Alaska Public Media, Alaska's News Source and KTOO present Debate for the sta Senate race moderated by Lori Townsend and Mike Ross Good evening.

Thank you for joining us for our final debate for the state event.

We're coming to you live from Alaska Public Media.

I'm Lori Townsend.

And good evening, everyone.

I'm Mike Ross.

Tonight, we're going to pose a series questions to the candidates on this year's ballot for one of Alaska's seats in the U.S. Senate.

because of the state's new voting system.

Alaskans will rank up to four candidates at the polls this year.

Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Kelly Tshibaka and Democrat Pat Chesbro, the fourth candidate on the ballot.

Buzz Kelly, has suspended his campaign and will not be taking part in tonight's debate.

We've also got other questions from Alaskans around the state and from the Anchorage youth vote.

We'll also be monitoring social media tonight for other questions to pose to the candidates and the candidates will have the opportunity to ask questions of each other during the debate.

tonight.

All the questions and answers will be timed.

Let's begin.

President Biden said.

If Democrats keep control of Congress the first bill, he will send would enshrine abortion rights nationwide.

Would you support or oppose a measure like that?

Each candidate will have one minute to respond and we'll start with you, Senator Murkowski.

I do support codification of Roe versus Wade.

I reckon, guys, that we cannot go backwards in time, 50 years when it comes to to a woman's right to determine her own reproductive health and health care.

I also recognize that abortion should not be without limitation and so the bipartisan effort that I have introduced in the United States Senate one prosi for providersho ho a not willing tperfor abortions.

It'slso portant to recognize at Hyde protectionstill remain in place.

tre has beeon beforthe nate previsly this year and eorto codify oe.

waso expansive.

That was so over t top, w ine basi Mr Kobuk, a wan rejt t Please, I'm prlifendhat the Supremeourtith bs in Coress would aually beI'm nt has been inoded that uld set aatioide cap somewher etusould feel in.

woul ithea support bl li that.

I thi thate set aatioide cap somewher bor I think tt's to xtreme.

I so tnk tt we nd toakbih contl moraccessibleWehink w hod allothe toe eleases pscriptns so thawomen cod t it witut a prerv t counterndhroughhe maiin aost bs ural comnities whe ty in nye hinkhat most othese decisions at have onmite after t Roe vWade decisn came dow I in nye spokeo veral peop whocisions at hadither decideto havor the ft at her doctor said to she should cae she dpite cancer.

This pers wse mother died afterhe gave orderor me to live?

I think that's partf the issue here.

I would I really am pro-choice individual, not anyone else.

I think it s toe a very make those decisions on their own.

Thank you again.t's our next question.

Faith in our ell democra.

What needs to fr happen to ensure at voters trust our electoral system?

Candidates will he one military answers in ts fr Tshibaka your first and the honor of being able to aut our division of elections in twenty nineteen before the nation's what we saw inwenty twenty, it's clear that we can identify best practes and vulnerabilies in election systems and I truly supporty tate based systems based we can rooted transparency and accountability where we know that have one Alaskan that can vote and that that vote is counted.

I don't support federalation of our election systems where we at Wasngton DC tell us Unalaska what to do and how to do it.

However, tre are some things that we could get support from om the federal government, like funding for signature verification authority, where we can get machines that tell us that the signatures match rather than havg people at the Division of elections carry that burden, that would give us more config In Site that the election results are coming out the way that the voter's intended instead of resulting in discrepancies in the system.

Thank you, Miss Chesbro.

You have one minute.

I voted yesterday and I am.

I continue to be impressed with the people who are at the voting polls and their efficiency and their willingness to help anyone who is trying to vote.

I am wary of ththings we hear around the country of people that are intimidating people.

The system cannot be safe if everyone does not have access to and we all are responsible for making sure that people are not intimidated when they go to vote, that the voting systems are correct.

I live in Matsue and now they've just decided it's going to be safer to hand count things than to use machines.

I think that is kind of going off the rails here.

We really need to have our elected officials have confidence in the election and we need to check.

We have ways to check.

But I have faith and I think we need to make sure that people have faith in the system.

Senatorurkowski, elections must must be a really a cornerstone of what we believe in.

We cannot govern without the consent of the governed.

Correct.

So everything that we can do t make sure that our electoral systems are fair, transparent, free and accessible, anything that would work to prohibit that, I think causes into question.

The fairness of your elections.

I have been the only Republican that has over the years came forward and said the voting Rights Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act has been that template that has urged us in the right direction to make sure that our election laws are fair to all that we do not discriminate against our native people through literacy exams.

I've also been engaged with a rework of the Electoral Count Act, a bipartisan effort to ensure that not only are elections free and fair, but that when we count, Senator, it is fair.

