Alaska State Senate District E candidate surveys, 2022

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Alaska State Senate District E who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Click here to see candidates and election results.
Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District E

Select round:

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Catherine Giessel in round 2 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,705
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/rholland.jpg

Roger Holland (R)

Passing a fiscal plan that will include both a realistic spending cap and a PFD formula protected by the Constitution.

Continue work on education issues, including teacher retention and recruitment, high school credit for college and trade schools, and more.

Continue working on criminal law bills updating statutes involving sexual assault and human- and sex-trafficking.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Roger Holland (R)

As chair of the Senate Education Committee, I developed great interest in the problems with education in Alaska. Alaska is 50th in the nation in 4th grade reading, and we can do better. Sadly, Alaska is first in the nation in recreational boating fatalities, and boating safety education is an important public policy issue. With more coastline than all other states combined, Alaska is the only coastal state with no required boating safety education requirement, and I think we could introduce something similar to the successful hunter education program.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Roger Holland (R)

I was fortunate to have grown up during the Reagan years. President Ronald Reagan was a true icon. He respected the office of the President of the United States, and he believed in securing peace through strength.

In the wake of the Carter presidency, Reagan's policies stimulated economic growth, curbed inflation, increased employment, and strengthen national defense. He pursued cutting taxes and Government expenditures.

Reagan overhauled the income tax code, and the U.S. enjoyed its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.

President Reagan's “peace through strength” led to the end of the Cold War.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Roger Holland (R)

Improving education in Alaska.

Establishing a sound fiscal policy in Alaska.

Re-establishing confidence and trust in legislators in Alaska.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Roger Holland (R)

Probably landing on the moon in 1969. I was about seven years old, and I remember sitting on the floor in the living room with my family watching the news updates on the moon landing.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Roger Holland (R)

Baskin-Robbins from about 1978 till 1981. Three years.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Roger Holland (R)

Hooked On A Feeling

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Roger Holland (R)

As the Chief Executive, the governor should be prepared to lead the state legislature. He is the singular individual who can focus the efforts of the legislature. A prime example is the passage of the Alaska Reads Act in 2022. Governor Dunleavy set clear parameters on what would and would not be acceptable in the Alaska Reads Act, and that helped to keep the legislators focused on what could be accomplished.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Roger Holland (R)

Education. Alaska has always struggled with educating our youth. We have so many challenges in education in Alaska, including great distances, extreme weather, poverty, lack of internet, teacher recruitment and retention, and more. Fiscal Reform. Alaska constantly drifts between "Boom and Bust" cycles. By enacting a real spending cap and instituting real controls on our state spending, Alaska's fiscal outlook would improve greatly.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Roger Holland (R)

Benefit - probably streamline the process and expedite passage of legislation. Drawback - Lack of oversight of a "second set of eyes" to vet and develop legislation.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Roger Holland (R)

Definitely NOT!

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Roger Holland (R)

Definitely NOT!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Roger Holland (R)

Compromise is often necessary for policy-making, even within members of the same party.