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Heidi Drygas
Heidi Drygas was the Alaska Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. She assumed office in 2014. She left office in 2018.
Drygas (independent) ran for election for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
Education
- Bachelor's degree in history, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- J.D., Willamette University[1]
Career
Drygas worked for nine years as general counsel for the Alaska District Council of Laborers prior to her appointment.[1] When she was appointed to political office, she also published a cooking blog called Chena Girl Cooks.[2]
Political career
Alaska Labor Commissioner (2014-2018)
Drygas assumed office as the Alaska commissioner of labor and workforce development in December 2014.[3] She served until December 2018.
Appointments
2014
Drygas was appointed as Alaska commissioner of labor and workforce development by Gov. Bill Walker (I) on December 19, 2014.[3]
Elections
2022
See also: Alaska gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska
The ranked-choice voting election was won by Nancy Dahlstrom in round 1 .
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Total votes: 263,752 |
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska
The following candidates ran in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska on August 16, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Nancy Dahlstrom (R) | 40.4 | 76,534 |
| ✔ |  | Jessica Cook (D) | 23.1 | 43,660 |
| ✔ |  | Heidi Drygas (Independent) | 22.8 | 43,111 |
| ✔ |  | Edie Grunwald (R) | 6.6 | 12,458 |
| Paul Hueper (R) | 3.9 | 7,307 | ||
| Shellie Wyatt (Alaskan Independence Party) | 0.9 | 1,702 | ||
| Tanya Lange (R) | 0.9 | 1,661 | ||
| Shirley Rainbolt (L) | 0.7 | 1,381 | ||
| S. Waynette Coleman (R) | 0.6 | 1,139 | ||
| Ronnie Ostrem (Independent) | 0.2 | 347 | ||
| Total votes: 189,300 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brittany Cottrell (Independent)
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Heidi Drygas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Drygas’s campaign website stated the following:
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REBUILD ALASKA A policy framework to determine Alaska’s future and invest in ourselves Alaska’s immense natural beauty is unrivaled. We also possess unmatched natural resources beneath our feet and all around us which create endless opportunities for people to thrive here for the next ten thousand years. Whether it’s fishing and hunting, our $80 billion sovereign wealth fund, petroleum reserves and mineral deposits, all the elements needed for large-scale renewable energy operations, or trails and wild open spaces that attract millions of tourists each year, Alaska is truly the land of opportunity. However, opportunity alone is only unrealized potential. It is our responsibility as Alaskans to act as good stewards of our lands, oceans, and natural resources to ensure that people today and generations from now are able to build successful lives here and that can only happen with a functioning and growing economy, something we haven’t had for years. Alaska sits at 49th in the Top States for Business, just behind Mississippi. We need a new vision. So much of what we love about Alaska is rooted in our outdoor spaces. But if we are going to reverse the decline of Alaskans leaving the state and kickstart our economy, we must invest in the things that make people love their cities, towns, and villages as much as they love their outdoors and build up our local communities. In order for this to happen, we must develop a clear direction for our state and maintain a commitment to responsible stewardship that is uninterrupted by election cycles, political disagreements, and other forms of short-term thinking and create vibrant, livable spaces where the spoils of a growing economy benefit everyone. The Walker Drygas Administration is committed to achieving balance and stability in infrastructure and low-cost energy so that Alaskans can finally determine our own future rather than continuing to allow faraway economic and political forces take advantage of our internal division. On one hand, Alaska is treated as if it is a vacant land that should be locked up and protected from itself; on the other hand, some outsiders act like we are nothing more than a warehouse full of natural resources waiting to be exploited when the market requires. When we talk about rebuilding Alaska, at the core, we are talking about policies that promote self-determination in how our state grows and changes, focus attention beyond our immediate challenges, and make it so people can build successful lives here. This document provides 8 specific policies we will pursue toward this end, and we encourage Alaskans to engage with us to provide big ideas that will get our state back on track.
