Election 2022: Local candidates vying for six seats in the Alaska House of Representatives

Local candidates for six local seats in the Alaska House of Representatives had the opportunity to submit answers to the Frontiersman candidate questionnaires as part of our 2022 election coverage. For the State Senate coverage, see frontiersman.com and the Sunday edition. For Mat-Su Borough Assembly and Mat-Su School Board election coverage, see an upcoming edition of the Frontiersman.

House District 25

DeLena Johnson, Republican (incumbent)

Personal: DeLena Johnson has lived in Alaska for 55 years, starting in Talkeetna in 1967. She lived in Anchorage for two years, from 1982 to 1984 and in the Valley since then, from 1985 to 1988 in Wasilla and from 1989 on in Palmer. She and her husband, Steven Johnson, have been married 41 years. They have five children: Sven,Signe, Jasmin, Kiersten and Stefan.

DeLena’s special interests are in fishing, aviation, Alaska history, faith and family.

Education: DeLena graduated from Su-Valley High School in 1981, attended Mat-Su College where she received an associate degree in Electronic Technology, and the University of Alaska Anchorage, where she received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Later, in her legislative career, she attended the University of Idaho Legislative Energy Horizon Institute and was a Henry Toll Fellow in 2022.

Professional: DeLena is a small business owner. She is current President of Ethos LLC and is Past Executive Director of the Palmer Museum of History and Art.

Legislative career: DeLena has represented Palmer in the Legislature for several years. She is currently a member of the House Finance Committee and in the past was Minority Whip in the state House, a leadership position. She is currently on the House Rules, Education, Resources, Energy and State Affairs committees of the House as well as the Legislative Council, a committee that handles year-around business matters for the Legislature.

Issues of concern: “I am committed to getting Alaska on a sound fiscal path, with a practical voice and the backbone to stand up for Alaskans. Currently oil price and production is unstable resulting in record highs and lows over the last two years. State government continues to spend well beyond sustainable limits, while proposals to pay for this expenditure have resulted in taking away portions of your PFD check and attempting to impose new taxes on wages. I support a constitutional spending cap as I believe this is what it will take to address the current excess spending. In addition, Alaska continues to deal with policies around the COVID pandemic.”

“Short-sighted reactions have created economic and social confusion that continues to this day. Alaskans of all ages have lost certainty in the future in a way that is unprecedented in Alaska’s history. As a legislator I will work to find resolution in all arenas.

My objectives as your representative are straightforward: Substantially reduce state spending on non-essential services; promote development of our natural resources; distribute a full PFD, as described in current statute; encourage removal of regulations that hinder restarting our economy; no new income taxes; ensure veterans and seniors can maintain quality of life.

Lawrence Wood, Republican

Why I’m running: I am running because I believe that a stronger voice is needed that other conservatives in the Valley delegation can depend upon. I will prioritize child safety, our rights and education. Our constitutional rights are sacrosanct.

Issues of Concern: I grew up in an Alaska where hard work, individual initiative, and self-reliance were common. I grew up in a Valley that had working farms, a working coal mine, and a gold mine. Agriculture and resource development are vital if Alaska is to feed itself and achieve fiscal stability. Alaska needs cheap power, cheap heat, and access to resources. I want smaller government, a statutory PFD, and what is owed. (We need to) enable the private sector, restrain government.

My focus is education, because Alaska’s education system is 47th overall (in the nation), and 50th in fourth grade literacy. I want education out of the “woke” LGBTQ grooming business, and the unions and feds out of the classroom. Federal education funding imposes 66 percent of the regulations governing the classroom. Literacy, not indoctrination; accountability, no more rewarding failure. I support homeschooling.

Personal: I am qualified to run. I have a diverse background to draw from in the execution of the (legislative) office. I am Christian, Conservative Republican, pro-life, pro-family, unabashedly American and Alaskan, I carry a firearm daily, hunt as injuries allow, and like to write opinion pieces. My creed is God, Family, Country.

I have been a resident of House District 25 since 1961, Alaska since Jan, 1954.

Lydia, my wife, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on 8 March, 2022. We both graduated from Palmer High School. We have three grown children, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Lydia (Lindeke) is a retired 27-year teacher and born and raised in Palmer and is my resource regarding education, sexual abuse, and my anchor for common sense.

My work history spans over 40 years, with 18 years telephony; management in mining and equipment fabrication/development Since 1976, I have been part-time, and full-time from 1986, as president of Terra Resources, Ltd. I have worked remote mining operations in Alaska, soil remediation operations in Hawaii , Idaho and Canada. I have paralegal, computer, and contract negotiation experience. When I don’t know, I ask questions. Study, and I work to stay informed.

