neighbors in the Mat-Su Borough for the last 3 years. During this time, I’ve worked hard to fulfill my campaign promises and deliver for our community. Some of the highlights include: reducing the property tax mil rate every year I’ve been on the assembly, establishing the Online Checkbook, implementing permanent Telephonic Testimony so folks in the district don’t have to drive to Palmer just to have their voice heard, secured funding for the Jonesville Public Shooting Range and Skeetawk Ski area, put in a successful bid to bring the Arctic Winter Games to the Mat-Su in 2024, made the Mat-Su Borough a Second Amendment Sanctuary, and requiring a hand count of every ballot cast in our borough elections. I’ve also worked hard to listen, show up to community councils, and work to address borough issues facing our community — ranging from fixing potholes and helping with property disputes to cleaning up the Bodenburg Compound and going after squatters.

If re-elected, I will continue fighting for our community, listening, showing up, and delivering on the priorities and concerns of our district.

Brian Endle

I’m an Alaskan-first candidate who believes in less government, lower taxes and election integrity. Unlike the other candidate, I’ve been bringing people to the Assembly to fight for these values over the past six years. I have over 20 years of experience in computers and own two successful local businesses with my wife. Even now I am working with a group to replace voting machines with hand-counting in the borough (elections). I’m dedicated to work to make the borough prosperous without burdensome regulations or taxes. I’m your true conservative candidate and would be honored to have the vote of Mat-Su Borough (voters in) District 1.

District 2

Stephanie Nowers

My husband and I moved from Anchorage to a cabin off Wasilla-Fishhook in 1995, and since then we’ve seen the Valley explode with opportunities. In 2000 we moved to the Palmer area where we raised our two daughters. I run an energy consulting and communications business. I ran for Borough Assembly because I want to keep the Valley a great place to live, work, play, and do business. I have been honored to be your representative for the past three years.

The Valley is the fastest-growing place in the state with a population of over 100,000 and climbing. That has brought prosperity and challenges. On the Assembly, I have worked to encourage growth and also preserve the qualities and way of life that we cherish.

I’m a fiscal conservative from a military family and was taught from an early age that we should serve our community and work together to solve problems. I have kept an eye on the bottom line and looked to resolve issues before they become problems, like working with the state and borough to make sure the Glenn Highway is lighted and that state parks like Matanuska Lake stay open. I have voted to lower the property tax rate; adopted an online checkbook; put forward $60 million for new roads; supported new shooting ranges off Carmel Road south of Wasilla and at the Jonesville area near Sutton, and passed legislation to reduce paperwork for disabled veterans seeking property tax exemptions.

There’s a lot of work still to do. We need to tackle severely overcrowded roads, reduce crime, and bring more higher paying jobs to Mat-Su so fewer people have to spend hours commuting to Anchorage. My priorities will be keeping up with growth including public safety and building needed roads, reducing costs for our business community, and making sure you are kept informed. Together, we can work to keep the Valley growing! Find out more about me at www.NowersforAssembly.com or reach me 907.831.6299

Dana Raffaniello

I have been in the Valley since 2012, and in Alaska since 2021. I was born and Raised in Brooklyn, and served in the Marines for 12 years. I am running because of how polarized our our politics has become, and where parents and students are under attack from the left.

Recently, Palmer recalled 3 elected council members who violated our open meeting laws. I would rather not have an Assembly person representing District 2 that is associated with those recalled council members and their Braided River/BLM (Black Lives Matter) group.

I would encourage more gun ranges in the valley and not try to shut down the ones already here. We need to restore trust in our elections, snd so going back to hand counts (of ballots) will help in that direction. I am opposed to the incumbent for district 2 who only wants to hand count a sample of the borough (votes).

I would like to see the Mat-Su valley move in a positive direction, and where we have safe roads and schools for our increasing population. I would like to see more access to recreational areas in the valley, and improve parking and facilities in (our) existing ones

I am all about transparency, the government gets its power from the people, hence we should not hide anything. No “backroom” dealing should be going on. I would like more public input on what we need to do as a Borough.

Meghan Trupp

My name is Meghan Trupp. I’m a real Alaskan native in every sense of the word who understands that Alaskans know what Alaskans need. Of Yup’ik heritage, born and raised in the Mat-Su Valley, I have been deeply involved with my community since childhood.

Competing in physically and mentally strenuous sports like gymnastics, cross country skiing, and cross country running helped hone my independence, determination, and drive to succeed while learning the value of teamwork playing soccer, volleyball, and rugby.

I graduated from Colony High School where my ability to perform under pressure on the field helped me earn a college athletic scholarship. There I pursued higher education in the rigorous fields of chemical engineering and mineral processing. I completed challenging engineering internships around the country, from a silver mine in Idaho, a gold mine in Nevada, and even a specialty paper production facility in Wisconsin. I have excelled in my home state and across the nation, but my love of the Alaskan lifestyle; hunting, fishing, foraging, and exploring, mixed with a love of community and a desire to serve brought me back home to Alaska.

Today in Alaska, I’m raising my family and serving those around me, averaging twenty hours of volunteer work each week. I give my time to issues important to this community and the libertarian movement, fundraising for nonprofit groups like MMIW, Kids Kupboard, and advocating to end the practice of trawl fishing.

I became interested in politics when I began to see how much control the government is willing to assert over the lives of Alaskans. I push for nullification to stop government overreach in Alaska, fully believing that Alaskans know what is best for themselves and their families. To further that goal, I created the Eskimo Libertarian page to educate the people of Alaska and beyond on the libertarian movement, as well as events, issues, and legislation impacting liberty on the local, state, national, and even international stage.

My activism also includes volunteerism, where I participate and encourage others to join me in cleaning up our community or fundraise for those in need. I do what I can to fill a need in our community.

I’m motivated and passionate about restoring constitutional rights and ensuring a freer tomorrow for my family, my community, and all the people of Alaska, because Alaskans know what Alaskans need.

Additionally, I want to significantly reduce how much people need to pay in property taxes. I find it highly immoral that people bought property with their hard earn dollars and have to continually buy their property from the government. With COVID lockdowns, people losing their jobs, and skyrocketing inflation, it’s already difficult to make ends meet. Yet during this time, property taxes are still continuing to jump at an unsustainable and immoral pace. That needs to end.

The Mat Su school district has a 70% graduation rate, yet more than 50% of our students that attempt to continue their education with UAA have to take remedial classes. We are failing our children here. Currently, we pay more than 15k per student. I want to see a school choice program where the money follows the student whether they choose public, charter, home, or a combination of systems. This system breeds competition in programs to do better which will greatly benefit our children and parents will have a more effective say in their curriculums. Educators won’t be held to a cookie cutter standardized curriculum and will be able to cater to the needs of the students.