With the return of President Donald Trump and a fresh cast of goons intent on inflicting pain and mayhem throughout just about every corner of the federal government as well as a big-ticket battle for education funding here in Alaska, 2025 was a busy year for The Alaska Current’s political cartoonist Holly Todd. Her illustrations helped get to the heart of why so much of the big, wonky battles mattered so much, while capturing much of the frustration at seeing the state’s congressional delegation — U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich — routinely fail to rise the moment and stand up for Alaskans. Here, I’ve collected some of my favorite illustrations from the year that capture the big stories and, importantly, rays of hope.
Thank you and see you all in the new year,
Matt
Troubled by Trump
President Donald Trump returned to office like a bull in a china shop, unleashing cruel, nonsensical and frequently illegal cuts to programs throughout the country. Denali got a new name, and Republicans pushed through a massive reconciliation bill that cemented tax cuts for the wealthy while putting social safety net programs like food stamps and Medicaid on a path to disaster. Oh, and Trump hosted Putin for a very bizarre summit on Alaska soil.
The Education Funding Fight
The fight over education funding in Alaska has come into clearer relief in recent years, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s demands for education have been subjected to more scrutiny. His focus on funding home schools and charters showed that it’s not quite so much a debate over funding itself, but who gets the funding. The simple fact is that the programs he wants to promote are also the most selective, serving students who are generally from wealthier, less-diverse families. Luckily, a growing number of legislators are seeing through the spin and voted to enact a critically needed increase in funding for all students.
The Disappointment Delegation
Given that the federal government plays an outsized role in Alaska — on everything from federal spending to employment to defense activities — you’d think that the state’s delegation wouldn’t be totally on board with slashing the federal government into bits and pieces. Yet, that’s routinely what we saw as the state’s delegation, including the moderate and oft-concerned Murkowski, signed onto the GOP agenda with little more than a shrug. But for many Alaskans, the most aggravating part was the delegation’s refusal to even listen to Alaskans as they dodged townhalls and ignored messages.
And a dash of hope
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Bluesky.
Holly Todd is a cartoonist in Anchorage. In addition to the Alaska Current, her work has been published in the LA Times and Anchorage Press, and more can be found on Instagram.
