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Chinese Ships in U.S. Arctic, Coast Guard Executes Operation Frontier Sentinel

Natalie Spaulding
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Chinese Ships in U.S. Arctic, Coast Guard Executes Operation Frontier Sentinel

Over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that two Chinese research vessels crossed into U.S.-owned Arctic waters, prompting the Coast Guard to launch Operation Frontier Sentinel to monitor the Chinese ships for illegal activity.

Xue Long and Xue Long 2 are the first Chinese-operated research vessels to cross into U.S. Arctic water this year. U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) executed the operation, which is “designed to protect American sovereign rights, ensure consistency with international law, and position the Coast Guard to rapidly respond to any detected malign activity.”

The Coast Guard promises to remain vigilant, ensuring the ships’ activities comply with established international law. Any marine scientific research conducted within the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and/or on the U.S. extended continental shelf will require advance permission from the United States and subsequent sharing of information collected.

“Alongside the Department of War, the Department of State, and our international partners, we are actively responding to competitor activities across an increasingly contested Arctic,” said Rear Admiral Bob Little, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District.

The Frailty of Modern Man: Softness of Soul and the Flight from Suffering

Dr. Cindy
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The Frailty of Modern Man: Softness of Soul and the Flight from Suffering

Dr. Cindy Sena-Martinez is a Thomistic psychologist who works one-on-one with individuals and families in a journey toward wholeness through holiness.

In our age of unprecedented comfort, we have grown strangely fragile. We often demand immediate relief for aches and pains, sorrows, inconveniences, and troubles that our ancestors readily bore as the ordinary burdens of life. A twinge of anxiety, a moment of boredom or emotional discomfort sends us spiraling and reaching for distractions, excuses, or validation. Although psychiatry and counseling have developed techniques that may help many people experiencing a clinical mental disorder, it has also become a blanket excuse for many, especially among younger generations. Young people are experiencing a deepening weakness of will, an enfeeblement of the moral faculty (reasoned ethical judgment) that threatens the very sinew of human character. 

Our ancestors endured far greater physical hardship without the arsenal of analgesics and sedatives available today. They worked through pain, grieved, and pressed on because necessity and virtue demanded it. Minor ailments were not pathologies to be eliminated but realities to be weathered. Today, we are tempted to medicate the slightest discomfort, anesthetizing ourselves not only to pain but to the formative suffering it carries. Emotional ailments such as discomfort in relationships, the sting of rejection, the restlessness of unfulfilled desire are often masked, escaped, or pathologized rather than confronted and transcended. 

This physical and emotional softness breeds a deeper spiritual and moral frailty: the unwillingness to sacrifice present pleasures for future or higher goods. Restraint, self-denial, and patient endurance have become alien virtues. Why deny oneself immediate gratification— whether food, entertainment, lust, or ease— when discomfort can be so easily avoided? We have traded the capacity for greatness for the assurance of small comforts. The man who cannot bear a headache or a low mood will scarcely endure the greater trials required for noble achievement, faithful marriage, genuine virtue, or the pursuit of sanctity. 

Contrast this with the pattern given to us by Christ Himself. Our Lord did not flee suffering; He embraced it as the very instrument of redemption. In the Garden of Gethsemane, facing agony beyond comprehension, He prayed, ‘Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt’ (Matthew 26:39). He did not mask the pain or turn aside. He offered it. Through His willing endurance of the Cross, He accomplished the salvation of the world. Suffering, united to love and obedience, becomes redemptive. Far from meaningless torment, it is transfigured into the highest expression of charity. 

St. Thomas Aquinas, the great Doctor of the Church, teaches us the true nature of the virtues needed to meet hardship. In his Summa Theologica, he treats patience as allied to the cardinal virtue of fortitude. “A person is said to be patient… because he acts in a praiseworthy manner by enduring things which hurt him here and now and is not unduly saddened by them.” Patience is not passive resignation but active strength of soul that refuses to be broken by sorrow or diverted from the good of reason and virtue. 

Aquinas further warns against the vice of softness (molities), the vice directly opposed to perseverance. The person given to softness lacks the firmness of character needed to endure difficulties and readily abandons the pursuit of the good the moment it becomes arduous.  