Thank former President Donald Trump has been subpoenaed to appear before the House committee investigating the January 6th attack at the U.S. Capitol.

Do you think he should testify?

And do you think he may have committed crimes related to the attempt at halting the certification of the election?

You'll have forty five seconds for to answer this question.

and Chesbro, you'll go first.

I think he should testify.

I think the way to establish your innocence or answer questions is to testify in front of the in front of the group.

I have no idea whether broke the law because I'm not I'm not the person that decides those kinds of things.

But I think that the human the Americans citizens need to hear what he has to say about that day that was so scary for so many people and including me, because I was watching and I could not believe that it was happening.

So, yes, he should testify.

And whether he's guilty of a crime, that's up to someone else to decide.

Senator Murkowski, False Pass when a subpoena issues to a former former president.

It is not done lightly.

I think this needs to be taken seriously.

I think that he should he should accept and and and testify under subpoena.

I doubt that he will.

As to whether or not there were that he was engaged in crimes that were committed, I think this is what the process will determine as as it moves forward.

I do think I do think, however, that this is something that is is is left unfinished in the minds of so many in this country in terms of the former president's role.

Thank you, Tshibaka.

The legality of the subpoena is being adjudicated in the court system now.

that's the proper place for to be determined.

The people who engaged in illegal activity that day were the ones who entered the capital and broke the laws.

A they should be held accountable.

And I've knocked on thousands of doors across Alaska.

So with all that being said, this question hasn't come up on.

When I talk to Alaskans, Alaskans are focused on the issues affecting them right now in their homes and in their wallets.

and the issues affecting them in the future.

And those are things like inflation, public safety, erosion, of our constitutional rights, education, Those are the issues I think we need to start focusing on as the United States Senate so that we can help the people of Alaska.

All right.

Thank you, candidates.

Our next question, the remnants of Typhoon Mirrorball devastated coastal communities in western Unalaska several weeks ago.

What can Congress do to help the state prepare for the impacts of the changing climate?

You'll have forty five seconds to respond.

Senator Murkowski, your first.

I wish that there was one quick, easy answer.

I was out there less than a week after Typhoon Mirvac devastated that coastline.

and the devastation in terms of damage to the land the erosion, but also to personal property just in breaks your heart.

The question is, is what can we do There are efforts that have that are underway not only through the infrastructure that we have advanced, but the Energy Act of 20, 20 that I had put into law.

We do focus on what we call climate resilient there.

It is really hard to to protect a coastline like we have in Alaska.

But I can tell you that the people of Unalakleet, the people of Stebbins, want that barrier protection.

Thank you, Tshibaka.

You for 45 seconds.

Typhoon Maryborough's obviously devastating and we are at risk for having more of this kind of damage.

I don't think we take an either or approach, though.

to those of us who want clean air, clean water and clean land.

And we also understand that we need traditional resources in order to develop renewable resources Unfortunately, this is the approach of the Biden administration, the radical environmentalist nominees have been confirmed by our incumbent that have shut down our industries here in Alaska.

And it's not a healthy approach for us.

We can take an all of the above solution so that we can invest in renewable energy, energy, innovation for cleaner, more efficient traditional reasons.

and responsible use of our development of energy up here in Alaska.

so that we can take an all of the above approach as we move forward in renewable energy and clean energy development.

Unalaska innovation is important.

This Chesbro forty five and obviously we need to look at the housing of the people that have been affected by this, not just their housing.

I'm sure other places along the coast.

I think we have the capacity to develop ways of building housing in rural Alaska that are more resilient warmer, better, better energy efficient.

I think the other thing we have to remember is the first thing is we have to help people when they are destroyed like this.

We have to get to them fast.

We have to make sure they have enough food because food stores were destroyed.

We have to help people and we have to move fast to do that.

Thank you, Ms Retreat's.

More vessels are transiting the Arctic.

What should the federal government do now?

to prevent an ecological or security disaster in the region?

If one of these ships runs aground?

We have forty five seconds for this answer.

And Miss Tshibaka you'll start us off.

We know that there are changing conditions in the Arctic.

The Arctic is opening up.

We also have increasing tensions in the Arctic and the Arctic also will be a place for increased commerce.

So this is something that we need to get on top of Congress.

I think that we're a couple of decades behind in building out our infrastructure up here, our ports, our roads, our railroads, also developing our national security infrastructure to protect for readiness and defense.

I've spent over a decade in the national security community.

I have the relationships, the knowledge and the experience to be able to advance us in this area.

very quickly, because we can see that Russia and China have objectives counter to our own here in the Arctic being the only Arctic state.

This is imperative for us, as is the health and viability of our Arctic coastline.

communities in rural Alaska.

