Anchorage First Presbyterian Rev. Matt Schultz, a progressive and very online reverend who worked to raise the alarm about the rise of Christian nationalism in American politics ahead of the 2024 elections, will be taking his advocacy to the statewide stage.
Schultz, a Democrat, announced today he will be running against one-term GOP U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, making him the first serious challenger to the two members of the state’s congressional delegation that will be up for election next year. In his announcement, Schultz said he plans to campaign on lowering living costs, protecting access to health care and maintaining social safety nets targeted by Republicans.
Prior to entering the race, Schultz has been outspoken about the pain that policies pushed by far-right Republicans can and do cause to everyday Alaskans. That includes arguing against cuts to Medicaid and limiting access to Planned Parenthood. He was particularly motivated in the run-up to the 2024 election, where he felt that right-wingers were using Christianity as a cover for cruel actions.
“As an ordained Minister, I also see the title Christian nationalism as a certain form of identity theft, taking the word of something that I hold dear to my heart and soul and using it for truly damaging and sadistic purposes,” he told The Alaska Current in 2024.
And with Trump’s election and the swift enactment of Project 2025 — which has included billions of dollars of cuts to social safety net programs to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy under a bill that Begich supported – Schultz said in his campaign announcement that many of his fears had become a reality.
“Every week, I sit with families choosing between the heating bill, the gas to get to work, or the groceries to feed their kids. That’s not a failure of character, it’s a failure of our elected officials to address the needs of working families,” he said in a prepared statement. “I’m running for Congress to turn the page on partisan politics and put Alaskans first by lowering costs, protecting health care, and making smart investments so our kids can live, work, and raise a family here.”
Begich has been one of the foremost cheerleaders for the Trump regime, serving as a reliable vote for the president’s conservative agenda, whether it be votes for the Big, Beautiful Bill, for the clawback of funding for public media in Alaska or against the release of files about notorious sex trafficker and Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein.
At his address to the Alaska Legislature earlier this year, Begich applauded many of the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency that slashed hundreds of millions of dollars of funding for the state.
“In the short term, we need to make sure that we have the federal support that we need,” Begich said. “But I think this moment highlights the fact that Alaska has become too federally dependent, and we need to increase the diversity of that mix with the private sector.”
Begich will have a fundraising headstart heading into the race, with about $1.5 million in his fundraising account according to the latest reports. Still, Schultz said that he banks on having a broad and multifaceted campaign.
“My congregation includes Alaskans from across the political spectrum — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents — we’re Alaskans first and we share the same values. The problem is that Washington doesn’t,” he said. “I’m running for Congress so Alaskan values set the agenda for our future.”
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.