2. Support kids and families in Alaska from pre-K through UA 3. Address Alaska’s statewide housing crisis 4. Expanding “Alaska Grown” to promote an Alaska Aisle in every store 5. Establishing the Alaska Office of Outdoor Recreation 6. Enacting policies that promote year-round tourism 7. Chief Innovation Officer 8. Alaska 2050
Regardless of how Alaska’s overall economy is performing at any given moment – based on traditional metrics like the unemployment rate, the price of oil, or the state’s growth domestic product – we will never be able to say that our economy is truly healthy until every single community has toilets that flush and other foundational infrastructure needed for everyone in our state to have a chance at participating in a strong economy without leaving their hometown. We must prioritize resources to level the playing field and make it so there is equity in Alaskan infrastructure. The historic federal investment through the bipartisan infrastructure bill – championed by Congressman Don Young and Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan – provides a unique opportunity to make significant progress. The Walker Drygas Administration will leverage that one-time money by ensuring the State partners with Tribes and the Denali Commission to improve access to sewer systems, clean water, roads, and housing. We will also work to eliminate regulatory delays that increase the costs of construction across our state. In short, we will:
It’s impossible to build a strong economy without investing in our future in a meaningful way. Alaskans have seen the negative consequences of state leaders who attack the university system with a 44 percent cut instead of building it up, reduce K-12 funding until an election year, embrace the worst teacher retirement system in the country instead of making it better, and do nothing to improve the availability of childcare at the exact moment when that is one of the major factors holding our economic recovery back. We propose three core education policies to address these issues:
This could take the form of loan funds, capital investment funds, or direct incentives. We will form a Childcare Working Group that will prepare policy recommendations for the Legislature to consider in the first year of our administration. We will place four specific ideas on the table for a thorough review: 1. The possibility of finding a way for communities, Tribes, and businesses to pay for childcare workers to receive state health insurance and benefits as a tool to help with recruitment and retention of workers, 2. Expanding the availability of funding for direct childcare incentives throughout the state, 3. Explore repurposing vacant state buildings and facilities to host childcare services, and 4. Establish a Childcare Trust Fund to fund systematic approaches that creates living wages, increases benefits, and creates better training for businesses and employees while expanding childcare access for parents. We also propose working with the University of Alaska to create childcare apprenticeships that will help create a pipeline of highly qualified childcare workers who can look forward to a career of serving our most valuable resource. K-12 education. Alaskans today fully appreciate the harm inflation can inflict on individuals and institutions. Teachers and school administrators have known this for years. As policymakers grappled with budget shortfalls, flat-funding and short-funding of the amount the state sends to schools has become the norm. Of course, this approach to budgeting is actually a cut as the value of a dollar drops every year; even the modest election year increase to K-12 funding failed to keep up with the current high inflation. We must increase the base student allocation, and the first budget we introduce will increase the base student allocation so students, parents, teachers and school administrators will not have to worry about cuts and class size increases. We will also establish the Alaska Education Endowment, with the goal of funding pre-K through the University through revenues from additional resource development. Second, we must confront Alaska’s poor teacher retirement system and implement reforms that will be financially sustainable. For the first time in memory, teacher recruitment fairs this year were canceled and some school districts delayed opening because no one from out-of-state was showing up; this stands in stark contrast to the years when people all over the country competed for a job here because we valued education with good pay and the ability to retire. Bottom line: we are hemorrhaging teachers in Alaska. Bringing back competitive retirement benefits for teachers is a key part of solving the recruitment and retention issues that disrupt learning all over our state. Finally, we will oppose any effort to undermine the Alaska Constitution by directing public funds to be spent on private schools. School vouchers and similar programs simply will not work in a state where a vast majority of communities have just one school.