Keep in mind, however, that not all use of medication stems from this vice. There is an important distinction between those who take medication in order to avoid the normal difficulties through which virtue is formed, and those who take it in order to endure suffering when a genuine disorder of the body-soul composite would otherwise make perseverance impossible. Fortitude, by contrast, is the virtue that strengthens the will to stand firm even in the face of the greatest evils— above all the fear of death— for the sake of right reason and the ultimate good, which is God. As Aquinas, echoing Augustine, beautifully expresses it: “Fortitude is love bearing all things readily for the sake of the Beloved.” 

The Angelic Doctor understood that pleasure and pain pull powerfully upon the soul. Bodily pain often impels us more strongly than pleasure attracts, yet the virtuous man holds fast to what reason and faith declare good. Modern man, overflowing in easy alleviations, rarely practices this firmness. We have amplified means to escape minor pains while growing ever less capable of bearing the trials that form saints and heroes. 

The paradox of the Christian life and of authentic human flourishing is that the greatest goods are most often attained not by avoiding suffering, but by passing through it. The athlete grows strong only by straining against resistance. The scholar attains mastery only through disciplined, often tedious labor. The saint is perfected through trials borne with patience and trust. To numb or evade every discomfort is to refuse the very forge in which the virtues of the soul are formed. 

This does not deny that some people suffer from genuine clinical disorders in which the body-soul composite is disordered in such a way that chemical assistance is needed to restore equilibrium. In those cases, medication can be a legitimate aid, and when the underlying physiology or severe psychiatric condition requires it, such assistance may be necessary on a longer-term basis. Yet for the great majority of people, the modern impulse to medicate or distract away every minor pain, anxiety, or sorrow is something else entirely. It is the refusal to submit to the Master Pruner’s shears, which cut away our vices so that we may bear more fruit. It is the choice to numb the Refiner’s Fire rather than allow it to burn away our impurities and strengthen the will. In doing so, we do not escape suffering. We merely forfeit the formation which suffering, when received rightly, is meant to accomplish. 

Self-control, listed among the fruits of the Spirit and essential in the chain of Christian maturity (2 Peter 1:5-7), is precisely the virtue that enables us to put off instant gratification. It makes possible sacrifice, long-term fidelity, and the pursuit of goods higher than fleeting pleasure. Without it, we become slaves to our appetites and frailties, ever weaker and less free. 

The remedy is not to reject legitimate medicine or reasonable relief, but to reject the mentality that treats all discomfort as enemy and all pleasure as necessity. We must recover the willingness to suffer small things well, offering them up in union with Christ’s Cross. In doing so, we train the soul for greater trials and open ourselves to the profound blessings reserved for those who, like their Lord, are willing to lose their life in order to save it. 

Let us, then, resist the creeping softness of our age. May we bear what hurts us here and now without undue sadness, anchored in the love of the Beloved who suffered all for us. Only then can we hope to regain the strength of soul that built saints, civilizations, and lives of lasting fruitfulness.  In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, “Grant that as penance, I may be afflicted by your hardships now, through grace I may rely on your blessings on the way, and in glory I may enjoy you fully in the kingdom of heaven.”  

Newly Declassified Documents Provide Evidence of Election Security Risks, Non-Citizens Registered to Vote, and Intelligence Intentionally Hidden from the President

Natalie Spaulding
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Newly Declassified Documents Provide Evidence of Election Security Risks, Non-Citizens Registered to Vote, and Intelligence Intentionally Hidden from the President

On July 16, 2026, the White House released a trove of previously classified intelligence reports and investigative files related to election integrity. These documents expose vulnerabilities in America’s election systems, foreign efforts to gather voter data, voting registration of thousands of non-citizens, and improper handling of that information inside government agencies.

According to the Trump Administration, the documents correct the record and expose lies Americans have been told about the security of the nation’s election infrastructure. The materials, spanning assessments from early 2020 through mid-2026, are now available on the White House election integrity page.

U.S. spy agencies have long judged that major adversaries— Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and others— have the tools to break into election infrastructure. The newly released documents confirm that centralized databases holding voter rolls, poll books, and election websites stand out as especially weak points. One newly declassified report explicitly warns that adversaries have the means to disrupt or manipulate U.S. elections.