My military experience is with the reserves and auxiliary including the Alaska Army National Guard; civil air patrol and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. I have been part of four gubernatorial campaigns. Sarah Palin, Bill Walker, and, Mike Dunleavy. I resigned from Walker’s campaign in late August, 2014, because he made a deal with the unions, Byron Mallott, and the Democrats.

House District 26

Cathy Tilton, Republican (incumbent)

Personal, education and professional: “I am a lifelong Alaskan who grew up in Anchorage and have lived in the MatSu for over 30 years. After graduating from Service High School, I earned a certificate in Accounting and Travel from Alaska Business College.In 1980, I moved to Big Lake where I began working for a local law firm and started my family. Later, I went to work for the Mayor of Wasilla. After that, my husband and I started several successful small businesses that have employed dozens of Alaskans around the Mat-Su. I have also worked for several members of the Mat-Su legislative delegation as staff.

Legislative career: Over the last four terms, I have served as Chair of the Community and Regional Affairs Committee in the Alaska House; two terms as a member of the House Finance Committee and most recently as leader of the House Republican Minority.

Priorities: On the state budget, “I remain convinced that the cornerstone of a long-term fiscal plan must be a revised constitutional spending limit that actually limits spending an as a member of the House Finance Committee, I introduced House Joint Resolution 7 in 2017. I have worked closely with the governor and other legislators to pursue our shared goal of a new constitutional spending limit that we can place before Alaska voters in 2024.

On election integrity and security,”I have vocally opposed so-called “elections reform” measures such as the PFD/voter registration and Ranked Choice Voting ballot initiatives. I will work with my colleagues in the House and Senate to adopt a thorough and robust elections security package and repeal Ranked Choice Voting within the first session of the 33rd Legislature. Alaskans must have confidence in the validity of our elections.

On the Permanent Fund dividend, “I have always supported the historic formula for PFD payouts, and my voting history reflects that. If there are any changes going forward, Alaskans MUST participate in that decision by voting on any change.

Daniel Stokes, Libertarian

Personal: Daniel Stokes is Athabaskan family man and U.S. Coast Guard veteran originally from Nikolai, Alaska. He currently lives and works in Wasilla as a HVAC/R journeyman mechanic, dispatched out of Local 23. He’s spent years as a youth baseball coach and assisting fellow veterans with challenges.

Why I am running: “I am running for State House District 26 to force the legislature to resume its responsibilities to the Alaskan people.

Issues of Concern: The Permanent Fund, along with the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD), should be maintained according to its original constitutional and statutory calculation and purpose, and that all individuals’ reductions to pay for state services should be voluntary.

On Alaska resource management, “I believe that Alaskans should manage Alaska’s resources, not the federal government. The Legislature should do everything in it’s power to assert the people’s rights over Alaska’s resources and work with the state’s federal representatives to reclaim federally-managed lands.

On freedom from mandates: “I believe that an individual’s right of choice is absolute and no real or imagined “emergency” (whether medical, environmental, military, or other) can be used as a pretext for infringing on individual freedoms.

On economic liberty: “I support the curtailing of stifling regulations for all people, groups, occupations and businesses. The state should not be creating incentives, subsidies, penalties, or regulations that selectively advantage, disadvantage or coerce some over others. Taxpayers should not be a safety net for private businesses.

House District 27

David Eastman, Republican (incumbent)

Personal: “I was assigned to JBER (Joint Base Elemendorf Richardson) in the Army in 2003. I have lived in Eagle River, Peters Creek, Palmer and Wasilla since that time. My wife and I joke that every time we move we end up just a little bit further away from Anchorage. The district I am running in is a new district that includes Wasilla and Meadow Lakes. Jennifer and I have three girls and one boy.

Why I am running: “As a father, I am concerned at the direction our state is headed and what my kids will have to deal with in the coming years if we are not successful in prioritizing the future of Alaska over political expediency, which inevitably involves capitulating to the priorities of various special interests.”

On qualifications: “Legislators should have a solid grasp of economics, have courage, a sound moral compass, and be committed to working extremely hard on behalf of the people in the pressure cooker that is Juneau.”

“When compromises are made, they should further the public interest, not sell out one group of voters for the benefit of another group that is louder or more politically connected.”

“No matter what has been thrown at me, I have never abandoned my constituents. I am not afraid of taking the hard votes, even knowing they will be spun to my disadvantage afterwards. I am also the only Valley legislator to vote on every bill since I was elected to office.”

