Facebook video: Begich-Hnilicka announcement

Former Democratic Party State Chair, also the former Fairbanks Interior Democrats Chair. We're going to start off in the right way by getting Sonny and Travis to drum us into a good mood and into a good place. So, uh, Sonny and Travis.

Thank you.

Would you all like to stand? Yes, please. Yeah, we like participation. Thank you so much for allowing this space and time and sing a few Diné, uh, Akwesasne songs with A song from Ninana, "Ane Happy Day." We give homage and thanks to all the makers of these songs from way back. We hope we do it justice, and thank you for standing and celebrating with us.

This is "Ane Happy Day." Can you say that? Ane Happy Day. That's what we all want. Ane Happy Day.

Thank you so much. So we have a short agenda for the day so that again we can be back outside on this great nice day that's also the last day of school for many parents out there like myself trying to figure out what I'm gonna do with my kids the next couple, uh, days. So, you know, I met Tom probably 20 years ago, but the first real thing I should say as a therapeutics person, I'm always suspect of anybody from any But Tom really won me over very quickly because he's worked on campaigns from Ketchikan to Kotzebue. He cares about every race, whether it's Fairbanks City Council or Juneau City Council or school board races, um, out in the bush. He is a true Alaskan who works for every Alaskan, and he did that before he was in politics.

He did that as a state senator. And then since he's been out of the legislature, he's been working around the state to make sure that we have good leadership, make sure that we have good legislation going through our legislative bodies, and making sure that all of us have a better future. Um, I'm really honored that he asked me to help MC tonight, um, because I couldn't support him more. Um, and I'm very excited about his lieutenant governor nomination candidate. I can't wait for that to be announced.

She is, or they are, wonderful, and I've also known them for a long time. I'm going to start off by introducing our first speaker, which will be Tristan Lola, who has been a lifelong community organizer in Fairbanks. He grew up in Fairbanks, he went outside for school, but he came back, and he has been working on campaigns on policy, on everything to make everyday Alaskans and everyday Fairbanksans just better, to make our community a better place to be, to make it so that my kids and hopefully my grandkids will stay here and raise their families here. So, Tristan.

And thanks to our friends for opening us up and softening the soft in a good way. And thank you all for being here, really. Really grateful to be in a room with you all because I know you all care very much about Alaska's future. That care for the future is something I see in this campaign. It's something that I know both Tom and Julia hold strongly in their hearts.

And given the stakes of this election, We're at a time when we really need that leadership. As someone who grew up here in Fairbanks and loves it dearly, it's been hard to see so many years of decline for our community. The cost of living a decent life in Alaska in particular is really just too high. As a community organizer, I know that housing is just unaffordable and low quality here in Fairbanks and across the state. Healthcare premiums and out-of-pocket expenses have been skyrocketing.

Food costs are unacceptably high while traditional and subsistence foods are at risk. And despite being an energy state, our communities are paying some of the highest prices for energy in the country.

Over the last decade, we've also seen the services of our communities, um, depend on falling apart, with our school system crumbling under the weight of underfunding and broken pension system, incompetence threatening our ability for the state to receive federal highway funds, and an unfair tax code that benefits outside corporations and the very rich while working people of Alaska get our kidneys cut. Boo! Too often our so-called leaders have failed to act on these crises, at best ignoring the needs of our communities and working people, And that we're selling our communities out to those same outside corporate interests and lobbyists and accelerating our decline.

So considering the stakes of the moment, it's a good thing we have a campaign like Tom's bringing, uh, Philaskans together around the solutions that we really need. One thing I really appreciate about Tom in particular is his willingness to listen to Philaskans. Starting from last year, actually, this last year, as part of our youth collective, a group advocating on the needs of young Alaskans in our community. We shared what we heard from hundreds of working people, young people, and parents that housing affordability and quality is a massive problem in our community. And Tom, to his credit, actually listened to us.

