Evan Eads

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Evan Eads

Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Personal

Profession

President and founder of The Alaska Gift Company LLC

Contact

Campaign website

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Evan Eads (independent) ran for election to the Alaska State Senate to represent District B. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020. Eads unofficially withdrew from the race but appeared on the general election ballot on November 3, 2020.

Eads completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Eads announced on October 16, 2020, that he was dropping out of the race and endorsing independent candidate Marna Sanford.

Biography

Evan Eads is the president and founder of The Alaska Gift Company LLC.

Elections

2020

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District B

Robert Myers Jr. defeated Marna Sanford and Evan Eads (Unofficially withdrew) in the general election for Alaska State Senate District B on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert Myers Jr. (R)	57.1	10,213
		Marna Sanford (Independent)	37.0	6,612
		Evan Eads (Independent) (Unofficially withdrew)	5.5	987
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	67

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,879
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District B

Robert Myers Jr. defeated incumbent John B. Coghill in the Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District B on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert Myers Jr.	50.2	1,739
		John B. Coghill	49.8	1,725

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 3,464
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Evan Eads completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Eads' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Evan Eads is a small businessman who lives with his wife Kylie and their twin daughters Adelle and Reaghann in Fairbanks, Alaska.

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?

• An Ownership Share for Our Resources: The Alaska constitution declares that all the natural resources of our state must be utilized, developed and conserved for "the maximum benefit" of the people. We the people are the heirs and owners of all the resource wealth of Alaska. Unfortunately, bad deals have been made and we are not receiving an ownership share. The current 4% net tax on oil with an $8 per barrel subsidy does not meet the obligation of our founding document. Similarly, a 0% severance tax on our gold (and other precious metals) is a wanton violation of that constitutional mandate. It's time to return to constitutional principles and advocate for an ownership share for our resources!
• Change Corrupt Rules: The state capitol has become a place of entrenched corruption. The legislature passed The Open Meetings Act, which applies to every other governmental body in Alaska. Borough assemblies, city councils, government boards, etc. are all required to have all their meetings open to the public, give public notice and keep public records. But the legislature has exempted themselves from this law. The corruption is compounded by adoption of "The Binding Caucus" which both parties use to obligate every member in the legislative majority to support every ruling of the chair, every rule of the presiding officer and the budget as proposed, before knowing what any of those rulings are or what the budget contains. This must end!
• Balance the Budget: We face a budget deficit so large that it's difficult to comprehend. Cuts alone won't work - even cutting every state worker wouldn't fix the deficit. We can't tax the people to find our way out of this. Even a 30% income tax wouldn't fill the hole we find ourselves in. We must get our spending under control. Cuts must come, and we must start by cutting massive state subsidies to the oil industry. We must budget wisely, and we cannot continue to spend more in cashable credits than we receive in oil tax revenue. We can do better. Every path forward must include following the constitution and getting an ownership share of our natural resource wealth.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am YES on Ballot Measure 1 because I believe the legislature has abdicated its constitutional duty under Article VIII, Section 2. Though they are duty bound to utilize Alaska's resource wealth for "the maximum benefit" of the people, they have elected to ignore that mandate. Therefore it is up to we the people. Article I, Section 2 declares that all political power is inherent in the people. It is our duty as citizens to hold our government accountable. Governing by ballot measure is less than ideal. To paraphrase Churchill, Yes on 1 is the worst alternative except for all the others. I believe it is our best path forward to wake up the legislature, to help balance the budget and to advocate for an ownership share of our resources.

Other issues I am passionate about:

Permanent Fund Dividend: stop cutting from the people in order to pay massive state subsides to multinational corporations and foreign companies.
Education: focus on early childhood literacy and fluency (if we fail early on, we are failing our future).
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: we cannot allow stigma and silence to perpetuate the aguish.
Reform Civil Forfeiture Laws: we must respect due process (and all individual rights).

Term Limits: it's time to provide career politicians with a much needed limitation.

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

My dad without a doubt. Great man on so many levels.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Two books to keep it simple. Both books from men of ideas and action - though of different times and cultures.

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

I Had to Survive by Dr. Roberto Canessa

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Having built and operated my own business, I have the insight and experience necessary to formulate a new business plan for Alaska.

As a father of twin girls, "our future" is not an abstract term for me. These little ladies provide the incentive for me to help build a strong Alaska that we can be proud to leave to our children.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To represent the interests of their constituents.

To represent the interests of Alaska.

To be true to their conscience.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to follow the Alaska Constitution, and put the people of Alaska first. That should be a legacy we would all be proud to be a part of.

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

The most memorable event was 9/11. That occurred at the beginning of my sophomore year in high school.

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

My first job, was probably feeding the livestock and cleaning the barn. Growing up in a rural Alaska village off the road system, I did plenty of jobs around the farm.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My family has been deeply affected by suicide. My personal experience in dealing with this issue, and emerging from the darkness and heartache, gives me a profound hope that we can work together to overcome the silence and stigma. I believe that mental health and suicide prevention will continue to require more attention in the difficult days ahead.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

Many similarities exist between the chambers in Alaska. Term length, number of constituents, and size of the body are the most significant distinguishing factors.

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

It can certainly be beneficial to understanding the way things operate, and to understanding how best to wield the strings of power. But it can also tend to bias towards operating in the same manner as "the way things are done." When change is needed an outside perspective can be critical. In business an inside hire is often good for continuity of leadership - someone already familiar with the interworkings. But sometimes an outside hire can provide a fresh perspective and be beneficial to changing course.

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

A New Business Plan for Alaska: an ownership share of our resources. (The future for Alaska is very grim without this.)

Budget Issues: deficit, spending, savings, etc.
Unfunded Retirement Liabilities: over $10 billion and growing
Education: We can't pretend that our current predicament will portend a brighter future.

Mental Health: Our suicide rates are dire. Difficult social and economic conditions will likely exacerbate the situation. More attention is needed.

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

The ideal is probably one of trust and mutual respect. But I think it is also good to have a bit of creative friction between co-equal branches of government - the proverbial iron sharpening iron - with necessary limitations to power to keep it in check.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Without a doubt. Whether it's family or business or government, relationship is key to everything. Relationship is ultimately what helps to bridge the divide between different personalities, perspectives, and ideologies. But I think it becomes more important especially in insular circles (like government often is) to beware lest the duty to constituents be forsaken for collegial friendship.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

As nonpartisan a process as possible... though that seems less and less possible in times such as these.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Resources, Rules, State Affairs (there are aspects of all of them that would interest me)

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Unlikely. Nonpartisan affiliation. First term.

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

No. I do not consider this the beginning of a new career. I'd like to get some important issues resolved and get back to my business.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Too many to count, and so many regarding the difficulties we are facing as a state.

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.

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Footnotes

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Current members of the Alaska State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Gary Stevens

Majority Leader:Catherine Giessel

Senators

District A

Bert Stedman (R)

District B

Jesse Kiehl (D)

District C

Gary Stevens (R)

District D

Jesse Bjorkman (R)

District E

Catherine Giessel (R)

District F

James Kaufman (R)

District G

Elvi Gray-Jackson (D)

District H

Matt Claman (D)

District I

Loki Tobin (D)

District J

Forrest Dunbar (D)

District K

Bill Wielechowski (D)

District L

Kelly Merrick (R)

District M

Shelley Hughes (R)

District N

Robert Yundt (R)

District O

Mike Shower (R)

District P

Scott Kawasaki (D)

District Q

Robert Myers (R)

District R

Mike Cronk (R)

District S

Lyman Hoffman (D)

District T

Donald Olson (D)

Republican Party (11)

Democratic Party (9)