During the 2020 cycle, Chinese actors obtained personal information on roughly 220 million American voters, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and even political preferences. Intelligence reports call it the largest known compromise of election data in history. The breach touched at least 18 states, and China reportedly created a special unit to exploit the haul.

Some left-wing media critics argue that some of this data was already available publicly in certain states and that the breach did not change any election results. The White House counters that the sheer scale matters and that full details were not shared openly or briefed comprehensively to top leaders and Congress at the time. The point is not whether a previous election was manipulated or compromised; the point is whether the nation’s current infrastructure can effectively stop foreign election interferences in a future election. The documents suggest that the current election infrastructure has real, serious vulnerabilities that leave American elections exposed to foreign cyberattacks and espionage.

After left-wing media outlets decried President Trump’s announcement and expressed skepticism regarding the impact of the newly released documents, the White House published a release tackling the objections head-on.

Critics say, “There’s nothing new here.” The White House responds by pointing to internal details that were intentionally hidden: analysts adjusting the President’s Daily Brief to downplay certain election threats, and parallel processes inside agencies that kept key information from reaching the president. Key information never reached leaders or the public until now.

Other critics point out that the files do not prove foreign actors changed 2020 vote totals, which is true. The White House counters by saying that the argument misses the point. The point is “foreign adversaries have both the intent and capability to exploit” and “senior intelligence officials deliberately hid this intelligence from the President and the American people.” The newly declassified documents reveal why the system needs urgent reform regardless of past outcomes.

Although some critics try to claim the number of non-citizen voters is statistically insignificant, a Homeland Security report found about 278,000 non-citizens are registered to vote in just four states who cooperated with the Department of Justice’s request for voter information. Real numbers are likely higher because many states did not fully share data.

A specific Michigan case from 2020 underscores the reality of election fraud happening in the country, and agency suppression of election fraud evidence. Michigan State police raided a get-out-the-vote group where workers allegedly forged registrations and submitted fake applications for people who did not exist. The FBI believed crimes occurred, but federal investigators slow-walked the probe for years under the prior administration.

Mail-in voting is a particular weak-point identified by the documents. Bipartisan commissions and academic studies have flagged absentee ballots as one of the highest-risk areas for fraud due to verification challenges. Supporters of expanded mail voting note that most elections run smoothly, yet the referenced research underscores legitimate procedural weaknesses that deserve attention.

The White House also published a list of favorable reactions from political leaders and media.

Vice President JD Vance put it plainly: “Election integrity is not a partisan issue; it is an AMERICAN ISSUE.” He and others urge Congress to pass reforms such as the SAVE America Act, which would require voter ID and proof of citizenship for federal elections.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe and former officials like former National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien welcome the transparency, noting earlier warnings about interference had often been downplayed. They see the release of the documents as long-overdue, long-withheld transparency to the American people.

Emergency 20-Day Fuel Waiver Aims to Lower Energy Costs for Alaskans

Natalie Spaulding
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Emergency 20-Day Fuel Waiver Aims to Lower Energy Costs for Alaskans

Today, July 17, 2016, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee, welcomed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s issuance of an emergency fuel waiver under Section 211 of the Clean Air Act, an action the Senator has been advocating for as a way to lower fuel prices. The waiver is an action of the National Energy Dominance Council’s (NEDC) Rural Alaska Energy Security Task Force, announced in May by Secretary of the Interior and NEDC Chairman Doug Burgum. The waiver temporarily relaxes federal diesel-fuel sulfur requirements for qualifying sales of Arctic-grade diesel above the Arctic Circle in compatible engines and equipment.

The action will allow North Slope producers to put substantial idle refining capacity to work, increase local fuel production, and displace a significant portion of the ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) currently transported to the North Slope so that it can be utilized by Alaskans.

“Global fuel supply disruptions have been a significant challenge for Alaska communities, resulting in rising fuel prices,” said Sen. Sullivan. “This targeted, commonsense measure—part of the NEDC Rural Alaska Energy Security Task Force—frees up Alaska-produced fuel to help put downward pressure on prices for hard-working Alaskans. I want to thank members of the administration, especially Secretary Burgum, Secretary Wright, and EPA Administrator Zeldin, for working with me to get this done. This is one important near-term step that I’ve relentlessly pushed for, and I will continue pressing for additional actions that will bring relief for Alaska’s families facing high energy costs.”