He shared that he also heard from many other community members across the state that are concerned about the housing conditions Alaska. He thought creatively with us about how we could take the ideas and concerns we shared about how to build more affordable housing, high-quality housing for Alaskans, and tangibly use state resources to help accomplish that goal, like leveraging the University of Alaska's lands and the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. So I want to reiterate a few aspects of Tom's campaign that I think are important for this very moment. The campaign's focus on the material needs of working people in Alaska, our families, rural Alaska, young people, and future generations of Alaskans, not divisive partisanship or the demands of outside corporations and lobbyists. The campaign's vision for the future of Alaska focused not just on platitudes, but specifically what our communities need to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

Affordable housing, sustainable energy, universal healthcare, and excellent education and public services. And the campaign's ambition to think big about how the state can actually do more to address these challenges, not just getting stuck in status quo thinking. These values are something that I know both Tom and Julia hold, and I'm strongly grateful for that. That's the kind of politics Alaska really needs right now. And it takes more than one person or even two to do that.

We actually need a whole movement of lots of things. So I'm really grateful to everyone in this room for that evening, um, and for giving Tom and Julia your consideration. I'm excited to also hear some other voices tonight too. So with that, I'm going to hand the mic to our very first borough assembly member, uh, Garrett Marshaw.

Thank you, Sonny, and thank you, Brother Clinton. So the past election cycle, you've seen amazing energy in organizing. All sorts of groups, from labor unions, groups like Fire Collective, Black Feminist Native Movement, have been getting out and organizing. And some amazing people I see, some of whom are in this very room, have come out to help organize people and win elections. Elections that by the way, some said we shouldn't have won.

And instead we did because we cared and we worked hard together. As is one of the values that's really important for people here in Fairbanks, in Alaska. It's hard work. Especially as we're in the low winter, right? You can't complain if your sewer line is frozen.

You gotta get it done. And that is one of the core values that I think that Tom sees and recognizes here at the Interior. The value of hard work. Perseverance and— sorry, picture first. Yes, and practicality and community.

I would say, for example, I wasn't involved in politics myself until a few years ago. I was just an ordinary PE teacher, still a PE teacher by day, but I saw, like Tristan mentioned, how our schools were crumbling, how my principal mentioned of the 12 years he'd been teaching in this district— now it's 15— every year, you know, you would cut and they can do with less. And I've seen it too, and decided I want to get involved, do something about it. And I'm happy to say I'm not alone in that. There's a lot of people stepping forward and doing the hard work to win elections, to get, you know, progressive, community-minded people elected in office to make positive changes for Alaska.

So with that, sir, a quick round of applause. Woo!

Yes. Okay. Now, on that, I had some great— I met Tom myself just earlier this year, and actually, correct myself, it was last December, and I was surprised with how well, like Tristan said, he listens to people. I brought up my concerns as a teacher, who I felt personally overlooked by a lot of people, like the officials and candidates, who were like, "Oh, that's great," but they didn't really listen, but he did. He also heard the concerns I've heard from people like those as well about housing, high cost of living, high cost of energy, the environmental issues that we're facing here, the instability that traditional goods that our villages depend on.

And he's listening and he's got concrete plans. He really is not afraid to dive into the hard issues on things like housing, schools, energy, infrastructure, for Alaskans, I will add. And not for corporate interests. And keeping young people in Alaska. So I have one quick anecdote I pulled up.

This is an issue we hear from every day, is that a lot of people say, "Oh, this is a wonderful place, but I wonder how much I can afford to live here." So I say, one of my colleagues, nice younger man who's a father of 4, works in DC, school, have a conversation, maybe, well, gee, my wife and I would love to see other kids, but it's hard to find something we can afford, so should I flush it? Well, it's a shame to lose yet another family of young Alaskans just because— and have them move to Texas because they can't afford to live here. And please say that Tom has a plan for that and ideas on how to build new houses in Glen Hill. He'll tell you all about it, of course, if you ask him.

So I'm certain of you, that's why I'm supporting Tom Begich and Julie Annalika for Lieutenant Governor this year. Because they, because they care about bringing people together and governing seriously on the actual issues that we are facing and see every day. He cares deeply about Alaska's future and wants to see people like my friend, the new friend, the teacher, wants to plant roots, stay here, and find reasons for their kids to want to stay here too. And he understands that our long-term solutions and our need for more self-reliance. And most importantly, he's excited about what Alaska could become under his leadership as governor.