We really need to prioritize their health, their housing and their jobs as well.

This Chesbro forty five seconds for this question The Coast Guard and in twenty fifteen developed a plan for their Arctic strategy At this point in time, they are the people.

They're the first line of defense for us to help with all of those things.

And we need to make sure that they are funded, that they continue to work with others to make this work.

that they are they have not only the operational staff, but the support staff and the the support areas in the state that will keep them, keep them not help them to thrive.

And make sure that they're we can depend on them, as we have for a hundred years.

So.

All right Coast Guard, thank you.

And Senator Murkowski, have forty five seconds.

We need the assets.

We don't we don't need just to talk about them.

We need the assets.

And that's exactly what I have been driving towards.

Known is that the Arctic Senator.

Well, I don't want to just have that title.

I want to demonstrate what we've done.

So it's everything from getting funding for the first deepwater port North of Unalaska, which is which is known what we have done to plus up the the resources for the US Coast Guard three icebreaker is coming online with more to come.

Other other ice hardened vessels to to help out with search and rescue.

What we need to be doing to ensure that our National Guard here is at the ready.

If you need search and rescue, if it is a if it's an effort with regards to national security, our national Guard is there.

All right.

Thank candidates.

Well, now we're going to give the candidates a chance to ask one of their Apollo a question.

The format for this will be a 30 second question.

A one minute answer followed by a 30 second period of rebuttal.

Then the remaining candidate will have 30 seconds to weigh in on the topic as well.

We drew names before we got started and Senator Murkowski, your first ask a question of one of your opponents.

Thank you, Mike.

Kelly.

You have you have repeat, hardly called the bipartisan infrastructure bill The green New Deal.

You've claimed that it's given Alaska only bread crumbs.

Now, I realize that you've been gone from this state for about twenty eight years, but you have had you've told us that you've had a chance to travel around the state and to see firsthand the needs of Alaskan communities and really the benefits of the bill.

We've seen about two point seven billion to Alaska already.

So how can you deny the benefits of that infrastructure bill to Alaska?

Mr. Buck, you have one minute to respond.

The infrastructure bill is called by The Wall Street Journal, a bait and switch.

And Senator Sullivan is actually confirmed this.

He took to the floor of the Senate in June and in August saying that the twenty five percent that was set aside for actual infrastructure has now been buried by Biden's bureaucrats under regulations designed to kill all infrastructure.

We got stuck with all of the inflation from the infrastructure bill that you wrote, but the appropriations that have been made available are hiding in the executive branch behind Titans.

Bureaucrats are not actually accessible.

So he then sponsored legislation to try and get rid of this regulatory framework.

You co-sponsored the legislation, essentially admitting that there are significant flaws in the infrastructure bill and our ability to get access to this infrastructure infrastructure is critical in Alaska.

And one of the chief things we've got to pick up in this next session is clearing the way these regulatory hurdles that the Biden administration, throughhe nominees you confirmed, have set up to block our access to infrastructure, because you're absolutely right, we can't be any longer for these critical infrastructure developments.

So the Shageluk 30 seconds, I'm glad to hear that you do support and you recognize that we need this infrastructure.

It is something that the entire Alaska delegation supported with this infrastructure bill.

It is.

It is funding that is coming out to the communities literally as we speak today.

TCC up in the interior received three thirty million dollars for reconnect Sarah, Seward has gotten their funding for the LOL Creek Flood Diversion Program up in Bethel.

They've received their funding for broadband here in the Port of Anchorage.

Sixty million dollars.

The mayor, Bronx's.

Pretty happy about that.

Thank you, Senator.

Stevens, where you have thirty seconds if you'd like to weigh, obviously the irastructure bill is important.

This is infrastructure.

It's been promised by the former to President.

And finally, this one got it through with with a bipartisan approach.

I think it's obvious that we need it.

We are a young state.

We still need help with our infrastructure.

We have lots of things in the state that need help.

And I am supportive of it.

And I think Senator Murkowski, for her role in helping it go through.

All right.

Now, we are going to go over to Rebecca, Palsha, I think.

Are we Lori, Napaskiak to Whale Pass.

Excuse me, I'm moving on too quickly.

because Chesbro you have one.

You have pretty seconds to Tshibaka in March of twenty twenty one, the House passed the pro act which strengthened the protections of workers who choose to organize in light of your father's work with the IBEW.

How will you support or not support passage of the project in the Senate?

Thanks for the question.

I support workers right to organize.

I also support workers rights to not organize and the pro act would force employers to make their workers unionized and that would mean that our contractors and independent laborers across Alaska that we so desperately depend on would be made into union workers.