The Walker Drygas administration will work to keep our best, brightest, and hardest working young people here by championing three policies: 1. We will introduce a plan to forgive student loans taken out by anyone who completes a degree or trade school certificate here and stays and works in Alaska for at least five years. Alaska needs workers in every sector of our economy. People who complete any program will be treated equally, whether they earn a welding certificate or an advanced engineering degree to build up our state, a bachelor’s degree to educate our kids, complete a pilot training program, or anything else. 2. We will reject any additional cuts to our university system, and will work in particular to increase the number of spaces available for nursing students and the number of seats in the WWAMI Program. 3. We will re-establish core programs that produce employees the state needs the most like the Information Technology Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and we will invest in attracting students from across the country to participate in our distance learning degrees and programs. In short, we will:
Quality, attainable homes are a keystone to growing the economy. If we want young people to stay, we need to be sure there are places for them to live and currently, availability of housing is a problem statewide. Nearly every community in Alaska is experiencing some degree of a housing crisis that makes it extremely difficult for young people to be able to afford to build a life here. Yet the issue of housing is not currently treated as the universal issue it is for Alaskans or confronted with the level of urgency it demands. To help address this complex issue, we will appoint an Affordable Housing Coordinator who will participate as a part of the Governor’s Cabinet. We will take four major steps to address this issue: Statewide Housing Emergency Group. We will declare a Statewide Emergency on Affordable Housing and stand up a working group composed of a diverse group of stakeholders to finally confront this issue in a robust way that seeks solutions that will work in rural and urban communities for renters and home-owners. Alaska is already working on these issues through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and the Cold Climate Research Center, but leadership is required to bring new ideas to the forefront. Finally, the State of Alaska could help achieve solutions by obtaining local materials for local projects and bringing in supplies from out-of-state at scale in a way that brings down prices of the products needed to build here. Investments to encourage housing solutions Our first budget will propose significant investments that encourage the construction of new homes in rural and urban communities, and we will work with legislators across the state and from every political background to make sure investments happen. One of the key targets of state funding will be initiatives that increase flexibility and allow for more efficient use of land. Alaska has an incredible opportunity through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to understand and tackle the issue and could include things like endowing funds to spin off earnings to help build new, affordable housing. We will also work to find ways to assist developers in bringing down the high costs of building in Alaska by searching for tax credit and cost reduction opportunities like kicking in to develop utilities or property access. Eliminating bureaucratic hurdles Alaska’s tax code currently acts as a barrier to local initiatives that could encourage new housing developments. One example is in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which is pursuing a 10-year property tax exemption for developers who build at least five units. State law strictly limits this sort of exemption. We will work with the Legislature to remove this kind of barrier, and we will also introduce legislation that would provide competitive grants to communities with the best ideas to address housing shortages. State law could also help incentivize building more dense housing, like four-plexes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Explore statewide options for a Statewide Land Trust Alaska is one of only three states in the nation without a statewide land trust. Sitka has been at the forefront of working to turn the tide against housing affordability in their community with the Sitka Community Land Trust. In 2020, fair market rent for a three-bedroom was more than $1,800 and a 2020 rental market survey placed Sitka’s average total rent higher than any other area in the state. The Sitka Community Land Trust’s work is opening up the opportunity for Sitkans to own a home for more than $100,000 less than the average home price in Sitka. With around 300 land trusts in the country, the idea is that the land underlying homes is placed into a trust, and a small fee is passed onto homeowners. This drastically reduces the total cost of home ownership in Alaska. The tradeoff is that homeowners keep less of the total sales price of the home when they sell, helping to pass it on at less than fair market value to the next homeowner. The State has wide swaths of land it could make available for a Statewide Land Trust with the intention of reducing the cost of home ownership on those tracts, thereby creating a brand new opportunity for Alaskans to purchase their first home at affordable prices. In short, we will:
Alaska Grown is a tremendous success story. It was designed to increase consumer awareness and consumption of Alaska agricultural products, by Alaskans for Alaskans, and the brand continues to grow. We created an Alaska produce competition while in office amongst the grocery stores. It is time to supercharge this effort and take it to the next level by ensuring every major big-box store has an “Alaska Aisle” which highlights local businesses and products of all varieties–not products that look handcrafted but actually have a made in China label. There’s no reason why every, Carrs Safeway, Fred Meyer, Walmart, and pharmacy in our state can’t have a dedicated space where Alaskans can buy products grown and created by their friends and neighbors on the shelf. This will help create jobs and provide a boost for local entrepreneurs.