I'm excited for it too! Hope you are as well. With that, I'd like to welcome our future Governor of Alaska—. Tom Begich Jr.! Woo-hoo!

If you don't know, I am Patrick Williams. Hahaha. I want to thank you all coming out on this sunny afternoon; weather is beautiful here.

It's stupendous out there. And it has been a long cold winter. And I know that because I came up here at 40 below and came up here at 36 below and came up here at 25 below. And that wasn't even the coldest that you had here. So I want you to know I appreciate Fairbanks.

I appreciate you being here. And I appreciate selecting my next Lieutenant Governor of the State of Alaska from here. But more on that in just a moment. I want to thank Sonny and Travis. Where are you guys?

Are you still here? If you're not here, thanks Sonny, Travis, and Clifford. I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the mayor of the city is here. So— There are a number of other people who have both served served in office or are currently serving in office that are here, and I would just ask if you have ever served on a school board or a municipal assembly or the city council, if you just take a moment and stand, or if you are currently serving, just take a moment and stand so people can see and acknowledge your years of service to this community.

Thank you for your service. I see my friend in Canada enjoyed that Colin series. I want to thank in particular, going back to Sonja Travis, thank them for grounding us in this moment because it does matter. We are a people connected by our roots, by our neighborhoods, by our connection to each other as people who believe in this state.

I want to thank Mike for doing the master of ceremonies work, and Tristan, thank you so much, and the Fireweed Collective for informing me and keeping me informed. But I also want to thank you, Garrett, for taking the risk of standing up here in front of this audience and telling them what you think and how you feel. I appreciate all three of you Please give them a round of applause. More importantly, I want to thank my wife and my partner, Sarah Sledge, who is my partner in life but my partner on the campaign trail, so it's a difficult lift, but she's who's willing to do it. Without that, I don't think I could do it.

And so having the right person beside me matters both for Lieutenant Governor and at home as well. So thank you, Sarah, for being here. Everyone here, I'm so humbled and honored by so many of you that have shown up today. I actually didn't know what to expect, and you humbled me. So here's a plop round of laws for fair banks that must be made for you.

So I'm going to be—. You're showing up for Alaska. I'm the son of Nicholas and Peggy Begich. Some of you knew my parents. My mother's still with us.

My father, of course, passed in 1972. I'm the grandson of immigrants from Croatia. And that's something a lot of people don't know about my family. New Americans who became true Americans. No matter where I am in this state, I was born and raised here, and all of it feels like my home.

When, when I think about this state, I know that I love this state as much as you do. And that's why you're here today, because you believe that there can be a better future for the state of Alaska. When I decided to run, I started out with a very simple belief: that Alaska should work for the people who live here, not for outside interests, but for us. That's what— who Alaska should work for. And as governor, that's exactly what I wish it would work for.

Right now, too many Alaskans, as Garrett and Tristan both pointed out, are suffering high costs, they're working harder to get less in return, schools are struggling, we're paying too much for energy, it's inconsistent in terms of how we deliver our services, the communities feel ignored because our politicians don't pay attention to you. But it's time we did. This campaign's been based on listening and learning to Alaskans throughout the state. I've spent— I joke with my wife about this— I've spent roughly 53 or 54 days in my own bed up to the Big Ten because it's honest, because that's what it takes to win an election in the state of Alaska. It means going everywhere.

I think the issues I saw that Trista Derek spoke to Do you? Yeah. The decline that we're seeing in Alaska is unacceptable. I think it's unacceptable for me, and I won't accept it. But I also think it's unacceptable to you, and that you won't accept it either.

We can and should have a brighter future for all of us. A future where families can afford to stay here, where our economy works for you, doesn't just work for our place at stake, and then where our schools are resilient and strong and educating our children to live and work and thrive in the future. I am certain we can get to that future where we rebuild our infrastructure and maintain it, where we actually do the things that will move Alaska forward. But I'm here to tell you something: no one builds future alone. There is no one who can do it on their own.

We have to do it with you. When I started thinking about who I wanted standing next to me as Lieutenant Governor, and I've been thinking about it for some time, I wanted to be sure it was somebody who would lead Alaska as a partner with me, not as somebody who's not just checking a box or filling some political role, but somebody who could actually do the work needed to bring Alaska to that point of prosperity that we all believe in. I want someone who understands Alaska deeply. Someone who knows how to work with communities, whether they're rural or urban. Someone who can lead.

