Three gubernatorial candidates participated in a forum at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention on October 23, 2026. Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Republicans Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor spoke alongside journalist Antonia Gonzalez, the moderator. Bernadette Wilson, the fourth candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, did not attend the forum but visited the convention earlier in the day.
The candidates found common ground on education, fisheries, public safety and other topics. However, differences emerged regarding subsistence rights, which are traditional harvests of food and natural materials for personal and family use. Kreiss-Tomkins emphasized his commitment to respecting rural preferences for subsistence food-gathering rights, which are enshrined in federal law. He called for the state of Alaska to support subsistence and not undermine the Katie John decision, a 1990s-era litigation led by an Ahtna elder.
Taylor, who served as Governor Mike Dunleavy’s attorney general, spearheaded a legal campaign to overturn the rural subsistence priority and grant all Alaskans subsistence rights. He appealed the decision up to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2025. Taylor also praised the Community Development Quota system, which allows coastal Alaska community cooperatives to manage federally managed groundfish harvests. He expressed hope that rural communities will eventually own the majority of the commercial fleet.
Kreiss-Tomkins, however, criticized the CDQ program, stating that it does not address the issue of declining fish stocks. He argued that without enough fish, both industry and culture are being harmed.
Common themes included the importance of salmon and factors contributing to run declines in key parts of the state. Bronson cited a particular area of agreement with Kreiss-Tomkins: a desire to expand efforts to address these challenges.