Alaska has the greatest public lands anywhere in the world. Everyone who lives here enjoys our outdoor spaces in one way or another, and so do millions of visitors from across the country and beyond. As we continue to see our state’s tourism industry grow, we need to embrace our outdoor economy while also making sure that changes only happen on our terms. While many state agencies and other stakeholders interact with our outdoor economy, the work is dispersed, and there is no connective tissue to align efforts and investments. This is why we will establish the Alaska Office of Outdoor Recreation. This Office will be modeled after a similar effort in the State of Colorado, which brings together a variety of stakeholders: hunters and fishermen, people who hike, bike, run, ski, and recreate in other ways in our parks and wilderness areas, executives from tourism companies, and officials from state and federal agencies, to name a few. Ultimately, the Office will serve as a central point of contact, advocacy, and resources for the many stakeholders who participate in the outdoor economy. One of our priorities in this area is to build up trails in a way that benefits all Alaskans and enhances our relationship with nature. Here are some specific initiatives we support and will advocate through the Alaska Office of Outdoor Recreation:
In short, we will:
Over the past few years, Alaska has experienced a significant influx of independent travelers who arrive in our state by plane. These visitors spend more time and money here than other tourists, and they can show up any time of year rather than only during summer. This increases economic activity in communities and leads to greater revenue for tourism companies, restaurants, and countless other small businesses. Iceland provides a useful model: the country previously relied on 80 percent summer tourism until they developed Northern Lights tours and marketed other winter activities. Since then, their winter tourism trade has increased from 20 percent to 80 percent. Alaska can learn from Iceland’s success given our world class northern lights, skiing, and more. The Walker Drygas Administration will pursue policies aimed at increasing the number of independent travelers visiting Alaska, with a particular focus on attracting winter tourists so that seasonal businesses can keep the lights on and provide jobs and entertainment in our communities all year. First and foremost, we will make a robust investment in the Alaska Travel Industry Association and specifically direct some of the increased marketing dollars to promote the fact that residents of 40 countries are able to visit Alaska for 90 days without obtaining a visa through the Visa Waiver Program. The program was launched decades ago by the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security to allow foreign travelers where visa applications are rarely rejected to visit the United States without going through hassle of obtaining a short-term travel visa, which can be expensive and time-consuming. This should be a targeted selling point to residents of countries like Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom – all participants in the program – can easily jump on a plane and visit our state for world-class skiing, to watch the Northern Lights, or to visit a glacier and see ice caves. We will also continue the work we did during our first term to promote Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport as a world-class destination, and we aggressively pursue the creation of new direct passenger flights from Asia and Europe; given the restrictions in international use of Russian airspace, Anchorage should be able to sell itself as a stopover destination that will allow airlines to continue their trans-Pacific and polar routes and to enable passengers to spend time in Alaska while on the way to or from the Lower 48. New direct flights have the added benefit of providing Alaskans with easily accessible international destinations. In short, we will:
There is a heightened sense of Alaska’s strategic location in the world, remote work is now a proven solution to some operational challenges, technologies like telemedicine have advanced tremendously in a way that improves healthcare access, and overall connectivity continues to improve. Each of these trends are in part attributable to challenges of recent years, but we are excited about this moment and all the possibilities they present for Alaska. The State of Alaska does not need to reinvent every wheel, but we will benefit from constantly improving, keeping up with technological advances, staying apprised of important trends, and implementing best practices. This is why we will hire a Chief Innovation Officer, who will report directly to the Governor, and their primary responsibility will be identifying practical solutions and opportunities that benefit Alaskan residents and businesses, and helps the government serve Alaskans better and more efficiently. This initiative is modeled after the many government bodies that have proven the benefit of a CIO and focus on innovation, including the Municipality of Anchorage.
Alaskans used to embrace bold slogans like North to the Future, and our leaders acted in a way that genuinely embodied that forward-looking spirit: completing some of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in history, taking innovative steps like establishing the Permanent Fund, and working toward a shared vision of building this place up for the benefit of people today and for future generations. Today, it’s almost as if we’ve forgotten how to lean into big ideas and future planning. We are more divided than ever, and we need to systematically bridge the divisions in our state and lift our heads to the horizon. This belief is one of the core reasons why we are running as Independents and embracing our Alaskan label over our growing partisan divide. It is also why we will promote establishment of an initiative called Alaska 2050. The first major undertaking in the initiative will be modeled after a similar large undertaking of the State of Hawaii in 1970 called “Hawaii 2000” which brought together thousands of people across the State of all ages, cultures, professions, educational achievements, income levels, and in all communities at a historic inflection point in that state to establish a greater sense of unity about what people wanted to become by the turn of the century. We desperately need this approach in Alaska: neighbors sitting down and having tough conversations to build a foundation of mutual respect and understanding so we can chart a course into the future that is not reversed every four years but reaches far into the future and gets us thinking about what we are leaving for our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and everyone who will love this place long after we are gone. Planning for the future and establishing trust and deep relationships among people from different backgrounds is not a one-time, static activity. We must consistently put in the work and keep an eye toward the future, so the Commission will undertake a similar statewide engagement effort every 10 years. The Commission will also provide yearly reports to the Legislature and the Governor that enable policymakers to constantly seek the longview and the bigger picture as they make year-to-year budget and policy decisions. Finally, the Commission will be tasked with exploring the creation of a permanent Future Studies program within the University of Alaska that is modeled after programs at the University of Hawaii and University of Houston that work to increase the quality and depth of forward-looking research available to policymakers.
