Former Alaska State Senator Tom Begich thinks that the recent election could mark a turning point in Alaska politics. Begich discussed the election results and what they might mean for the state’s future on Valley Edition last Friday.
Begich says an interesting development is that Alaska appears to have moved in the same direction as much of the country. Alaska has often voted opposite to national trends. This time voters made some significant changes.
Begich expects the Democratic-led Alaska House and Senate majorities to return with stronger numbers. Additional House seats could flip to the majority once the remaining ballots are counted.
Perhaps the biggest changes are in statewide offices. Begich believes Democrat Mary Peltola is on track to win the Alaska U.S. Senate seat, defeating an incumbent, and returning to Congress in a new role. He also expects Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins to become the first Democratic governor in Alaska since Tony Knowles was elected in 1998.
Begich notes that ranked-choice voting created some confusion nationally. He emphasizes that the system is designed to give voter preferences a chance to be counted.
Additional absentee ballots, including those from military personnel and rural communities, are still being processed. Ranked-choice tabulation will determine the final outcome in races where no candidate receives a majority.
Begich expects education funding to be one of the first issues addressed by the incoming Legislature. He says both legislative majorities support providing school districts with earlier decisions on funding so they can plan their budgets with greater certainty.
He also anticipates bipartisan discussions about election reform. This includes improvements to ranked-choice voting and ballot processing as well as access to polling places in rural Alaska. Begich says the State needs to do a better job ensuring that every community has adequate voting services.
Another major issue is the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline. Begich is skeptical that the project will move forward in its current form. He believes changes in national politics could undermine the financial commitments associated with the project. He suggests Alaska may need to consider a more regional approach instead. The North Slope natural gas could be brought to Fairbanks and connected to the state’s energy grid.
Oil industry taxation is another issue likely to receive attention. Begich expects lawmakers to revisit a tax exemption benefiting Hilcorp. He says the exemption costs the state an estimated $100 million to $150 million in lost revenue annually. He believes the incoming governor would support eliminating that exemption.
The Permanent Fund Dividend will also be on the agenda. Begich anticipates lawmakers will revisit the dividend formula, with the goal of establishing a payment the state can consistently afford.
Finally, Begich believes the defeat of the effort to repeal ranked-choice voting creates an opportunity to improve the system rather than abandon it. Possible changes include better voter education and clearer candidate qualifications.
He believes that the election creates an opportunity for cooperation between legislative majorities and minorities. Education, election reform, oil taxes, the Permanent Fund Dividend, and Alaska’s energy future all require difficult decisions.
Begich says the challenge now is turning the election results into effective governing and making sure Alaskans see meaningful progress.
The original interview with Tom Begich is on bigcabbageradio.org. Go to podcasts then select Valley Edition to listen.
Mike Chmielewski summarized this article with help from AI. Yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
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That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday November 9, 2026.
Page 2 Fri. Nov. 6: The MVP Transportation Improvement Plan Wants and Needs Your Comments
What will transportation look like in the Mat-Su Valley over the next four years? Which projects should move forward? And how do we make sure transportation investments reflect the needs of the people who live, work, and travel here?
The Mat-Su Valley Planning for Transportation is known as the MVP. The MVP invites you to review and comment on its draft Federal Fiscal Year 2027 through 2030 Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP.
The public comment period is open through Sunday, November 29.
What is a TIP? Why does it matter?
Let’s start with the big picture.
The Mat-Su Valley is growing. The transportation decisions we make today will shape how our communities connect, move, and grow for years to come. The MVP has a Metropolitan Transportation Plan. It is known as Mat-Su 2050. It is the region’s long-range transportation roadmap. It looks ahead 20 plus years. Mat-Su 2050 identifies transportation needs, priorities, and potential improvements that will help guide how our region moves into the future.
Mat-Su 2050 considers the range of transportation needs. This includes roadways, public transit services, bicycle and pedestrian connections, and transportation safety concerns. It brings together local governments, Tribal governments, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, community organizations, and the public to identify where improvements are needed and what matters most to the region.
Think of Mat-Su 2050 as the big-picture plan. It identifies transportation priorities and establishes a long-term vision for the Valley.
The Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, takes that vision one step closer to becoming reality. The TIP is MVP’s four-year plan for federally funded transportation projects in the Mat-Su Valley. It looks at projects identified in the short-term planning horizon of Mat-Su 2050. It identifies which projects are moving forward toward design and construction in the near term.
If Mat-Su 2050 is the roadmap for where we want to go over the next 20 plus years, the TIP identifies the steps we are taking over the next four years to get there.
The TIP connects long-range transportation planning with project development and investment. It ensures that transportation projects receiving federal funding are aligned with the region’s established goals and priorities identified in the Mat-Su 2050.
It’s important to understand what the TIP is not.
The TIP is not a complete list of every transportation project that might happen in the Mat-Su Valley. It is not a guarantee that every project listed will be constructed within the four-year period. It does not represent a final construction schedule or exact project budgets.
Instead, the TIP identifies federally funded projects that are expected to advance through the transportation development process during the next four years.
The MVP wants to hear your thoughts on the TIP!
Public input is an important part of transportation planning. This is an opportunity to make your voice heard whether you’re concerned about roadway safety, interested in improving connections for people walking and biking, rely on public transportation, or want to see your community’s transportation needs represented.
MVP encourages residents, commuters, business owners, and anyone who travels throughout the Mat-Su Valley to take a look at the draft TIP and share feedback.
They ask folks to look at the short term project starts and to evaluate if the projects are representative of what the community needs. Your feedback will inform the next steps in the planning process. It will ensure that community perspectives are part of the conversation about the Valley’s transportation future.
To learn more or comment on the TIP, visit mvpmpo.com
Again, the public comment period is open through Sunday, November 29.
MVP Executive Director Kim Sollien wrote this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
We are in the middle of the Big Cabbage Radio Fall Fund Drive. Don’t forget to donate to Big Cabbage Radio. Your membership donation enables Big Cabbage Radio to air the programs you like to hear or read, like Page 2.
We have a $5,000 match from two anonymous donors. This is too good to pass up. Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org to double your impact.
Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.
Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday November 6, 2026.
Image credit: Tom Begich