Bernadette Wilson, lifelong Alaskan and well-known conservative political activist, has been fired by Americans for Prosperity, which hired her in September of 2021 as Alaska’s state director. She said she was not told why she was suddenly let go, and the change came as a surprise. But she’s taking it in stride. After all, there’s a lot of politics in politics.
“I was involved long before AFP, and I will be involved after AFP. That was just part of the chapter in the book. Conservatives should know I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not backing down. We are up against people who do not want to hear a conservative voice and we have got to keep going,” she said.
“I genuinely enjoyed the position and I have such admiration for the dozens upon dozens volunteers and other community leaders who have given so much of their precious time, not just to AFP, but to this conservative movement,” she said.
Wilson has been leading the charge against an increase of the defined benefits program for state workers, and has worked on education reform, health care reform through ending the certificate of need program, and on the direct primary care bill.
It appears that political forces were a factor in her termination, as she was seen as a rising star in AFP on the national level. AFP is a libertarian-focused organization with chapters in over 30 states.
Just weeks ago, she and dozens of Alaska grassroots activists flew to Juneau and talked to legislators about conservative priorities relevant in this legislative session. Wilson has held grassroots academy trainings across the state, attended by hundreds of conservatives, and some consider her as a possible candidate for governor at some point in the future.
“Ahead of us, we have a sales tax issue, and we need to keep pressure on the Legislature to get the budget under control, but we’ll just do it through a different avenue, and I will still be a part of this conservative movement and conversation,” she said.
Wilson owns her own company, Denali Disposal, and she will have time to focus on growing the business, and will be working on campaigns and for conservative causes, as she did long before AFP hired her.
Wilson got her start in politics on issues such as being the campaign director for the parental notification ballot initiative, which passed in 2010. She has since worked on dozens of campaigns, including Joe Miller for Senate, and most recently she and AFP’s campaign division backed Nick Begich for Congress.
AFP is a grassroots organization whose mission is to create change, and says on its website that its grassroots, policy, government affairs, communications, political, and education and training capabilities “make us the best organization to change the policy landscape in America.”
