Legislature Candidates Guide
and always will be supportive of this amazing industry.
Our vision for Alaska is only lim- ited by the restrictions we place upon ourselves. The future of Alaska’s mining industry is bright and I look forward to encouraging and supporting the mining industry at every opportunity for the future benefit of the citizens and the State of Alaska. Julia Hnilicka was raised and still resides in Nenana. She managed her family’s tug and barge company, Inland Barge Service, for over ten years. During that time, she met and worked with many miners on the Yukon River and really appreciated it when they paid for freight in gold! After a decade of friendships and business partnerships with people on the Yukon River and its tributaries, Julia decided to go back to school to become an advocate for rural and remote living. During her graduate studies she traveled to 90% of House District 6 as a researcher and listener. This spurred her to run for office as she consistently heard people say that they felt no connection to Ju- neau. She graduated with her Masters of Rural Development in 2020 and has been campaigning hard ever since. She under- stands the hard-work, long-term plan- ning, logistics, and budgeting it takes to survive and thrive in the bush. Julia will make sure that rural people have a voice in Juneau and that their concerns are heard and amplified. Julia Hnilicka, Democratic Candidate where I’ve built my own home and live with my wife Erin and our son Jacob. I’ve done construction since I was a kid and made that my career doing mostly residential construction. Construction slows in the winter which enabled me to work on and off 7 legislative sessions in Juneau under four Republican representatives as a staffer. I am running as an Undeclared con- servative who’s tired of the two-party drama that is ever present in Juneau. I’ve been a lifelong registered Repub- lican but the inability/lack of desire of the party to hold its Alaska Republican representatives accountable was really bothering me. I support mines, miners, private businesses big and small. We have tre- mendous known deposits of minerals Elijah Verhagen, Undeclared Candidate I was born and raised in Nenana
House District 6 Vernon Carlson, Nonpartisan Candidate
Hi My Name, is Vernon Carlson and I am a candidate for Alaska House of Representative’s district 6. I am very focused in providing well-paying jobs for rural Alaska. My vision will be one of mining and re- source development for District 6 and working outward from that. I am a very strong supporter of the Donlin gold prospect as I believe their mission and values truly reflects my vision as well. I think mines like Usi- belli in the interior reflect how we can do this right. I hope to improve mining awareness to help our youth get more involved in mining and developing their own successful mines. Mike Cronk, Republican Candidate As a lifelong Alaskan growing up in Northway and currently living in Tok, I was introduced to mining at a young age by sluicing and panning gold at Crow Creek outside of Anchorage and also on gold claims near the Matanuska Glacier. After moving to Northway, I experienced the real-life gold rush by mining at a friend’s claims where the Chisana River Gold Rush took place. Mining on Chick- en Creek and Eldorado and seeing the relics of the gold rush drove the passion for mining even more. Alaska has the potential to be a world leader in mining of minerals and re- source development. Continuation of identifying, exploring, and development is key to our future. Making sure we “ease” the red tape will be of the ut- most importance. Fort Knox, Pogo, Red Dog, and Usibelli are great examples of responsible mining in Alaska! Mining is and resource development is the backbone for the economy of Alaska and will continue to be so as we feed the world’s need for minerals. It will not only provide revenue but will provide Alaskan’s the opportunity to educate and prepare themselves for the workforce we need. As your Representative in Juneau, I will support the mining industry and will work with all entities to ensure that Alaska is a world leader in responsible mineral extraction!
CARLSON
CRONK
HNILICKA
VERHAGEN
39
October 2020
The Alaska Miner
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