The first two months of the second Trump administration have brought practically nothing but bad news to Alaska, a state that is more reliant on the federal government than most. Mass firings have put hundreds of Alaskans out of work and thrown key parts of the state’s economy – particularly tourism reliant on the national parks – into chaos. The trade war with Canada threatens to escalate costs for many goods in Alaska, and tens of millions of dollars of already approved infrastructure money is in limbo.
And that’s not to mention the president’s general disregard for the rule of law or Republicans’ plans to slash Medicaid spending.
While U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been willing to stand up for Alaska and buck her party at times, the same can’t be said for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich. They’ve offered approval of Trump’s actions or, more often than not, outright silence.
Now, frustrated Alaskans are joining frustrated Americans across the country in holding empty-seat town halls to voice their outrage during the congressional recess, regardless of whether the congressional delegation is willing to show up and listen. The empty-seat town halls have gained popularity after GOP leadership told lawmakers to skip town halls altogether.
An empty-seat town hall for Sullivan was held in Fairbanks on Monday, drawing about 225 people who questioned a cardboard cut-out of Sullivan about his silence and complicity with Trump’s attack on the rule of law and refusal to meaningfully engage with Alaskans.
Similar events are planned in Anchorage and Juneau for this Thursday when Sullivan is scheduled to speak before the Legislature.
Concerned Citizens of Juneau will hold its town hall at the Mendenhall Public Library on Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The 907 Initiative is teaming up with several groups for an Anchorage town hall at the Loussac Library from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, titled the “Doormat Dan and Chicken Nick Town Hall.”
During this recess, neither Sullivan nor Begich have scheduled public town hall meetings. Instead, Sullivan is set to speak at a $100-a-plate Republican fundraiser in Fairbanks on Friday at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge. A protest is also planned for that event.
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.