“I currently represent the residents of Houston, Willow, Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, and parts of Meadow Lakes and Wasilla in the Alaska House of Representatives.”

Issues of concern: “I would like to work to restore public confidence in the integrity of our election process. Over the past several years we have watched as first one party and then another cries foul after our national presidential elections, depending on which party wins the election of course.”

“The truth is that both parties have pointed to valid concerns over vulnerabilities in our elections. It just isn’t expedient to spend time highlighting those concerns shortly after you win an election. Incumbents who won election under the current system are often reticent to make any changes that might hurt their chances of getting reelected.

“We have two problems: First, we owe it to the public to ensure that the current mousetrap we are using to execute our elections is accurate and reliable. Second, even if you have a perfect mousetrap (which we are not even close to having presently), you must address concerns from the public about its integrity.”

“It’s been a long time since the 1950’s, and “Just Trust Us” won’t work anymore. We must provide the level of transparency and accessibility that the public requires, even if it is inconvenient and requires more work on the part of those running our elections.

“A lack of transparency can easily translate into lack of voter access because many Alaskans will not feel that they can participate in elections they do not trust.”

Brendan Carpenter, Republican

Personal and professional: I was born in Alaska and raised in Wasilla, and am a 46-year Alaskan and have two children, Kevin Carpenter and Olivia Carpenter. I am ready to give back to my home. I joined the U.S, Marine Corps after graduating from Wasilla High School in 1987 and returned home for a few years before attending Trinity Bible College. I returned again and started working with youth as a football coach for what was then the MYFA, or the Mat-Su Youth Football Association. I moved to Anchorage and worked with Pop Warner as a coach while working with special children at Assets Inc.

“I found working with youths to be very fulfilling and continued working with children with high functioning autism and asperger’s sydrome. I was with the Anchorage School District for six years in different roles, and in 2007 joined the Alaska Military Youth Academy. With a strong background in team building and the ability to work with others, I want to give our kids an Alaska they want to call home.

What I hope to accomplish: “A full PFD in its original intent and a payback for what was wrongfully taken from Alaskans (over several years of underfunding the PFD). The Port Mackenzie Project must be finished to be a port Alaskans can be proud of. Legislative sessions must also be on the road system. To become a state we had to prove we could be independent, (but) the feds are no longer allowing us to maintain our obligations. This needs to be resolved.

Stuart Graham, Republican

Personal: I moved to Alaska in 1987 when the Air Force transferred me to my dream assignment: Elmendorf Air Force Base, flying a C-130 transport aircraft. First living in Eagle River, I flew throughout the state and the world as an Air Force officer and became an active community member with a family of three children, all of whom still live in Alaska as responsible citizens and community members. After leaving the Air Force in 1994, I moved to the valley and immediately got involved in the community through the Chambers of Commerce and a variety of non-profit organizations.

Professional: “My employment in the valley includes working in the automobile sales for Nye Frontier Ford, Valley Motors and Budget Car and Truck Sales and Rental. I also spent 13 years as manager for the Alaska Club, simultaneously managing clubs in Wasilla, Palmer and Eagle River. I moved to the telecommunication business working with Matanuska Telephone Association in commercial sales and then in community and government relations until my retirement.

“Having spent three terms as president of chambers of commerce, as board member for multiple non-profit community organizations and as a member of various local government committees, I decided to run for the Wasilla City Council and am now serving my third term. I am focusing on efficient use of taxpayer funds to provide essential government services, infrastructure and public safety while working with other communities throughout the state as president and board member of the Alaska Municipal League. My experience has shown me the value of and need for teamwork to move the community forward and be a city and state where people want to live, work and play.

Why I am running: “If elected to represent House District 27 (Wasilla and Meadow Lakes) I intend to work with our other valley legislators to ensure our area receives the attention and funding we need to continue or growth and have safe and efficient transportation, responsive and properly staffed public safety, all while working on election reform, judicial reform, reducing regulation, and realistic budgeting including a statutory PFD for our families.

“This cannot be accomplished if our representative is excluded from committees and conversations and denied leadership positions because of failure to work well with others. I have a history of effective teamwork and coalition building to provide for our community and will be an effective member of our legislature.

House District 28

Steve Menard, Republican

Personal: Steve Menard is in real estate and has lived and worked in the Valley for 51 years with his wife, Colleen.

Why I am running: “Politics is in my blood and want to give back to the community.”

On my qualifications: “I have a degree from University of Alabama in Political Science and History; served in the U.S. Marine Corps and am a veteran. I worked in DC for U.S. Senator Ted Stevens in Washington, D.C. and have worked in Juneau, and been involved in politics one way or another all my adult life.” Menard also served on Wasilla’s city council.