“President Trump has prioritized ensuring American families have an affordable domestic energy supply and EPA is proud to once again deliver, this time specifically for Alaska,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “Thanks to strong support and advocacy by Senator Sullivan, Alaskans will no longer be forced to unnecessarily truck their fuel hundreds of miles across the state and Alaskan families will feel lower prices at the pump. This is a prime example of why EPA has waiver authorities in the first place; unique circumstances warrant unique solutions.”

Before the waiver, federal diesel-fuel sulfur standards prevented locally refined Arctic-grade diesel from being used in most internal-combustion engines, effectively limiting its use to heating and freeze protection and leaving significant North Slope refining capacity idle. Industry data indicate that at least 56,000 gallons of ULSD are currently trucked from Fairbanks to the North Slope each day, increasing to approximately 63,000 gallons per day during peak periods. By allowing existing topping units to supply eligible engines and equipment with locally produced fuel, the waiver will displace a substantial share of these shipments and unlock tens of thousands of gallons per day in previously unused local refining capacity. Up to an estimated 75,000 gallons of additional diesel per day could be brought online by North Slope producers.

The waiver takes effect upon signature, remains in force for 20 days, and can be renewed. Sellers must label fuel distributed under the waiver, and the fuel may be used only in eligible engines and equipment consistent with EPA’s conditions.

Press release provided by the Office of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan.

Opinion: Integrity Wins Over Accessibility for America’s and Alaska’s Election System

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Opinion: Integrity Wins Over Accessibility for America’s and Alaska’s Election System

By Greg Sarber

This article was originally published in “Seward’s Folly,” the author’s personal Substack, on 7/17/2026, under the title “Ending Election Fraud.”

President Trump gave a speech last night alleging that outside actors have been interfering in American elections. His opponents will disagree and claim that the president wants to use this argument to cheat in future elections. Historians will have the final answer on the 2020 election and whether our country’s elections are being manipulated, but one thing is true. There has never been an explanation for the unusual vote count shifts observed in multiple states on Election Night, November 3, 2020. Whether you believe him or not, the president’s claim of outside interference is a plausible explanation for what happened in 2020.

The SAVE America Act, which the President supports, would address some of these issues, but the Senate refuses to even bring it up for a vote for some reason, despite overwhelming support from the American people. President Trump will attempt to make election integrity improvements by using an executive order, but he will have a difficult time achieving any meaningful long-term reform. One argument the Democrats will use to oppose him is by saying that Trump is going to take away the voting rights of minorities and women. Saying his attempts to remove non-citizens from voter rolls will inevitably result in some citizens also getting removed, which will impact minority and immigrant communities the most. In the court of public opinion, the Democrats might find support for this line of thinking.

The fundamental issue of these competing election integrity arguments comes down to what compromises we are willing to make to ensure that every adult citizen in this country votes. Democrats want every vote they can get and are willing to accept some weakness in our election system to get all votes counted. If a few ineligible votes are counted, that doesn’t seem to matter much to them. President Trump only wants eligible citizens to vote and is willing to make it more difficult to do so to ensure election integrity.

To help us evaluate these contrasting opinions, we need to understand the history of voting in this country and how we got to the current understanding of voter rights.

Many people don’t know it, but when our country was founded, very few citizens were eligible to vote. Voting was only permitted for property-owning white men above the age of 21. Non-property owners, most ethnic minorities, and women were excluded. However, a few free black men could vote in northern states, but only if they were property owners. This resulted in a relatively small percentage of the population being allowed to vote. In early elections in this country, only about 6% of the population voted.

Over the years, voting rights were expanded so that by 1971, all citizens in this country, of all ethnicities and genders over the age of 18, were allowed to vote. Basically, if you were an adult citizen who was a non-felon, you could vote in state and federal elections.

However, pendulums always swing too far, and that moment came with the passage of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). This act, sometimes called the motor/voter act, required states to offer voter registration at DMV offices, public assistance offices, disability service agencies, and by mail. Here in Alaska, we suffered a double whammy. In 2016, a referendum was approved that automatically registered people to vote when they applied for a Permanent Fund Dividend.