Who We Are Bill Walker served as Alaska’s 11th Governor (2014-2018) as an Independent and Heidi Drygas served as Alaska’s Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development during Governor Walker’s term. Bill, a former Republican, and Heidi, a former Democrat, are running as lifelong Alaskans without party labels. The Walker/Drygas team will work for all Alaskans and with leaders across the political spectrum. We are everyday Alaskans who are willing to work hard to do what’s best for Alaska.
Alaskans want to feel confident in our future. We want to know there will be a good quality of life for our children and our children’s children, that they will have good jobs and opportunities to enjoy the lands and activities that define our great state. But in recent years more people are moving out than moving in, and a sense of uncertainty has many Alaskans nervous. We are challenged by high costs, especially for energy and health care; a shortage of housing and child care; and a lack of economic diversification. Most of all, we are stymied by seesawing state revenue – which means unpredictable impacts on local taxes, education funding, school debt reimbursement, ferry schedules and more. Fortunately, we have the tools to rebuild our economy. We have abundant natural resources; and we have rich and varied resources valued by the economy of the future – such as clean air, clean water, and renewable energy resources. And we have an $80 billion nest egg: our Permanent Fund, which can help bring the fiscal stability we need to thrive. A thriving economy will create jobs, help businesses grow and prosper, and help keep more young Alaskans here in our state and stop the hemorrhaging of folks leaving in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
Alaska has hitched itself to a rollercoaster ride of rising and falling oil prices. This makes it hard to plan. Sometimes promises are broken – the state went back on its promise to repay school construction debt, for example, forcing unanticipated costs onto local communities. Sudden windfalls can be problematic too: projects get funded without proper vetting, or programs are launched that can’t be sustained. Families and businesses don’t thrive on this kind of budget yo-yo, and neither does Alaska. Fiscal planning is key to providing stability, and stability is key to strength. A solid fiscal footing will provide the predictability we need to hire and keep good teachers, to retain and attract qualified police officers, and to improve and maintain our roads and bridges and ferry system. As governor, Bill consistently fought for a stable fiscal plan. With oil no longer paying the bills, we need to talk honestly and openly about the smartest way to pay for the services Alaskans deserve and want. Over the past decade, the state has spent down $20 billion in savings while ducking the hard conversations. As governor, Bill proposed multiple options to bring long-term fiscal stability. No option is pain-free, but we believe we can and must find a way to ensure we can pay for the schools, public safety, infrastructure, and other services that enable our families, communities, and businesses to thrive. Heidi and Bill have demonstrated that we will be honest with Alaskans, we are open to all ideas, and we are willing to do the hard work needed to set Alaska on a course for stability and strength. In Bill’s first term in office, he successfully reduced Alaska’s financial shortfall by 75% despite historically low oil prices. There is more work to do. Alaska needs a stable fiscal plan developed with common sense, nonpartisan, practical solutions. Our families, our communities, and our businesses need predictability and stability in our budget in order to plan, invest, and thrive.
People are the foundation of any economy. It’s time Alaska invests in our human capital again. Our schools need budgets that parents and educators can count on. It is long past time we made salaries and benefits for our educators competitive, which will curb the significant outmigration of teachers fleeing the state for better opportunities out of state. A great education for our children, pre-K through graduation, is the greatest resource development investment we can make. There are many reasons to make great schools a priority. Military members are increasingly seeking quality schools when they evaluate transfer opportunities. Strong schools build community connections. And of course, good schools prepare our children to solve problems, power our workforce, and build a better future for us all. Investing in education pays off.
The University of Alaska is the crown jewel of Alaska’s economy. Our university system is a significant economic engine for our state. Not only does it provide an excellent academic opportunity to students, but it brings students to Alaska, many of whom stay in Alaska and become valuable contributors to our state. Additionally, the University brings in millions of federal dollars each year through world-class research. Our university is a recognized leader in Arctic studies. It must be properly funded and supported to reach its full potential.
