Two megadonors fuel Tom Begich’s million-dollar campaign for governor. One is Robin Brena.

By SUZANNE DOWNING

July 21, 2026 – Tom Begich and running mate Julia Hnilicka have joined the million-dollar club in Alaska’s crowded race for governor — but nearly half of the ticket’s reported income can be traced to just two Anchorage megadonors.

The Begich-Hnilicka campaign reported $1,102,951.96 in total income through July 17, according to its latest 30-day campaign disclosure filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

The campaign has already spent $617,234.89, leaving $485,717.07 in cash available for the final month before Alaska’s Aug. 18 primary. It reported no debt.

The largest donor by far is Anchorage attorney Robin Brena, who contributed $275,001 in seven separate transactions. His donations included four checks or credit-card contributions of at least $50,000 each, three contributions of $25,000 and a final $1 contribution. Brena is a longtime ally of former Gov. Bill Walker, who is once again running for governor, but without Brena’s support.

Brena is a prominent oil and gas attorney who has spent years advocating for higher taxes on Alaska’s oil industry. He was a major financial force behind the failed 2020 ballot initiative that sought to increase taxes on the state’s largest North Slope oil producers. Brena is the founder and managing attorney of Brena, Bell & Walker, where his practice focuses heavily on oil, gas, pipeline, utility and tax litigation.

The campaign’s second-largest individual donor is Anchorage private wealth manager Justin Weaver, who gave a total of $258,000. That includes a $200,000 check on June 30, a $50,000 check in April and another $8,000 through three online contributions.

Weaver has become one of Alaska’s most prolific political donors. In 2024, he contributed nearly $200,000 to progressive and moderate legislative candidates and discussed his political giving during an interview with the Alaska Landmine.

Together, Brena and Weaver supplied $533,001 — more than 48% of everything reported by the Begich-Hnilicka campaign.

But the report also includes $216,132.70 transferred into the joint Begich-Hnilicka committee on July 17 from Begich’s previous campaign account, Tom Begich for Alaska. Excluding that transfer, Brena and Weaver account for about 60% of the remaining income reported by the new committee.

Another $25,000 came from Jonathan “Jon” Rubini, chairman and CEO of Anchorage-based JL Properties, one of Alaska’s largest commercial real estate development companies. Rubini and JL Properties co-founder Leonard Hyde oversee a real estate portfolio valued at more than $2 billion, according to the company.

Other substantial support included $12,090 in monetary and in-kind contributions from Anchorage business owner Margaret Simonian, much of it in the form of campaign office space. Retired Anchorage resident Rocky Plotnick and attorney George Freeman each gave $5,000. Former University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor John Pugh and his family contributed a combined $7,000.

Former US Sen. Mark Begich, Tom Begich’s brother, contributed $1,000. Former Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer, former state Senate President Hollis French, former Democratic Party chairman Jake Metcalfe and former state Sen. Berta Gardner also each gave $1,000.

The report shows relatively modest direct support from organized labor political committees compared with the huge individual donations. The IBEW political action committee contributed $1,000, while the Seattle-based Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific PAC gave $750.

The Begich-Hnilicka campaign has spent heavily and early.

Its largest identifiable vendor was Washington, D.C.-based Lake Research Partners, which received $53,939.98 for polling, public opinion research and political strategy. Lake Research is a Democratic polling and consulting firm.

The campaign paid more than $32,800 to Putnam Partners, another Washington political firm, for advertising and video production. One payment of $29,860 included production costs, travel and work by subcontractors brought to Alaska for a campaign video shoot.

Facebook received more than $36,000 for advertising, while Google received about $11,700. Kentucky-based Which Side Digital was paid $10,700 for email, text-message fundraising and persuasion material.

The campaign also reported more than $36,000 in Alaska Airlines expenses, reflecting an extensive statewide travel schedule.

Anchorage-based Skyline Signs received more than $30,000 for signs, campaign merchandise and other materials. The campaign spent another $15,142 with Delaware-based CallHub, a political calling and text-message platform, and $6,897 with NGP VAN, the Democratic Party’s widely used voter-data and campaign-management system.

Staffing and contract labor constitute another large share of expenditures. Several campaign workers have received between $20,000 and $35,000 apiece, including Alexander Velaise, Louis Tozzi, Lisa Brown, Royal Henderson and Shelly Morgan.

The report paints a different fundraising picture from that of Democratic rival Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, whose extraordinary haul was built from a national network of wealthy donors, particularly in California and New York.

Begich’s money is more Alaska-centered, but it is also highly concentrated. His million-dollar campaign has been made possible largely by two Anchorage men — Brena and Weaver — supplemented by money transferred from Begich’s original campaign account.

That gives Begich and Hnilicka nearly half a million dollars for the final primary push, but it also makes clear whose money put them in that position.

The complete APOC filing is available here.

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