Opponents say that these laws cast a broad net that often registered people to vote who were not citizens, such as green card holders and illegal immigrants. Today, Alaska has more registered voters on its voter rolls than there are eligible adults living in this state, a physical impossibility, which would seem to prove the point. If every voter on the Alaska voter rolls voted, we would have 108% of the votes we should have. Something is obviously wrong with this picture.

Critics of automatic motor-voter and PFD registration claim that even though these laws inflated voter rolls, it hasn’t really improved voter turnout for elections, except in one area, that of absentee mail-in voting. Last night, the President alleged that this form of voting contains a significant potential for illegal votes from ineligible voters, which could sway election results.

This problem isn’t just limited to Alaska. Other states also have more registered voters than they have eligible adults living within their borders. This isn’t just some simple accident caused by the motor/voter legislation or the automatic PFD registration. Those extra voters are intentional for some reason and could be used to obtain absentee ballots used to steal elections. The only way to ensure fair elections is to require voter ID at the polls on election day, and when someone picks up an absentee ballot, something the SAVE America Act requires. When Senators, including Alaska’s Senator Murkowski, oppose the SAVE America Act, they are derelict in their duty, and you have to wonder why. The only explanation must be that they benefit from cheating in elections somehow.

The President has a tough fight ahead of him in attempting to improve election security, but it is a fight worth making, and I hope he is successful.

Greg Sarber is a lifelong Alaskan. He is a petroleum engineer who spent his career working on Alaska’s North Slope. Now retired, he lives with his family in Homer, Alaska. Greg is a former board member of Alaska Gold Communications, Inc., the publisher of Must Read Alaska.

Opinion: Senate Republicans Assert Senate Majority Is Trying to Kill the AK LNG Project

Guest Writer
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Opinion: Senate Republicans Assert Senate Majority Is Trying to Kill the AK LNG Project

By the Senate Republican Caucus

On July 17, 2026, legislation inhibiting the construction and development of the AK LNG Project passed the Senate with a vote of 11 to 8.

After 60 days of special session, the Democrat-lead Majority again passed dead-on-arrival legislation inhibiting development of the AK LNG Project.

The primary policy proposals limiting the project include:

  • S-Corporation Tax: Creating a new s-corp tax would add excess taxes on oil and gas businesses across the state, including those trying to maximize the gas we get from Cook Inlet until the gas line can be completed. It makes no sense to tax the very businesses creating energy for our families and businesses. This proposal has implications far beyond the gas line and should be debated on its own merits, especially since the conference committee exempted the gas line from the new tax.
  • Project Labor Agreements: Glenfarne signed an agreement with the goal of employing as many Alaskans as possible. However, the legislation passed today requires Glenfarne to exclude contractors, essentially forcing the developer to use only union companies. It is a severe overreach of government power to tell a private company who they can and cannot hire.
  • Project Completion Deadline: Glenfarne, of course, wants to build the AK LNG Project as rapidly as possible. However, like any other large-scale infrastructure project, there may be potential delays, and Alaska’s unique location, accessibility, and weather makes hard deadlines a challenge. With the possibility of supply chain disruptions far outside of the developer’s control a real threat, financially threatening the company attempting to lower energy costs across the state eludes common sense.

If these points of contention sound familiar, it’s because they are.

For the past two months, both the Senate Republican Caucus and the Executive Branch raised concerns regarding these issues, however, the Majority Caucus forced through yet another bill nearly identical to the previous gasline legislation which the developer plainly told us would make it impossible to finance the gas line just four weeks ago.

It seems hard to reach any conclusion other than this: the Democrat-dominated Majority Caucus does not want the AK LNG Project to be built.

For the Majority Caucus, the gasline legislation is not centered around what is best for Alaskans— it is a big-government money grab.

The time available to pass a clean bill that helps the project financing move forward is running out. Tentative supply agreements signed last year will begin expiring in a couple of months. The inevitable result will be cost increases. We will lose potential customers to other natural gas projects that are actively courting partners and financing, particularly the Kitimat expansion in British Columbia.

The existential energy crisis facing our state is in the hands of Democrat-lead Majority.