And so I wouldn't support that I think people need to have a choice.

And whether or not they did, they join a union.

My dad had a choice that worked out great for our family and I support that choice for Alaskans.

Mr Chesbro, 30 seconds of rebuttal.

Well, I believe the act does not force unions.

I think it allows for unions and protects people who are seeking unions.

Give additional protections and I worked as the president of a teachers association.

I was part of a union for a long time.

My husband was part of a union.

We need the voices of workers and we need the voices of workers to be protected if they choose to organize.

Senator Mikulski, 30 seconds.

If I'd like to thank you.

This state has has long been a state that recognize is the significant role that that Labor plays and I'm proud to to have earned the endorsement a strong endorsement from so many of our of our unions and the trades and and and I and I honor and I respect that the pro act as it is written, is not without its level of controversy, but is something where I think we recognize that there is good engagement going on about the good things that are in and where there are challenges.

We will work to address it.

All right.

Thank you, Mr. Walker.

Now, her turn, 30 seconds to ask a question of one of your opponents.

OK, for the incumbent, when you launched your campaign, you said in this election, lower 48 outsiders are going to try to grab Alaska Senate seat for their partisan agendas.

Frankly, they couldn't care less about your future.

A year later, lower 48 in Washington, D.C., dark money have spent more on your behalf than both of our campaigns.

have spent combined.

Why are you now beholden to lower forty eight in D.C. dark money that doesn't care about our Alaska future?

Senator, one minute for your response.

So it's couldn't be further from the truth in terms of being behold more than to anybody on the outside.

I think Alaskans who know me, who have watched me, who see me serve, I know full well that my prime driver every day on every issue is all about Alaska.

We recognize that there are outside groups that are weighing in.

They're weighing in on my campaign.

They're weighing in on your campaign.

They're weighing in.

They're wearing in on a host of different campaign and in many ways a kind of subsumed everything else that's out there.

But as a candidate, we know we can't control that.

In fact, just today, you state that you can't control outside money or what others say about frustrating, but that's the reality of what happens with these independent expenditure campaigns.

There can be no coordination, but let there be no doubt there is no Lisa Murkowski being whole, being beholden to any outside interests.

Mr. You have 30 seconds for rebuttal, please.

I think we all know how Washington works.

And I think that's what you were trying to tee up in your launch video, that when they come in and they help you keep your Senate seat, you owe them favors.

But when I talked to Alaskans, we just don't want a senator who's fought and bullied by the DC establishment.

We want someone who represents our Alaska independent voices.

When I go to doors across Alaska, we don't want a politician where there are quality of life goes up.

We want a public servant.

We don't understand why our cost of living goes up while the DC insiders get a better life, it's just where.

Have 30 seconds if you'd like.

William Well, nobody owns me.

I know I have a I get a lot of individuals give me money and I'm very thankful for that.

But I think money is a problem in the races that we have in this country.

And I think we need to really start thinking about the impact of the money.

If you don't have money, sometimes you can't get your voice out there.

And so we need to I don't know the answer to it, but I do think it's very important for us to begin to assess how how the money works and what it what it does.

It doesn't do all right.

Thank you.

Now we're going to go over to Rebecca, Palsha our social desk for some questions.

from social media.

Rebecca, Rebecca can't wait to all rise.

Everyone gets thirty seconds to answer this one.

I believe we're starting Tshibaka.

How do you plan to protect LGBTQ youth in the state federal levels?

Will you stand with trans Alaskans in the face of increasing hate Thanks for the question.

So I believe we need to ensure the dignity and safety and rights of all Alaskans and we need to do that without jeopardizing and undermining the dignity and safety and rights of other Alaskans.

For example, I would protect the rights of women to compete against biological women in their sports.

That's a distinction between me and the incumbent.

She voted to allow biological men to compete in women's sports.

We could do something like set up separate leagues or separate sports teams for trans athletes.

That I think would be fair to them.

But I think that's something we need to respect the rights of everybody.

Miss Chesbro, my son in law, just who is trans?

Just Giscard and one of the things that we had at his memorial service was the group of people who obviously had been the people who had been marginalized, bullied, throughout their whole lives.

You couldn't have asked for a better group of people.

I would support the LGBTQ group forever as a principal.

All kids were important to me, and I'm horrified that anyone would try to harm children.

Senior Markowski, I will absolutely support the rights of LGBTQ transgender.

There should be no discrimination against anyone at any time.

That's kind of how I operate.

And and this debate that is out there right now that is bullying and Villa rising violence, rising young people at a time in their life when that is highly destructive, when people like Kotlik, Tshibaka, Pritch, conversion therapy, this is not helpful And the second question we have in 30 seconds from Facebook is Chesbro.

