Alaska
Opinion: Why Alaska may point to the future of independent politics
The center of American politics is not in Alaska. Yet while the Last Frontier is far from pundits’ minds, it may now represent our political future as Bristol Bay fisherman and retired educator Bill Hill emerged as the independent challenger to Rep. Nick Begich III.
Bill Hill has described himself as both “pro-choice” and “pro-gun,” a unique blend that perfectly fits Alaska’s unique politics. Alaskans now have a chance to consider what independent representation can look like when it’s grounded in local experience rather than party loyalty. And for the rest of the country, Hill’s candidacy is worth watching. It suggests that the next phase of American politics may not come from the party leadership, but from candidates who defy easy labels and appeal to voters exhausted by ideological rigidity.
A commercial fisherman and educator, named Alaska’s 2023 Superintendent of the Year, Hill is the kind of candidate with deep roots, allowing him to understand the complexities and nuances of the state’s voters. While independents usually face an uphill battle getting elected, Alaska employs ranked choice voting — a system that can help independent candidates who aren’t relying on party affiliation to carry them in a general election.
The blossoming independent movement that Hill represents is driven by widespread dissatisfaction with both Republicans and Democrats. In February, for instance, Gallup noted that a new high of 45% of respondents self-identified as independents.
Until recently, “independent” was a nebulous term. This explains why political scientists and party operatives have long treated them as “leaners.” But this is no longer the case. Gallup’s poll highlights the fact that independents are beginning to see themselves as independents, not just swing voters.
Recent polling conducted by Independent Center Voice reports that 76% of voters would vote for a “strong, well-funded independent candidate.” For decades, Americans have yearned for more independent voices, but haven’t had strong candidates to stand behind.
In Alaska, that’s no longer the case.
Hill’s official campaign website notes three primary concerns: lowering costs, fighting corruption in Washington, D.C., and protecting Alaska’s way of life. These are exactly in line with what the majority of independent voters are concerned with. Polling conducted by the Independent Center in October found that jobs, the economy and affordability ranked as the top concerns that respondents wanted their local government representatives to focus on.
Hill’s candidacy for Alaska’s House seat represents the new heights a viable and targeted independent effort can achieve. While an independent, nonpartisan message won’t work everywhere, in certain districts and states, it’s the pitch-perfect message that can rejuvenate an electorate exhausted by gridlock and partisan politics.
This year marks a new era for independents. Rather than labeling themselves as independents just for the sake of protesting the dysfunction of both Republicans and Democrats, the title now stands for pragmatism and common-sense. What’s more, 2026 is the election cycle when independents can throw their support behind viable and legitimate candidates with a path to victory.
Hill’s candidacy is the first in a new wave of independent candidates seeking office, drawn to service but turned off by partisanship. This is good for our country. Congressional leaders are elected to serve their districts, not party bosses that expect voters to fall in line.
Polling notes that while Americans are optimistic about their personal lives, they’re pessimistic about the state of politics. But this can change if more people like Hill answer the call to service. Imagine the change in our political psyche if the majority of Americans could point to their member of Congress in Washington, D.C., and boldly proclaim, “That person represents me and my family.”
In the end, the question is simple. For Alaskans, it’s whether they want representation shaped by local experience rather than party loyalty. For the rest of the country, it’s whether this model — pragmatic, independent and rooted in place — can be replicated elsewhere.
Either way, what’s happening in Alaska deserves close attention.
Adam Brandon is the senior adviser to the Independent Center, a nonprofit organization of political independents.
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A bill seeking to increase civil legal aid for Alaskans who can’t afford attorneys has become law without Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s signature.
The measure, introduced by Juneau Democratic Rep. Sara Hannan, passed earlier this month with support from 27 out of 40 House members and 17 of 20 Senate members.
Under the new law, one-quarter of court system filing fees can be appropriated each year to an existing civil legal services fund, which subsidizes attorneys for low-income Alaskans who need legal representation in civil cases.
In effect, that will direct roughly $400,000 in additional state funding next year toward those legal services, potentially allowing hundreds of additional indigent Alaskans to receive free assistance on matters that include domestic violence protective orders, applications for government benefits, and child support.
The civil legal services fund was created in 2007 and updated in 2018, when lawmakers agreed to appropriate up to 10% of annual court fees toward the fund. Since then, the need for legal aid has outpaced the state’s spending, according to Hannan and other supporters of the measure.
A similar bill passed the Senate but stalled in the House near the end of the 2024 session.
Recent annual appropriations to the fund, which depend on court filing fees and other figures, ranged from $280,000 to $360,000. The new law will more than double the allowable annual appropriation from court filing feeds the fund, to a total of $766,000, according to the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.
The funding goes toward the Alaska Legal Services Corp., the only organization in the state dedicated to assisting low-income Alaskans with civil matters. The nonprofit corporation reported this year turning away half the Alaskans who asked for its help due to a lack of resources.
It reported handling 5,455 cases involving nearly 15,000 Alaskans in 2025, up from 2,880 cases involving just over 6,000 Alaskans in 2016.
The Alaska Legal Services Corp. has an annual budget of roughly $10 million, only a fraction of which comes from the state. Other funding sources include the federal government, tribes and private donations. In addition to its allocation from the civil legal services fund, the corporation has received an annual $400,000 state grant since 2022, down from $450,000 in preceding years.
The corporation’s director, Maggie Humm, estimated that for every additional $100,000 in funding, it can help 182 additional Alaskans.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Williwaw Social, a downtown Anchorage entertainment venue that hosted concerts, parties and community events for nearly 10 years, announced on Facebook that it will close its doors on Friday.
In a post from the venue’s official account, Williwaw Social thanked Anchorage residents, artists, staff and guests for supporting the business over the past decade. The announcement described the venue as a gathering place for live music, celebrations, rooftop events and nightlife in downtown Anchorage.
The post did not state a reason for the closure.
Showdown Alaska, which has partnered with Williwaw Social for events, posted a separate statement saying the closure came as a surprise to its team. The organization clarified that Showdown Alaska and Williwaw Social are separate entities that operate independently.
Showdown Alaska said its Sundown Summer Concert Series will continue as scheduled on F Street. In the caption of its post, the organization said Drake Night and Showdown Throwdown will be rescheduled at new venues, and ticket holders will receive more information by email.
Williwaw Social’s announcement thanked Anchorage for its support and described the closure as the end of a chapter for the venue.
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Avalanche forecasters say spring’s slow-moving arrival in Southcentral Alaska has led to potentially dangerous conditions for hikers heading into the mountains for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
The Friends of Chugach Avalanche Center posted an alert Thursday warning of a large slide blocking the road to the Crow Pass trailhead in Girdwood. Many popular trails within the Chugach National Forest, such as Byron Glacier and Crow Pass, continue to pose an avalanche hazard risk “as we can’t quite shake this cold, wet spring,” according to the alert from the nonprofit group affiliated with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center.
Avalanche forecasters last week warned hikers to be aware of numerous large avalanches releasing as spring conditions slowly arrived. Trails will continue to be dangerous as long as there’s snow covering higher terrain, they said.
“One of the biggest hazards during spring is not just traveling on steep slopes, but traveling below them,“ the avalanche center wrote in an alert last month. ”Many popular summer trails pass directly beneath avalanche paths. As temperatures warm, the snowpack weakens and avalanches can release naturally, running all the way to valley bottoms and across trails that appear dry and safe.“
The avalanches can carry heavy, wet snow “capable of burying a person, even far from where the slide started,” the alert said.
The forecast for the Anchorage area calls for continued cool, mostly cloudy and occasionally rainy weather with the potential for sun on Monday.
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