They want higher taxes and higher energy costs so long as it brings more money into state coffers, even at the expense of everyday Alaskans. Their failure to pass reasonable gasline legislation proves it.

Alaska’s economy, our businesses, communities, and families will not be able to survive with the climbing rates of energy, pushing more people and businesses out of state. They are counting on the Legislature to deliver a workable legal framework. Every Alaskan should know who is at fault.

On July 27, the fourth special session of the 34th Legislature will begin.

The Senate Republican Caucus will continue to fight. We will continue to fight against taxes that bankrupt our businesses. We will continue to fight for affordable energy that can power not just our communities, businesses, and state – we will continue to fight for energy that powers Alaska and the globe.

More importantly, we will continue to fight for you. The everyday Alaskan who is working hard to put food on the table, raise a family, build a career, contribute to their community, and make the Great Land a home to be proud of.

Governor Intends to Veto Gasline Bill If S-Corp Tax Remains, Calls Third Special Session for AK LNG

Natalie Spaulding
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Governor Intends to Veto Gasline Bill If S-Corp Tax Remains, Calls Third Special Session for AK LNG

In a X post today, July 16, 2026, Governor Mike Dunleavy clarified for all Alaskans that he will not accept the Legislature’s gasline bill if it contains a tax on S-corps, otherwise known as “pass-through entities.” He also announced he will be calling another special session to begin July 27.

According to the Governor’s post, the bill to provide a workable tax structure for the Alaska LNG bill is close to the finish line. The Legislature focused heavily on this bill during its second regular session and was called into two special sessions specifically focused on this gasline bill.

However, the Governor warned the Legislature that while he appreciates the progress made on the bill, he finds it unacceptable to attach an under-analyzed S-corp tax to this bill. He writes, “Including the S Corp tax provision introduced by the Senate raises serious concerns. By the conference committee’s own admission, this provision has not been adequately debated, tested, modeled, or analyzed.”

“The bill started as simple property tax relief and a straightforward volumetric tax as a replacement. The S Corp tax provision in the bill is neither simple nor straightforward and could have unintended consequences that destabilize the business environment in Alaska and negatively impact Alaskans,” writes Governor Dunleavy.

Then, he says that he will veto the bill if it contains the S-corp tax. “If the legislature passes the bill in its current form, I will veto it.”

He also announced that he will be calling another special session to start July 27. This will be the third special session focused on the Alaska LNG project this year.

Interview: Heath Smith, Candidate for Alaska State Senate Seat C (Kodiak)

Natalie Spaulding
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Interview: Heath Smith, Candidate for Alaska State Senate Seat C (Kodiak)

Candidate for Alaska Legislature Interview Series

Heath Smith, Candidate for Alaska State Senate Seat C (Kodiak)

Heath Smith is one of three candidates running for Alaska State Senate Seat C, which is the current seat of retiring Senate President Gary Stevens. In this candidate interview, Heath Smith introduces himself to Alaskans, shares his motivation for running, and his experience while serving on Homer City Council. He also identifies his top three priorities: securing a stable budget with PFD protections, supporting affordable and reliable energy through AK LNG and hydro projects, and communicating transparently with constituents. Heath is a registered Republican.

This interview kicks off our new Candidate for Alaska Legislature Interview series designed to inform Must Read Alaska readers about candidates running for State Senate and State House of Representatives. We are starting with introductions, and then we will ask candidates to dive deep into policy issues.

Congressional races are just as important as the gubernatorial election. Checks-and-balances and representation in government are bedrocks of American government, and the Legislature plays an essential role in preserving those principles.

Are you running for an Alaska state congressional office and want to participate in our Candidate Interview series? Contact editor@mustreadalaska today! ALL candidates running for legislative office in the Alaska State Legislature are welcome to participate! Interviews published as part of this series are conducted via email with questions and responses unaltered beyond minor grammar-related changes.

Interview with Heath Smith

Must Read Alaska: Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your background? How long have you been in Alaska? What brought you here?

