The Bernadette Wilson for Governor campaign announced two major additions to its senior leadership team on Thursday, tapping seasoned political campaigners Paul Smith and CJ Koan, both of whom played instrumental roles in Nick Begich III’s successful 2024 congressional campaign.
Smith joins Team Bernadette as general consultant, bringing with him a national reputation for winning hard-fought races, while Koan will serve as campaign manager, leveraging decades of experience in federal service and grassroots political organization.
“We are thrilled to welcome Paul and CJ to our team,” said Bernadette Wilson, who officially launched her campaign last week in Juneau. “Their proven leadership, deep knowledge of Alaska and national politics, and track record of delivering results make them invaluable additions as we enter the next phase of our campaign.” In addition, she worked with them both while she was a senior adviser to the Begich for Congress campaign in 2024.
Smith, a graduate of Hillsdale College, first made national headlines after managing Rep. Rod Blum’s 2014 upset victory in Iowa—a race Politico named one of the top five political upsets of that cycle. Smith later served as Blum’s Chief of Staff. He co-founded Rival Strategy Group and has since consulted on high-profile races across the country, including helping flip two historically Democratic districts in South Texas in 2022. Most recently, Smith helped unseat Alaska incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola in 2024 while serving as general consultant to Nick Begich III.
“I’ve been privileged to be a part of some incredible campaigns,” said Smith. “And helping elect a bold, principled leader like Bernadette to lead Alaska into its next chapter is a challenge I’m extremely honored to take on.”
Campaign manager CJ Koan, a longtime Alaskan, brings a unique blend of technical expertise and political strategy. A retired FAA project manager and former military liaison, Koan transitioned into political consulting by founding 137 Initiative, LLC, based in Wasilla. Behind the scenes, she played a pivotal role in managing logistics and operations for Begich’s 2024 victory.
In addition to her professional background, Koan has served in various leadership roles within the Alaska Republican Party, including on the executive board of her local House District and as the Region 2 Representative. She chaired the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission and currently serves as vice president of the Valley Republican Women of Alaska.
“Alaska is at a turning point, and Bernadette is the kind of leader who brings people together to solve problems,” said Koan. “I’m excited to be part of a team that puts Alaska first and isn’t afraid to shake things up.”
With the Republican primary more than a year away, Wilson’s campaign is ramping up operations early, building a robust ground game and expanding its presence across the state. She has appeared at several events already to reintroduce herself, this time not as a campaign aide, but as a candidate for governor. The addition of Smith and Koan is expected to significantly enhance the campaign’s organizational strength and strategic reach.
I really like this lady but it’s kind of against my personal principles to “back” somebody until I know who else is planning to run. So far, I’m impressed with her (far better than the other two) but I’m still not in a hurry to jump in without all the cards on the table.
State senator Mike Shower has been mentioned as a good candidate, the former fighter pilot has been a star on the Mike Porcaro show, he might be a game changer
I’d like to see Mike Shower replace the bitter, weak link in our congressional delegation.
Bernadette, if you are reading this, you need to get your website filled out. Folks are checking it to see your positions and they aren’t going to give you $$ until they see your statements. Just a heads up.
You said this to mean what?
New pic request! That girl doesn’t have a Jimmy Durante honker!
Bernadette Wilson is going to be a disaster of a candidate. We need Treg Taylor or else we are doomed to governor Peltola.
I don’t know Ms. Wilson, but I do know that putting any hope in Treg Taylor is a serious mistake, even if he could win the gubernatorial race. My personal experience with Treg Taylor’s actions and those of his staff such as Andy Miller carrying out their duties and responsibilities in an ethical and trustworthy manner are non-existent. Treg made a choice to either cover up or ignore a massive public corruption scandal which I brought to his attention through Governor Dunleavy and others. Why Governor Dunleavy didn’t fire him we will never know. Treg Taylor and his team refused to take any corrective action even though the law is clearly being broken, public safety continues to be put at serious risk, and millions of dollars have been wasted.
It is critical that we make a real change in leadership with someone who actually cares about following the law and takes public safety seriously. If Ms. Wilson is interested in taking action, she could have more than enough help in pointing her in the right direction.
Wilson, nothing worthwhile in a governor position or lawmaker is a great candidate for that office. We have the failure already in the governor’s seat, we don’t need anymore.
I hope folks research a bit here. I’m tired of being disappointed by folks in politics. But if you like Murkowski and Giessel…..
We don’t need another Do Nothing Dunleavy, pass.
Seems many have made their decisions about her already. I’ll wait for the facts and see who backs her. We need to vett our candidates much better, look at the majority trash we have in Juneau. I know I won’t support the other two.
Okay, I’m just gonna’ say it: our ‘Bernie is one HELL of a good-looking woman! ‘Woo-HOO! You GO, girl!
I would like to see her strong position on:
School choice vouchers
Cut spending and Full Dividend!
Promote business growth by reducing regulations for things like refineries
Free land for new factories like AI and the power plants they need
Development of our resources to build wealth.
Howdy Jim. To do all those things she will need a House and Senate that will work With her and not against her. It would be to her advantage to support candidates in those races who could support her in office.
She’s certainly cute and sez all the right things! I wanna know what she thinks about our RINO senator Murkowski and RCV as soon as possible.
WHY is Wilson refusing to say she is running for governor in her APOC FILING???
We already have a glut of girl bosses. Please, not another one.
I couldn’t get past that terrible picture, you are very cute in person. You guys hamstring yourselves to death bypassing copy editors and professional public relations people. #stopwiththeinstagramfiltersandhireaphotographer