By SUZANNE DOWNING
Oct. 23, 2026 – Country music, campaign speeches, and chants of “Send him home” marked a get-out-the-vote rally that brought about 250 people together for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson and running mate Mike Shower.
Country singer Craig Morgan warmed up the crowd with several songs on acoustic guitar, and then Wilson delivered an impassioned speech that drew an enthusiastic response from supporters who traveled from as far away as Fairbanks, Kasilof, Petersburg, Juneau, and the Mat-Su.
With American and Alaska flags framing the stage, Wilson spoke with conviction about the choices facing Alaska voters and announced two ideas involving Permanent Fund dividends.
Wilson, of Aleut heritage, would be Alaska’s first Alaska Native governor, if elected Nov. 3. She also joked to the crowd that Alaska would go from the tallest governor in the nation to the shortest.
Wilson focused some of her remarks on the Permanent Fund dividend, and said that even if the dividend is just $25, it needs to follow the legal formula set in statute, whatever the law says.
She said Alaskans who choose to give their dividends back to the state would be able to do so. She also announced plans to allow parents to direct their children’s PFDs into Trump Accounts, drawing a strong round of applause.
Trump Accounts are investment accounts for children that can accept contributions from parents and others. Federal rules govern eligibility and contributions; Wilson’s announcement favored using Alaska children’s dividends to help build those investments.
Wilson also took aim at Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, turning his initials into a campaign jab: “Just Keep Taxing — JKT.” She reminded people he had voted for a state income tax and said it was one of his proudest votes.
The crowd responded with chants of “Send him home!”
Shower, Wilson’s candidate for lieutenant governor, also addressed the gathering. Other speakers included Valley Republican Women President Pam Melin and the president of Bikers for Trump Alaska, Stephen Patrick Holmstock.
Morgan brought an acoustic country music set to the political gathering, performing seated with his guitar in front of rows of supporters. The singer has his own connection to the state: In addition to his Tennessee home, he owns a place in Alaska and spends considerable time here.
The airplane hangar setting offered an unmistakably Alaska backdrop, with an airplane suspended overhead, animal mounts on the walls, and campaign signs tucked among red, white, and blue decorations.
Wilson is endorsed by President Donald Trump, Congressman Nick Begich, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Gov. Sarah Sanders-Huckabee, Turning Point USA, Bikers for Trump USA and others. Two other Republicans are trying to prevent her from being governor, and they are assisting the campaign of Democrat JKT, who is favored to win by the national pollsters due to the Republican contenders Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor refusing to suspend their campaigns. Wilson encouraged people to rank all three Republicans.
Bikers for Trump Alaska joins list of those endorsing Bernadette Wilson for governor