Someone who loves Alaska. As much as we do. Somebody who can solve problems and move this state forward. Someone who understands that we should actually deliver results, not just talk about them. That's how I found Julian and Milton.

Julian and Milton. I'm getting emotional too, sorry. I met Julia a number of years ago. I supported her campaign when she ran for state house. I believed in Julia then because she was saying the right things.

I believe in Julia now because she's done them and she's doing them every single day. Now, Julia was raised in Nevada. Some of you know that. That's where we saw her. And by the way, that is a great member of this audience.

She understands rural Alaska because she's lived there. She understands the challenges families face because she's seen them firsthand. She spent her career working directly with Alaskans and working with those communities throughout Alaska. Now her latest, greatest job was working as the Alaska— the Alaska State Director for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development. She had in that job to work across the state, villages from the northwest to the southeast.

Doing the work, being in the villages, listening to communities, understanding what people need to ensure that their communities are healthy, safe, and to move forward. She knows how to bring people together. She knows how this state will work best. And that is exactly what I need as part— when it comes to this She knows that public servants are supposed to work for you. That is not something I have learned at all from public servants.

She cares deeply about rural Alaska, about Alaska Native communities. She cares whether young people can afford to stay here. And whether they can build a future.

She cares about whether families feel secure and safe. Most importantly, she understands the urgency of this moment. Whether it's nationally or locally, she understands because this is the most important time to stand up for Alaska. This decision is more than something about politics. It's about whether Alaska communities that are in decline decide if they have a future and can move toward that future with the support of a governor and a lieutenant governor who care.

Julia is exactly the kind of leader Alaska needs now. She's the leader I want to stand by my side. I'm incredibly proud to have her willing to take this stand, not just with me, but for you. Without further ado, please join me in welcoming the next Lieutenant Governor of the State of Alaska, Julia Nelson.

Woo!

Woo!

Woo!

You're gonna make me cry at the very top of the show. Thank you so, so, so much for coming out on such short notice, for coming out to support me. Your smiling faces give me so much strength as I embark on this journey.

Charlie. Togatili. Hutlan. Eslan. My name is Julia.

My mother's name is Jan Verney. My father's name is Charlie, and I'm of the Ni'ama people. And I apologize, I'm learning, and I know that I messed up. It is with deep appreciation appreciation that I am afforded to stand before you. I am grateful for your continued support as we work together to strengthen our community across Alaska, in recognition that our future is built on the— our values that we fight for.

I am proud to be an honorary member of the Nenana Native Tribe, a blessing and a responsibility that was given to me in 2022. As a daughter of settlers to Alaska, I am deeply grateful to live in a land of such abundance. The values of generosity, respect, and care for community, among many others, are gifts and expectations that I grew up with from the Indigenous people of my region.

I am honored to live and to thrive on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded lands of the Lower Tanana Dena'ina people. We gather together to strengthen our web of care, commitment, and celebration of the lands, waterways, and animals of Alaska that have been stewarded for time immemorial and will continue to be to be cared for and fought for by the indigenous people of Alaska. When you find yourself in places of leadership, you must listen to the people of this land. They are the past, the present, and the future of this place that we are all graced to call home. My parents, Charlie, a Rirobu captain, and my mother, Jan Renee, who's online, hi Mom, an educator, met a Groovy while my dad was on a supply run from his trapping cabin 40 miles upriver, and my mom was a traveling agricultural and vocational teacher.

As a baby, I spent winters bundled up traversing the trapline, and as I'm told, it was the only time I was quiet was when my parents As I reached preschool age, my parents moved permanently to Ninana due to the incredible access to education my school provided. I attended Ninana Public School from 3-year-old preschool to graduation, surrounded by long-term educators and community community leaders that I'm fortunate to still have friendships with. One of those educators, the late Mr. Black, ingrained in me a love of reading, respect for all, a genuine interest in truly knowing and caring for people, and an enjoyment of life. There are so many other educators, including my mother, who have deeply impacted young lives in my community and continue to care for their former students. I want this for all the kids of Alaska.