Heath Smith: I am a lifelong Alaskan and recently retired from UPS after 28 years with the company. I made a career built on delivering. I was born and raised here; my wife was born here, and all six of our children are Alaskans as well. Both sets of my grandparents moved here when Alaska was still a territory, so my roots in this state run three generations deep. Alaska is not just where I live— it’s home, and it’s the place my family has chosen to stay and invest our lives in. I served on the Homer City Council for six years and am currently serving on the Homer Planning and Zoning Commission. 

MRAK: Why are you running for State Senate?

Heath: I am running for State Senate because I believe Alaska needs a course correction and a renewed commitment to results, not just rhetoric. Over the last several decades, we’ve seen a pattern in Juneau of the same arguments, the same gridlock, and short‑term thinking that undermines our long‑term stability. That pattern has made the future less certain for our kids and grandkids. I’m running to bring fresh energy, a strong work ethic, and a focus on outcomes— so we can restore trust in government, adopt a responsible fiscal plan, and give Alaskans confidence that their leaders are actually tackling problems instead of talking past each other. That said, the bi-partisan majority has failed Alaskans on the most important issues. We need to reconstitute the Republican majority and work together to show Alaskans we are effective leaders.   

MRAK: What was the most significant lesson you learned while serving on Homer City Council?

Heath: The most significant lesson I learned is that listening is just as important as voting. You can’t represent people well if you only listen to those who already agree with you. Echo chambers can create blind spots. I also saw how even small local decisions— about infrastructure, services, or regulations— can have a big impact on families and small businesses. That experience taught me to weigh the real‑world consequences of every vote and to look for practical solutions rather than perfect ones. It’s a mindset I will take with me to the State Senate.

MRAK: What would you say are the top 2-3 challenges Alaska faces and how would you address them?

Heath: Alaska faces three major connected challenges: an unstable fiscal path, high energy costs, and a growing lack of trust in government’s ability to deliver results. We cannot keep lurching from one budget fight to the next or relying on temporary windfalls and wars to fund Alaskans’ important needs. 

My priorities will be to tackle those challenges head on. First, I will work for a credible fiscal plan that stabilizes our budget, protects the Permanent Fund and the Dividend, and gives Alaskans confidence that we can fund essential services without constant crisis. Second, I will support a long-term energy strategy that focuses on affordable, reliable power— including responsible progress on a gas line and development of hydro projects— so communities across Alaska have stable energy costs for the future. Third, I will work to restore trust and accountability in state government by insisting on transparency in how decisions are made and how money is spent, and by being accessible and straightforward with the people I represent. My promise is to listen, to be honest about the tradeoffs we face, and to make decisions that reflect my commitment to Alaska’s future.

MRAK: What’s your favorite thing about Alaska?

It’s home! All my kids and grandkids live here, and I want them to have every possible opportunity to allow them to keep it that way.

Learn more about Heath Smith at Heath Smith for Senate.

Are you running for Alaska Senate or Alaska House of Representatives? Please consider participating in our Candidate Interview series! Contact editor@mustreadalaska today! ALL candidates running for legislative office at state level are welcome to participate!

Must Read Alaska unequivocally supports the election of conservative candidates to office in the Alaska State Legislature, but does not endorse any one particular candidate.

Who Is Running for a Chance to Make Alaska’s Laws? New Candidate Interview Series to Give Insights on Alaska Legislative Candidates

Natalie Spaulding
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Who Is Running for a Chance to Make Alaska’s Laws? New Candidate Interview Series to Give Insights on Alaska Legislative Candidates

While the Governor certainly commands great power as the chief Executive of the State, it is the Legislature that makes the Law that the Executive enforces. So, who is running for a chance at making the law in Alaska this year? What do they stand for? What will they fight for?

This series is designed to inform readers about candidates running for Alaska State Senate and State House of Representatives. We will start each candidate with a brief introductory interview focused on the who, why, what. Who is this candidate? Why are they running for office? What are their top priorities? After that, we will ask participating candidates to deep dive into specific policy issues.

ALL candidates running for legislative office in the Alaska State Legislature are welcome to participate! Interviews published as part of this series will be conducted via email with questions and responses unaltered beyond minor grammatical edits.

Are you running for State Senate or State House of Representatives? Email [email protected] today to participate in our Candidate Interview series!

Thank you for being an informed Alaskan and trusting Must Read Alaska to deliver honest, quality conservative news and commentary.

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