Our state ferry system is a critical piece of the state’s infrastructure, and a diamond in the rough. The sheer beauty the “blue canoes” pass through every day is second to none, worldwide. We need to rebuild the AMHS to what it once was—a world-class system meeting the needs of Alaskans and visitors alike. We need the equivalent of Europe’s Eurail pass for the AMHS, so passengers can hop on and hop off for a stay in various stunning Alaska coastal communities where it docks. We need to bring back the amenities— such as local entertainment and the naturalist program — that made travel on the AMHS so special. Under my administration, we initiated the AMHS Reform Project, a broad public process aimed at making our ferry system more sustainable and durable for the long term. The top recommendation was to reduce the ferry system’s entanglement in the political process so managers can make longer-term plans and better business decisions. We support this effort and will implement Rep. Louise Stutes’ bill as an important step in bringing greater independence and sustainability to our ferry system.
There is nothing more important to parents than high-quality and affordable child care. Child care is also critical infrastructure for our economy: A recent US Chamber of Commerce study estimated that Alaska loses $165 million each year as a result of insufficient child care. Employers know this, and the pandemic underscored the link between availability of child care and availability of a workforce. We will propose financial incentives to employers to help them ensure employees have access to affordable childcare, and we will work with policy experts to find solutions that meet the needs of Alaska’s families.
We hear the frustration in Alaska around the politicization of women’s reproductive rights, so we want to take a moment to say we’re listening and to lay out more specifics. We are a unity ticket. We are running to rebuild Alaska, not to make changes on divisive social issues. What matters more than our personal views is how we will actually govern on this issue. We will:
We understand this is a critically important, and deeply personal issue to many Alaskans. We understand that our positions will not be perfect for everyone. However, we ask that you consider the balance in our ticket, our dedication to upholding the constitution and our commitment to the status quo of women’s rights in Alaska, and that our ticket is fundamentally committed to protecting families and creating opportunities for upward mobility. We’ve spoken on this issue before in a prior op-ed which you can find here. Our ticket is the only one that can defeat Dunleavy and prevent four more years of attacks on all Alaskans’ rights. Whether you believe our views perfectly align with your own, we are committed to hearing from you and will not shy away from difficult, but necessary discussions on this issue.
As oil flowing in the pipeline from the North Slope continues to decline, the Permanent Fund has become Alaska’s new golden goose. At more than $80 billion today, we are only about $20 billion from being able to live off the earnings of the Fund in perpetuity. Said another way, we have the potential to become the first and only state to be tax-free with 100% of our government services funded from Permanent Fund earnings, with enough funding for a capital budget AND a sustainable PFD each year. With wise stewardship of our financial resources, and working collaboratively with the legislature, we will grow the fund to support this and future generations of Alaskans. Permanent Fund Dividend The dividend is a critical piece of Alaska’s economic fabric and a unique Alaskan program. Alaskans use it to offset the high cost of living, buy fuel for homes and gas for snow machines and boats for subsistence use, and pay for training and education. The PFD must be something Alaskans can rely on, and it must be predictable and sustainable. We will work with the legislature to develop a durable, sustainable, and fair dividend formula for Alaska’s future. Climate Change Alaska is at ground zero in the battle against climate change. We will re-establish the Climate Change Action Leadership Team, whose work was halted by the current administration, and work to implement the action plan created by the team to combat climate change. Climate change also brings opportunities for Alaska due to the magnitude of stored carbon in our forests and tundra. Our administration will look to innovative ways for the state to benefit economically while contributing meaningfully to global efforts to stem climate change. Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Thanks to the hard work of Senator Lisa Murkowski and support from Senator Dan Sullivan and the late Congressman Don Young, Alaska has a transformational opportunity to invest billions of dollars to improve infrastructure across Alaska. Eligibility for many of the funds requires action on the state’s part. Our administration will fight for every dollar we can to improve Alaska— from ports to ferries to airports to roads to energy systems. The opportunity to invest in desperately needed improvements, particularly in rural Alaska, cannot be overstated. We must not let this once-in-a-lifetime chance pass us by because of the dictates of partisan politics.
Respect for Alaskans means respecting all families, and the fabric of our communities is stronger when we support and uphold the rights of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors, coworkers, and friends.