You're starting this time.

We don't want more whining.

So give us examples of why you would what you would do to help fight inflation.

I don't want to blame Biden answer because it's happening all over the world.

Yep.

OK, that's happening all over the world.

It's happening all over the world because the pandemic, because of supply chains and really it's happening because we're buying too much stuff.

I think we have to be really careful that we're not we don't look into our own purchasing.

I mean, I was just listening to something on the radio that was saying, hey, really, we're one of the things driving our economy is how much stuff we buy.

Well, and and we're building a storage bins all over the thing.

Part of inflation is demand.

Sen. Murkowski, inflation economics supply and demand.

All right.

So let's let's focus on the supply side in this country for a change.

We've got an administration that actually views resource production as as a liability, rather than an asset.

So it is about increasing supply, but it is also about reducing spending and doing so in a way that is meaningful, that does not drive up inflation further.

What was just passed, the Inflation Reduction Act, which was anything but only served to increase inflation and the Tshibaka we need to reduce excessive government spending.

Since Biden's been elected, they've added five trillion dollars to our national and the incumbent has been part of this.

She's voted for it, but that's not the only thing we need to turn on energy and gas production in America so that we can become independent again, support growth and manufacturing by reducing regulation and also reduce the cost of health care.

We can do that by opening up competition and directly negotiating with pharmaceutical companies for lower prescriptions.

This would all help us reduce inflation.

All right.

Thank candidates.

We need to take a short break now.

And when we come back, we'll continue with debate for the state, for the US Senate.

Stay with us.

Alaska Public Media partnered with the state of Alaska Division of Election to bring you this explanation of ranked choice voting, ranked choice.

Voting is here.

Here's what you need to know to make your vote count in Alaska's ranks.

Choice voting, general election only fill in one oval per candidate in each column.

Don't rank a candidate more than once.

Your vote only counts once in your candidate is eliminated in around, they are eliminated from all future rounds.

You do not have to rank all of the candidates, rank the candidates in order without skipping any rankings.

If you skip a ranking, your next ranking moves up.

But if you skip two or more rankings, only the rankings before the skipped rankings will count.

Don't give more than one candidate the same ranking.

If you give more than one candidate the same ranking, those rankings and later rankings won't count once all the votes are in tabulate and begins.

And here's how that works.

The votes will be counted, starting with first choices.

If a candidate gets 50 percent plus one vote, they win If not round two begins with the lowest vote getter eliminated.

If your first choice was not eliminated, your vote stays with them.

If your first choice was eliminated, your second choice is now counted.

If you only voted for one candidate, your vote also stays with them.

Even if they are eliminated, votes are tabulated again.

This keeps happening on rounds until two candidates are left and the one with the most votes wins Learn more about ranked choice voting at election start Alaska.

Dotty's up a message from the State of Alaska Division of Elections Find more election coverage, including our candidate comparison tool and live coverage of the election results on November 8th.

at nine p.m. at Alaska Public.

Doug welcome back to debate for the state.

Four U.S. Senate next, we're going to go to a video question from Anchorage youth vote.

After the video, candidates will have forty five seconds to respond.

My name Edison Klausmeier, and I'm a sophomore.

Sinkage High School in light of increasing frequency of school shootings, How do we keep America's children and safe from gun violence?

And what is one specific thing we can do to keep our students safer?

All right, Miss Chesbro, you'll start us off.

You have forty five seconds.

Obviously, this is a huge issue, curbing gun violence is it's close to my heart and close to my home.

I, I was the principal when the Columbine shooting happened, and it was one of the things that was the scariest thing that I ever heard when the state trooper who talked to us said it's really difficult to get rid lone wolf kind of shooters.

I think we could look at curbing gun violence in a different way.

I think we have a huge problem with gun violence and suicides in the state and in this nation as well.

Indeed, our young people as the first cause of death for young people is gun violence.

And on among that suicide, let's keep our guns safe.

Let's keep let's make sure we lock them up so that people cannot make a quick decision and move ahead.

So, Rakowski, one minute, please.

Gun violence is something that we all must seek to address.

It just broke everyone's heart to see the news just this week.

yet another shooting in St. Louis in a school by former student.

So how do we keep our kids safe in school?

without turning them into fortresses?

I was part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by very conservative Republican John Cornyn.

from Texas to to develop and pass into law the bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

It is not the d all and be all, but it does help to address more security for schools, more mental health for o kids, and it ensures that we are still able to provide for our Second Amendment protections while making sure that those who should not be possessing guns do not have tm.

In my apologies, I said one minutI meant forty five seconds.

Thank you, Setor.

Miss Tshibaka, you have for this and thank you so much for the question.

