By KELLY TSHIBAKA

I was born and raised in Alaska, believing this was an exceptional state that provides unlimited opportunity. Alaska changed the course of my family’s destiny. My parents went from living homeless in a tent to seeing me graduate from Harvard Law School.

Alaska is first in our hearts, but it repeatedly has finished near last in the nation with respect to crime, education, budget, and the economy. If my parents were homeless in Alaska today, I would be less likely to grow up in affordable housing or learn to read, much less attend a prestigious law school. 

It is time for Alaska to be first again. That is why I support Dan Sullivan for the U.S. Senate.

Sullivan is bolstering our economy by opening up ANWR for oil and gas development, overturning six decades of restrictions. He also has helped reduce regulations, fought for access to federal lands, and secured about $1.6 billion in funding for military construction across Alaska.

When the COVID pandemic hit us, Senator Sullivan was instrumental in securing billions of dollars of coronavirus relief for Alaskan families, small businesses, Native communities, and front-line healthcare workers.

Senator Sullivan is committed to our safety. He has helped secure $50 Million for public safety in rural Alaska. He has also played a key role in ensuring the investment of $2 trillion to rebuild the strength and power of our U.S. military, which was decimated by the Obama administration.

As the daughter of a long line of military service members, that matters to me, and I know it matters to Alaskans, too. Senator Sullivan is the only member of Congress who continues to be an active service member. He understands what is at stake if Biden wins and tries to reimplement the 25% cut to our military that occurred when he was VP during the Obama administration.

Senator Sullivan has confirmed over 200 judges who believe their role is to interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. Alaska has seen an appalling streak of lawless court rulings lately; we know it is critical we have a Senator who is committed to appointing judges who are dedicated to the rule of law.

Finally, Senator Sullivan understands Alaskans and will continue to serve us well in D.C. He may not have been born here, but he got here as fast as he could! Like many of our military service members, when he was stationed in Alaska 23 years ago, he fell in love with the state we love. He then spent his career as a dedicated public servant, serving Alaskans.

Whether continuing to serve in the armed forces, which he still does today, serving as Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, or serving as Attorney General, Senator Sullivan has demonstrated his commitment to serving all Alaskans, and he is here to stay. 

Senator Sullivan will fight for us on Capitol Hill. He will stand firm for all Alaskans and he will help Alaska rise again. 

For every Alaskan family to have the same opportunities my family had, and so many other families need and deserve, we need to send Senator Sullivan back to D.C.

The views expressed here are the writer’s in her personal capacity and do not reflect her role as the Commissioner of the Department of Administration.

By SEN. MIA COSTELLO

As the national spotlight shines on Amy Coney Barrett during her traverse to the United States Supreme Court, amid protests in DC and calls that her nomination be stalled, hard-working American families are getting to know her a little bit better.

One fact that has come out is her commitment to her family, faith and other people. We’ve learned, too, that she and her husband responded to natural disasters far from home by opening their home and adopting two orphaned children.

There is no way to spin this: At its core, the decision to adopt is a decision to put someone else’s needs ahead of your own. The Barretts could have continued in their comfortable life as most of us do – for whom the plight of people in a distant country may mean nothing more than a token donation online.

When the tragedies in Haiti made news, and the world responded with aid and donations, the Barretts went further than most. They stepped in to personally work to give a new life to someone who had lost everything. And then, when tragedy struck Haiti again, they again responded by opening their home to another orphan.

I, too, was adopted and know that it is impossible to overstate the impact this has on a person’s life. The Barrett’s commitment to adopting two children, in addition to raising a special needs child of their own and their other children, should be celebrated, not condemned. 

Like the Barretts, my parents were Catholic, and before I knew what adoption was, they told me I was special, even though I had been given up by my natural mother. It took me until I was a parent myself before I really started to understand just what parenting meant and to raise another’s child is a labor of love. It’s that same type of selflessness that Amy Coney Barrett and her husband are demonstrating plainly for all Americans to see. 

Barrett’s qualifications for the job are obvious and unquestioned. Her story is inspiring, much like the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg whose seat she would fill. Her legal acumen, personal character, fairness, and intellect are universally acclaimed by those who know her: Notre Dame Law School students; fellow Notre Dame Law School faculty; and law clerks with whom she served at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Well-known liberal legal scholar Noah Feldman, with whom she served as a law clerk in the late 1990s,” I know her to be a brilliant and conscientious lawyer who will analyze and decide cases in good faith, applying the jurisprudential principles to which she is committed. Those are the basic criteria for being a good justice. Barrett meets and exceeds them.”

Yet during the confirmation hearings Senator and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris similarly tried to suggest that Judge Barrett’s strengths are in some way weaknesses. She insinuated that Judge Barrett was somehow insensitive to the challenges facing ordinary individuals. But one look at her family makes clear that Barrett sees the suffering of individuals as something she has a personal responsibility to help alleviate. Judge Barrett’s strength of character is clear – as are Sen. Harris’s transparent attempts at character assassination for craven political purposes.

Americans saw firsthand that Amy Coney Barrett’s demeanor and poise are exceptional, her temperament is unflappable, and her empathy is unmatched. These are attributes that should be celebrated, not attacked. But in a sure sign of desperation and debasement, attack these qualities is exactly what some of her detractors have attempted to do.

In nominating Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump has made a sterling choice. No one knows for sure how a justice will perform on the court – but we can already see that she is a jurist whose judgment, priorities, and empathy are exemplary.

I realize that for some senators the decision to confirm is a complicated one, but I encourage the Senate to confirm Amy Coney Barrett and for Alaskans to let your voice be heard on this important imminent vote.

Sen. Mia Costello represents Senate Seat K, Anchorage.