Bernadette Wilson: America wasn’t built by career politicians

July 3, 2026 – 250 years… A country that has withstood the test of time and accomplished what so many thought was impossible.

They were told that the vision was lofty, the goal unachievable, and the reality impossible. Our founding fathers were mocked and greatly underestimated – they were, after all, inexperienced. None had served in the British Parliament. They were businessmen, farmers, lawyers, printers, tradesman, and the like. But the British were convinced – they were young and didn’t have enough experience to get the job done.

Yet our Declaration of Independence was forged, the US Constitution and a Bill of Rights were drafted and ratified. The greatest documents in our country, the ones that have stood the test of time – those documents were not guided by political experience, but by life experience. They were not rooted in a relationship that knew how to work with Parliament. They were rooted in an understanding of hardships that had been experienced firsthand, a set of values that acted as a North Star despite personal imperfections, and, no doubt, the grace of Almighty God.

They had lived through financial burdens placed on their businesses and on their families. “Taxation without representation” was not a lofty philosophical argument; it was a hardship that they knew all too well. And it inspired and motivated them and gave them a level of grit and determination that is seldom matched nor understood by those whose resumes carry an emphasis on political experience.

And they bore the greatest country on earth.

When Benjamin Franklin commented, “A republic if you can keep it,” he did not simply mean if you can manage to show up and vote.

It was a word of caution that one of the greatest struggles America would have would be to continue to embody the very essence of how we got here. It would be to remind our kids and our grandkids for generations to come that it is not career politicians that built this country. That this government, our government, was to be “by the people.”

Now here we stand on the cusp of a governor’s race. Over the years, we have elected experienced politicians, yet we find ourselves no better off than we were 10, 20, or 30 years ago. We say we don’t like career politicians, but then we look for pages of government experience before offering our vote.

I’ve said throughout this campaign that if we want leaders who are visionaries, unafraid, and will not take no for an answer, then the question we have to ask ourselves is what will we do different this time?

But maybe the question isn’t what will we do different; maybe the question is: How do we return to the roots that built us?

Like many of us, myself included, America’s story is not rooted in perfection. Perhaps that is why so many of us find inspiration in Her story. I’ve experienced firsthand what draconian government lockdowns can do to a business. I understand the societal pressures that come with an unplanned pregnancy and the economic pressures that come as a single mom. But the thing about hardships, when you feel like the world has fallen down around you, when you feel like the deck is stacked against, you learn how to battle through it. You learn to build. And you learn how to take those brutal experiences and sleepless nights and use them for the benefit of others.

You learn to lean on the grace of Almighty God, and you forge a resilience, a grit, and a determination that only hardship can teach you. This was the story of our forefathers. Those were the backgrounds that built America.

Alaska has seen those values and backgrounds. Former Gov. Wally Hickel had never served in elected office before becoming governor of Alaska. Congressman Nick Begich had never served in elected office before becoming a congressman.

Both were businessmen, who understood hardships, and both became statesmen. As our forefathers looked to future generations, questioning if we could keep this republic, there is no doubt that they were hoping that the likes of a Former Governor Wally Hickel and a Congressman Nick Begich would step up and carry the mantle in their own time. From their backgrounds to their hardships, to their vision for Alaska, their stories embody the same American spirit that built this country.

Now we have a most consequential Governor’s race quickly approaching. After years of stalled projects, most of us are skeptical. As we look for answers, maybe the story of our forefathers offers the pathway. Maybe the question isn’t what will we do different; maybe the question is: How do we return to the roots that built us?

May God bless you. May God bless Alaska, and may God bless the United States of America. Happy 250th!

With Fight,

Bernadette Wilson

America’s strength starts with Alaska. Let’s win this! August 18, 2026