As a mom of five, I share your concerns.

We keep them safe in schos.

I would like to see us fund more school coselors and mental health counselors for our youth.

I think that wou really help.

I don't support more restrictions on law abiding citizens who have a Second Amendment right to protect themselves.

And that right shall not be infringed.

I would not have voted for the extreme right and gun control that are incumbt worked on with Senator McConnell and the red flag laws that she supported.

I think that criminals are still going to iolate the law while law abiding citizens won't.

But we've got to find ways to address this and get to the root causes he has.

As a mom, I share your concern.

And I think getting to the mental health root cause behind it and funding some of those solutions and school safety and security resources woul really help all gd candites.

Our next questions but a lot of debate about the pandemic.

How would you grade the nation's response to the covid-19 pandemic?

Should anything be done differently?

Deering future thats to public health?

You'll have one minute foyour response to Sator Murkowski.

Your first.

develop a vaccine?

We a I think it was exceptional.

How how the agencies came together Scientists came togethero to develop not only one vaccine, but mulple vaccines here in this country.

to be able to provide that.

I give aska a real strong grade for how we were able to ensure not only a level of understanding abou wt was what we were dealing wit abo the importance of getting vaccinated.

I do think that when it comes to a broader national response, in terms of how is communited, we failed there.

It was confusing what happened with the with the mandates.

Some, you know, the approach of do we wear a mask or do we not wear the mask?

We can and must do better.

We need to be prepared for the next pandemic because there will be one all right.

Thank you, Miss Tshibaka.

You have forty one minutes.

Sorry, one minute.

Senators are supposed to be the defense le r the Cstitution.

And I think many constitutional rights are violated.

Getting ready for another pandemic, we probably should put some of these this in stute so that they are clear we need to protect people's rights to have exceptions to mandates for shots, for faith based reasons and for medic reasons.

We need toake sure tt our loved ones have the ability to come to the hospital and be with us when we're sick or when we're passing away.

We eed to honor the constitionarights of our military service members.

They exercise their right to to leave the military and or they were dischargedrom the military.

When they exercise those rights, I would want to sponsor a bill saying that they get their benefits, their honor, their retired restored.

neetoonor the right ttry medical treatment and that nds to be preserved, preserving those cstitutional rights going forward.

is importa.

have the highest ranking, of c, the N. I'm endorsedy gun owners America.

t getting ahead of e pandemic, we've got to balance public health,c, afy with the rights Amerins Miss Chesbro, oneinute crucibles the the pandemic of affted many, many parts of our siety and I would just ike as an educator, would le to address our ineffecve way that we addssed it through schools.

We have iwas chaotic.

People were expected, teachers were expected.o teh at a distance who had never a istance before.

They didn't have the right tools.

Student so that ty cod do this.

A and we ha seenow the Progresthat people ve not done very well in school and would he not liketo haveet we I tomorw we're not.

It's ry difficult for a teachero dond hat.

And it's and I don't think we did we witour tomorw we're not.

It's ry kids and in this environ dond I would like see us try to figure out wayshat we can help them cat up from all he te they misd in the point of bycatch from traershem as part of the problem.

Wha if anything, should be do to You'll stt us off.

ll, unle ott important in staying trawls iependent as a voice to advate on this issu Wve roblem.

Siifict resourcesding te need go towards ouCoast Gua te our easfrom aircraft d cutters allhe w into dros d en the houng is so that we n maintain Coast Guard presence re iAlaska.

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Miss esbr you havonminu.

Obviouy his is o me ofho complex problems th's earned thath the byccht about fe it's t an iss for all icertaiu speesAnd if we ok at ristol, theyad a gre available foo And Bristol ay was helul to them ower, we have also had to shut wnoth crab and some oer fisheries up the rivers that peleepend on for heir lelihood.

I tnk weto nd to find ways to ma sure that the subsistee eds are met first.

And I thinthat's a management sue.

And I was reang that.

Ninetseven percent of our shery go to como oneercent each to personalstenn can make sureeoe have the food that they needFirst.

Thank you, Senator Murkowski.

of one minute.

Thank you.

A Pat has mentioned, outside of s year, it was it wasisaster, Chris.

Wh we saw on the wn comes to our salmo And so it is important to look to down tocice.

And I know scice is slownd I know science is pensive, but when you'rgoing to manage, youk to have to have the science.

So it's pushing.

No, it's puing It's 's making sure that withis accounts, wdo have the funding f them.

We ve I thinke need to have one hundred percent observer coverage and we can do it hrough electronic monitoring.

Let's use our technologies.

We nd to have more dynam in season and adaptive management North Pacific Manement Counc is is a is a hard and clumsy system.