Issues of concern: “A ‘full’ PFD; term limits’ and fixing Bogard!” (Bogard Road)

Jesse Sumner, Republican

Personal/Family: I am a lifelong Mat-Su resident. I was born and raised here and graduated from Colony High School. My wife, Amber, is originally from Wrangell. We are raising our own family here and have three amazing sons – Richard, 8; Charlie, 5; and Leo, 3.

Professional: I am co-owner, with my brother Maxwell, of Sumner Company Homes. We are a local homebuilding company originally started in 1984 by my father, who instilled in me Alaskan values of hard work, integrity, and family-first. We are proud to continue this tradition with the family business, where we build quality, on-time, and on-budget homes for other Mat-Su families.

Prior elected office: I am serving my second three-year term on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly and am the current deputy mayor. I’m also on the Alaska Real Estate Commission. I previously served on the Wasilla Planning Commission, and was the vice chair of Alaska Policy Forum.

Why I am running for the state House: I never imagined becoming a Borough Assemblymen. However, as my sons are growing up, I am increasingly concerned about the future we are leaving the next generation. I could no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the results of government mismanagement. It was my lifetime of responsible management that gave me the skills to be a successful leader for the Assembly. I would be honored to expand on what I’ve learned and be a leader for the Mat-Su in the Legislature.

What do you hope to accomplish in the Legislature?: “The current geopolitical situation has created paths of opportunity for Alaska families and businesses that we cannot afford to pass up. We are at a crossroads as a state, and difficult decisions need to be made. We can no longer afford a Legislature that shirks its fiscal responsibility and gets bogged down in partisan bickering.

“I have a track record of accomplishment that can only come from building consensus and working with others for successful outcomes. Whether it be advocating for a large energy project, like a gasline, or on projects of more local interest, I will bring this same can-do spirit to Juneau. I believe, as the fastest growing region of the state, Mat-Su deserves a fair share of federal infrastructure spending. Growth has overwhelmed our roads, and beyond-capacity state roads like Bogard need immediate attention. I will work diligently to ensure we get what we need to keep this community and this state vibrant and sustainable for families and businesses.

Jessica Wright, Republican

Personal: I’m pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, pro-PFD, and pro-economy. I’m a business owner, real estate investor, and a magazine editor. I’ve been a resident of Wasilla for about 12 to 13 years. We have 5 children and one grandson: Ryan, Andrew, Alex, Pierce, and Justin.

Why I am running: “The reason I’m running is because I can’t tolerate what I’ve seen in our state. We haven’t received the full PFD since 2016 because of government’s overreach. I fear our state has been heading to the socialist direction with big government spending and our portion of PFD have been used to pay for the bloated budget. I want to be the voice for the people to fix the problems in our state government.

On my qualifications: “I have strong morals which many politicians are lacking. I’ve a political science degree that most politicians don’t have. With my political insight, I often write political analysis on various political issues. I’ve been assisting with my husband’s political campaigns in the past few years (and know) the Alaskan political landscapes.

I’m one of those people who have never served in the public office before, but like (Donald) Trump, who was elected to be the President of the United States. We have seen some state legislators who were not in public office before but turned out to be great leaders. I will always serve the people so I think I will be an excellent legislator.

Issues of concern: “I’d like to restore the PFD law to its original formula, Hammond’s five-year average earnings, and the 50/50 Plan. The reason why our state is doing extremely poorly is the last seven years is because we have capping our PFD but not the state budget, and it caused our economy to collapse and lost thousands of jobs. We need to reverse the big government policy by going back the Hammond’s 50-50 plan, to give the people the maximum benefit and keep our state government in check. Finally, we need to remove the PFD from the state budget. PFD should be a transfer (to the people), not an appropriation.

Rachel Allen, Republican

Personal: I am a dental hygienist and a resident of this district for seven years. I have been married for 22 years and have five children. Although Allen has not previously held public office, “I decided to run for office because I have been frustrated with the politicians I have voted for not doing the things they promised or only half heartedly fighting against the progressive movement I see taking over our state. I am a pro-life conservative through and through and I will do what I promise to do.”

Issues of concern: For Allen, a top one is election integrity: “I would work hard to implement Captain Seth Keshel’s plan that includes fighting for cleaning out the voter rolls, ban all electronic elections equipment, voter ID with paper ballots only, ban mail-in voting with very few exceptions, ban early voting, (have) drastically smaller precincts, ban ballot harvesting, make election day a holiday, new reporting requirements for transparency, and heavy prison sentences for all who commit fraud,” Allen said.