I want this for my niece, my other niece. I want this for my friends' children. Memories of teachers that stick around, help shape them, and tell them to shape up when they need it. I was lucky. The educators when I was young benefited from a a state government that valued education and invested in young people.

I want to say anabasti to Tom for inviting me to run with him. He believes in many of the same things that I do, that we need to incentivize and reward educators and staff that make true investments in our communities and futures. During college and throughout my 20s, I worked at the Inland Water Service. A business that my parents poured their blood, sweat, and tears into. I grew up around the boatyard, playing in between stacks of freight with my siblings, dodging forklifts and semi-trucks.

As an adult, managing a seasonal river freight logistics company meant that I had the responsibility of assisting many villages along the Yukon River and keeping keeping building projects on track, ensuring people were able to meet their energy needs, and delivering groceries and goods. I began to understand deeply the challenges that off-road rural communities face, not only logistically, but the extremely high price of living in rural Alaska. I have been fortunate to see a lot of the world, For a long time, I wondered exactly where I belonged. It wasn't until I had the opportunity to go hunting for the first time in my early 30s that I truly understood Nenana was always the place my heart was meant to be. Sharing the moose that gave themselves with elders and those less fortunate, among family and friends, was truly a grounding and spiritual experience.

I went on to study rural development at UAF and achieved my master's in 2020. During that time, I learned so much about the history of Indigenous people and the challenges that are still faced by our friends and neighbors. I made lifelong friends across the state that have shared their lives, hopes, and challenges with me. Prior to graduating, I had already decided to run for office because, as one supporter told me, the H in my name is silent, but I'm not. Although I did not win, uh, I am tenacious and was encouraged to apply to be the State Director for USDA Rural Development.

When I was appointed, I locked in and spent the next few years of my life traveling all around Alaska, hearing directly from communities from Heidelberg to Utqiagvik about their needs and challenges working with the federal government. And there were a lot. I advocated for our rural communities with my agency and with policymakers in D.C., and by the end of my tenure, we had distributed more than $1.8 billion of federal funds. Across Alaska for broadband, energy, housing, community facilities, and workforce development. Woo!

Woo! That was more per capita than any other state. I worked hard and as fast as possible, making sure the challenges The challenges that rural Alaskans face were heard and also deeply understood. It was not my plan to run for statewide office, but I'm not one to shy away from challenges. I am deeply grateful to Tom for this opportunity to advocate for this state and for the people that I love.

We hear a lot from other people who are also running for governor that we should be afraid that our future is bleak, that our energy is running low. I don't believe that. Tom doesn't believe that. We know that our greatest resources are in our people, our elders and youth, our inherently required ingenuity, and our deeply rooted networks. When I asked the other day— excuse me— when I was asked the other day by a dear friend of mine What will I be able to actually do to uplift Indigenous values and voices, to honor traditional knowledge and innovation?

I want you to know that the amount of influence the Governor's Office has on the future of Alaska is tremendous. From appointments to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, to the Board of Game, and to Board of Fish, to judicial appointments, as well as cabinet and staff appointments. It is really, really incredible how much this office can touch. And as a— and the Lieutenant Governor is responsible for protecting Alaska's rights and access to voting, especially rural Alaskans.

We believe in a structure of advocacy for Alaska's future and honoring of our past. We believe that Alaskans deserve to live affordably without fear of how Nate ends me. I promise I'm almost done.

And if that's my mom who keeps texting me, please stop.

Uh, without fear of how to make ends meet no matter where they choose to live in the state. We believe in the right to privacy as enshrined in our state constitution. We believe in investing in our youth. Yeah, we believe that Alaska is wealthy in our resources and our people, and you all are here because you do too. Please join us in fighting for a future that we all envision, a state that prioritizes affordable energy, healthy, safe housing, access to medical services, investments in and maintenance of infrastructure, and a place where people want to raise their children and grandchildren.

We can do all of this and more. It takes bringing people together in collective belief our power and creativity, not messaging about fear. That isn't Alaska's story. It's about celebration of life in some of the harshest climates on Earth and lifting each other up through hard times. Anawasi to all of you for being here and lifting me up as Tom and I run for a future made in Alaska.

Woo!

Woo!