Rit.

now whe we're operating in times of less than abundance, it's a it needs to be addressed.

Thank you, candidates.

Gasolina heating fuel prices are more than double the national average, and many Alaska communities.

What can you do to take action in Congress that will help stabilize the cost of energy here in Alaska?

You'll have one minute for your responses and we're going to go Tshibaka.

First on Congress, I think you take a multifaceted proach.

You've got to get nominees in that support energy development and lower prices.

Incumbent has voted for radical nominees that are actually driving this problem for us.

I think we also need to support energy and gas development and the refineries here in Alaska and energy production of renewable energy that will help drive down the prices here in Alaska The energy policy discussion isn't just a policy discussion It's actually a personal discussion.

My parents are homeless.

Before I was born.

And when you have these kind of costs of energy, making it all the way through Alaska, talking to these families around the state, it's very hard to move from poverty or lower class into a working class and get a new start for yourself when you were absolutely overcome and burdened by this.

It affects everything, food and transportation and freight and trying to move up in the world So we need to be really mindful of that when we are advocating in DC that these are real Alaskans and real Alaskans lives that are really hurting and suffering.

And that's really important.

Having worked back there for 16 years overseeing federal agencies, there's a lot we can do to get the bureaucracy to work for us.

instead of against us.

Chesbro obviously the refinery issue is really important.

My understanding was four of the refineries in California were recently shut down.

All at the same time, which made our gas prices skyrocket.

But we also need to make sure that our our rural areas, our affect are helped with this.

I sit next to a man on the planning commission who delivers fuel and he delivers fuel by airplane to villages.

And how how much you think it costs for diesel to come via airplane?

Very, very expensive So we need to do renewables.

We need to find what is the area, what's the best thing in the area?

And it could be the nuclear many plants that they're talking about.

It could be wind.

It could be solar, it could be thermal.

We have a lot of things going on.

We need to get these this energy to people.

It needs to be affordable.

Senator Murkowski, one, please.

Thank you.

Energy is something that I have focused so much of my my time in the Senate on.

It is not just a problem that we're dealing with now.

Yes, it is.

accentuated.

It's even more accentuated because of what is happening in in Ukraine with Russia.

But our reality is, is unless we are producing more as a country, we will be beholden to the prices that are set by OPEC.

We're going to be we are we will be beholden to those who really don't like us.

So everything that we can do to to produce more for ourselves.

And this is not just in the oil and gas space.

This is about America's energy opportunities.

Everything from wind and solar and biomass and geothermal and and tidal.

It's bringing it all together.

Right now, we're dealing with an administrator, though, that has a different view of resource production.

That's been a mistake.

It's putting us at a disadvantage.

And so every day pushing back against them is what we have to do.

All right.

Thank you, candidates.

All right.

We're going to let the candidates ask again another question to one of their opponents.

Second round of this again, we drew names before we started the debate tonight.

to pick the order and we're going to allow Mr. Chesbro to ask a question or whatever your opponents you 30 seconds to ask your question.

Thank you.

Senator Murkowski, during your tenure, you have confirmed for of the six justices who overturn Roe v. Wade, you noted that this decision rocked your confidence in the court and suggests those nominees had given you the wrong impression about their intention in light of this, how are you going to how will you change your approach to confirming justices?

It's an excellent question because right now I think we have a confirmed process that is broken.

We are not evaluating nominees based on their competence, their qualified patients, their their temperament, their independence.

We are we are evaluating them based on what President what president appointed them.

We are looking at them and saying, if you are a Repub Golovin and a Republican nominates boom, it's a rubber stamp and if you're a Democrat, it's put a roadblock up.

I wasn't asked to go to the United States Senate.

I wasn't asked to participate in this advice and consent process, which I take very, very seriously to just be that automatic rubber stamp or to be that automatic roadblock, depending on what year it is and who the president was.

We have got to get back to actual evaluating the criteria.

The qualifications of these nominee shows where you have thirty seconds for a woman and an I agree.

I think we have to look, we the Supreme Court of the land should be the most fair, the most dependable court in the land.

And I worry that we have now found a Supreme Court that is really unbalanced and we could and it scares me for the future.

These people are young people.

They have lifetime, lifetime appointments.

And now we have them for life.

And what's going to happen to us, I don't know.

But it's scary.

Mr. Bork you have 30 seconds away.

I will support constitutionalist nominees for the Supreme Court regardless of which president appoints them.

I think that the process is fine.

It's not about politics.

It's about how you interpret the Constitution and people who interpret the Constitution with a constitutional perspective are going to be the people who uphold the rights of Alaskans.

It's a pretty simple test for me right now.

It's Senator Murkowski.

Turn to ask a question of one of your opponents.