Alaska always has been and will continue to be a resource state. It is why we were purchased from Russia. Our constitution includes an obligation to develop our resources for the “maximum benefit of Alaskans.” To us that means the resource extraction jobs should go to Alaska residents. That means we don’t create financial incentives where they are not needed. That means our resources do not get stranded because of access disputes by producers. That means we have the lowest cost of energy in the nation, not the highest. That means we start making products in Alaska rather than paying a premium to get those same products shipped to us. And while Alaska is known for conventional natural resources, we are also rich in resources that have traditionally been undervalued. We have abundant clean water, clean air, unobstructed salmon streams, and renewable resource potential – and all of these resources are becoming increasingly valuable as the world recognizes they are not infinite. With broad vision and innovative thinking, Alaska has the resources to lead and thrive in the economy of the future.
While we are pro-development and pro-jobs for Alaskans, we oppose the Pebble Mine. We agree with the thousands of Alaskans who believe Pebble is the wrong mine in the wrong place.
Let’s be clear: bycatch is a waste of quality fish, and the current scale of this waste is unacceptable. Alaskans across the state feel the very real impacts of salmon, halibut, crab, and herring bycatch – subsistence, commercial, personal use, and sport harvesters are all being harmed. While it is technically correct that a majority of current major bycatch concerns stem from federally managed fisheries, the State of Alaska can and should be proactive and aggressive in demanding immediate solutions. There are both short and long-term actions that should be taken. Our administration will appoint officials who are committed to bycatch solutions, particularly at the Department of Fish and Game. Additionally, we commit to an open and transparent process to appoint bycatch-focused Alaska members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, where many of the bycatch allocation decisions are made. Long term, we will pursue policies that encourage full utilization of all target-fish species. We will bring together stakeholders and state and federal managers, and partner with Congress to identify and implement policies that will truly value one of our most precious resources here in Alaska – our fish. Our fisheries are integral to the fabric of our families, our communities, our culture. Subsistence and our economy, and we must zealously safeguard the health of these invaluable resources.
It is time to bring back the Coastal Zone Management concept whereby local communities and stakeholders are apprised of a resource development project in their region before millions of dollars have been invested and final decisions have been made. The CZM process facilitates community discussion and engenders trust and transparency. We believe this process helps make projects better by eliminating needless conflict and mistrust and providing a structured process for communication and collaborative decision-making.
Small businesses provide jobs, generate revenue, and bring creativity and life to our communities. The best thing Alaska could do for the business community is to have a fiscal plan. The state’s lack of a long-term plan for budget stability produces uncertainty throughout the business community. For example, businesses don’t know when they might face local tax increases due to sudden cuts in state support, or when their customer base may be lost due to loss of ferry service or road maintenance. There are other ways we can help small businesses. Low-cost energy is one of the most important. Affordable health insurance and a strong child care system are other critical supports for small businesses. We value small businesses, and our administration will commit to putting these building blocks into place.
There is no prosperity without peace, and there is no peace if Alaskans do not feel safe in our homes and communities. We must close the gap between urban and rural public safety. We will work through the Governors Tribal Advisory Council that we established in 2015 to find a long-overdue solution to this injustice. We cannot rest until all Alaskans can feel safe in their communities. In our urban and rural communities, Alaska leads the nation in several disturbing metrics including sexual violence. What we are doing has not been working. In addition to a robust law enforcement and justice system, we need to take a hard look at the root causes of violence and crime, and seek to heal the trauma, mental health, and addiction problems driving much of the crime in our homes and on our streets. We need a holistic approach that recognizes the reality that many victims become perpetrators – we must work to interrupt the cycle of violence.
We oppose the efforts to pass a constitutional convention in November. The effort to shred our constitution through a convention presents great dangers to Alaska. So much of what we have today is a result of our one-of-a-kind constitution, a model for much of the country and it cannot be dismantled for partisan purposes.
As we have traveled across our great state these past many months, there is one common message we have heard loud and clear: literally every community in Alaska is suffering from a lack of affordable housing. Workers are struggling to find housing for their families, employers in turn are suffering from a lack of available workers, and our economy is taking a hit. All because of a severe lack of affordable housing. We will implement an action plan to address this crisis starting on day one of our administration.[4] |
” |
| —Heidi Drygas’s campaign website (2022)[5] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, "Commissioner's Office," accessed February 5, 2015
- ↑ Chena Girl Cooks, "Home," accessed February 5, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Alaska Dispatch News, "Walker announces 3 more top-level appointments," December 19, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Heidi Drygas’s campaign website, “Policies,” accessed October 31, 2022
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dianne Blumer |
Alaska Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development 2014-2018 |
Succeeded by Tamika Ledbetter |
 |
State of Alaska Juneau (capital) |
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