Dear Friend,

We have great news: all five of our endorsed candidates won their seats in the Fairbanks-area elections held last week! 

We are elated about what this means for Interior Alaskans. It means a new city mayor who is focused on increasing the quality of life for Fairbanksians and revitalizing downtown Fairbanks which has been hit hard in recent years. Mayor-elect Mindy O’Neall knows that developing and implementing plans to address climate change are critical as we experience more climate related disasters. 

It also means we welcome two new members to the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, Patrick Roach and Garrett Armstrong. They are both committed to funding education, keeping families in the borough, and protecting Fairbanks community spaces. We congratulate Sue Sprinkle and Crystal Tidwell who will continue to serve on the Fairbanks City Council, working with mayor-elect Mindy O’Neall to lead the Golden Heart city. Thank you to all of those who volunteered their time and contacted Fairbanksians to get out the vote. Your time and efforts paid off and we are so grateful! 

While we are celebrating with Fairbanks, we are also processing the news over the weekend on the devastating impact of Typhoon Halong on Alaskans in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and other parts of Western Alaska. The Alaska Community Foundation has set up a disaster response fund where you can donate to support immediate and long-term recovery for affected communities. The unprecedented severity of this storm underscores the life-or-death stakes of climate change — we must elect local, state, and federal leaders who take these threats seriously and prioritize the health and safety of residents.

Thank you for building a brighter future with us for all of Alaska.

The Alaska Center