House District 29

George Rauscher, Republican (incumbent)

Information from the candidate’s website

My district: District 29 includes Farm Loop, Fishhook, Kings Lake, Sheep Mountain, Sutton, and Valdez.

My accomplishments: “I consistently vote to preserve the Permanent Fund and the PFD, am in favor of farming, the dairy industry and small business, and am pro-life. My accomplishments to date include legislation streamlining regulations on the oil and gas industry; the Secure Schools Act; legislation to enable the Jonesville Public Use Area; and “grandfather rights” for Roadhouse Licensing.

“I sponsored an important bill protecting confidential information for livestock growers, which will encourage growers to expand this industry (the bill passed).”

Issues of concern: “I favor and fully support Gov. Dunleavy’s legislation that will restore the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) amount to the statutory formula, as originally calculated by the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, as it is presently the law. I support restoring the full amount of the PFD to help restore the trust of the people and help the economy.”

“We must also pass a bill and a resolution for the legislature to abide by to eliminate the “binding caucus” rule in our Alaska State Legislature (this essentially allows votes to be controlled by a few legislators in the leadership). I will not pledge my vote unconditionally at the expense of what is best for the people I serve in trade for committee chairmanships.”

“I believe life begins at conception and abortion is the killing of a living human being. Voting for a bill that will help stop any form of abortion is important to me. My constantly voting only for the “all or nothing approach” which never has the 21 votes to become law, is leading to (unborn) children continually dying each year. So, whenever there is enough legislative votes to stop a large number of abortions, then I will vote to support that law also.”

“Second amendment gun rights: I believe in our second amendment rights. I have sponsored and co-sponsored bills that give an 18 year old who can die for our country the right to purchase a hand gun or to protect your right to defensively display your weapon to protect your property without fear of litigation for intimidating others.”

“I believe in our 2nd Amendment Right to defend: our homes, our property, our loved ones and to feed our families which is also the God given freedom, liberty and tradition of all American Citizens.”

On the Permanent Fund and PFD: “The only way we can protect our Permanent Fund and Provide for the State of Alaska is through a Constitutional Spending Cap. Resetting the existing cap is a major problem for legislators who can’t stop spending but it must happen this year.”

Elijah Haase, Nonpartisan

(No information or photo available)

House District 30

Kevin McCabe, Republican (incumbent)

Personal: My wife Linn and I live in the Big Lake community here in the Valley. I’m retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and I’ve lived in Alaska for most of the past 40 years. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree and an MBA, and currently serve the people of District 30 in the State House, and fly Boeing 747s for a major international air cargo airline. Linn and I are blessed with adult children as well as many grandkids. I’m proud to be an American and an Alaskan. Public and community service are very important to me and should be the hallmarks of any good legislator.

Why I am running: Beyond my own personal interest in improving our state’s government and policy-making practices, I decided to run for office because some of my closest neighbors and friends, who are civic and business leaders in the Mat-Su Borough, think I have the energy, grit and wherewithal to steer our state budget back into fiscal restraint, and put limits on our growing government.

My priorities: Life at Conception; a Constitutional PFD; the Second Amendment (protecting gun rights); a Spending Cap (on the state budget; development of Alaska’s Resources; limited government; election Integrity, and medical Freedom.

Doyle Holmes, Republican

Personal: Holmes was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He and his wife, Debra Holmes, have three children. He is the owner of Willow True Value Hardware, and has lived in Willow sine 1977. Holmes was in the U.S. Navy for 21 years, reaching the rank of Lieutenant ???, serving in Southeast Asia and Vietnam. In prior public service, he was Mat-Su Deputy Mayor for 3 years, serving on its assembly for 11 years.

Holmes was also was a member of the Alaska Municipal League’s Legislative Finance Division. His special interests are in electronics, business, government, and id chairman of Willow Area Seniors Inc., which operates low-income apartments for seniors.

Why I am running: “I believe it is essential to decrease the cost and scope of our state government as well as the number of regulations that control our lives. “As Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assemblyman, I was responsible for eliminating the cities and borough personal property tax, co-sponsored changes to decrease the airplane tax, made the motion to create the Local Road Paving program, built 13 schools accomplished without an increase in taxes. I will not propose new taxes unless you the voters approve them.

“I understand our constitution and the rights it affords us. You will be proud of my attendance record (in public office), my understanding of government, my integrity, my dedication, and my proven leadership ability.”

Joy Mindiola, Democrat

(No information or photo available)