So, Pat, this is a question to you.

And I thank you for for joining us at the at the debate there in Kodiak, Bonefish.

Certainly a very important part of the Alaska discussion.

We've had some some discussion about today, but I think it's important fishing isn't just a part of life in Alaska.

It's a way of life.

We have acknowledged that the fisheries are struggling.

The Bering Sea snow crab fishery is not going to be open for this coming season.

How should Alaska best address our changing climate and its impact on our fisheries?

Obviously, the climate change issue is a huge issue and it's not a simple solution.

And unfortunately, fisheries have become the victim of that as we said earlier, more research, figuring out ways that we can help all of those things are vital to to figuring this out.

When I was when we were at the Southeast conference, one of the things they talked about was one of their biggest concerns with climate change because my understanding and my understanding is limited fishing, different fish have different needs.

They eat different things.

They but they they swim in different waters.

They have different predators.

And we need to make sure that we provide for that.

And part of that is the warming water is moving north.

What are what are we going to do about that?

How are we going to help our fisheries?

So I don't really have any answers except we have to find them.

All right.

Senator Murkowski, 30 seconds probably was an unfair question to ask you to solve in one minute climate change.

But I think I think the important place to start is that climate change is real.

Climate change is real.

We acknowledge that we have to address these problems And I think and as we do, they acknowledge that it is not just impacting our fisheries, it's impacting our our coastline.

It is impacting our our our housing.

It's impacting our vulnerability.

as a country from a national security perspective, as we're seeing an Arctic change in the Tshibaka, would you like 30 seconds?

I don't prefer the Biden administration's taking of crushing our economy and hurting our families.

creating workers that are suffering.

Again, I think that this is on all of the above solution where we can invest in renewable energy and energy innovation and then be able to really invest in our conservation programs like our impact mitigation fund.

I think we actually do responsible resource development well in Alaska and we could really lead in this area given a chance.

All right Mr. Tshibaka, you have 30 seconds to ask a question to one of your opponents.

So this is for the incumbent.

We've noticed that there are many times you'll say one thing here to us in Alaska, but then you'll do the opposite in D.C. like you ran, paid ads saying that Biden was going to come grab our guns while you were working with Biden and McConnell on the gun control legislation and red flag laws that you passed.

You also said to us in your last campaign you'd repeal Obamacare.

You are the deciding vote to keep Obamacare there.

We're wondering why.

Is it because of what you said to the reporter after the Obamacare vote that we Alaskans don't remember?

I think one thing that you should remember is certainly what I do every single day, which is put Alaska first, whether it is when we're talking about matters related to Second Amendment or matters related to health care, it all comes down to what is going to most benefit Alaskans.

And when it comes to when comes to this, the bypass and Safer Communities Act, something that I did work on, something that I think is a good step forward in addressing mental health, school safety, but also making sure that we are protecting our Second Amendment rights.

It does not create red flag laws.

In fact, what it does is it says if there is a state that does have red flag laws, you are required to have enhanced Dupré added to this as a requirement of this legislation, we make sure that no one's Second Amendment rights are impacted for lawful possession of a firearm.

It's as plain as that.

Mr. Tshibaka you have 30 seconds for rebuttal.

Having talked to thousands of Alaskans knocked on their doors across the state, we feel that we're put first when people tell the truth and talk straight.

So we're not looking for a politician.

We're looking for public servants.

But did something similar just in our form where you said that we've got to produce more energy and we've got to push back on this fight and administration and their agenda.

But you are the tie breaking vote to advance the confirmation of Deb Holland, who is the person leading the energy annihilating agenda for Biden.

And that came out in the confirmation process.

And so those are the things we're talking about.

This Chesbro.

You have 30 seconds to weigh in.

If you choose.

I think I think we all need to be as honest as we can, no matter when we speak to people.

And sometimes we make mistakes.

Sometimes we say spewing some things, sometimes things are taken out of context.

I think we need to look at what people do.

I think we need to look at the overall person and how that person behaves and that stands for politicians as well as teachers as well as news broadcasters.

So I value the truth.

I value people being honest and I will continue to do that.

Thank you Candidates now it's time for our Lightning Round.

Each candidate will have 15 seconds to answer yes or no to these questions.

and provide a brief explanation if they would like We'll continue our rotation from before the candidate questions and our first question, if China uses military force against Taiwan, should the United States intervene?

How so?

Or why not?

Senator Murkowski, your first.

We cannot leave Taiwan hanging We cannot leave Taiwan hanging just as we cannot leave Ukraine hanging.

There is too much in the balance, Mr. Walker.

Yes, we absolutely should get involved.

China has shown that it has its interests that are contrary to our own as one of our largest foreign adversaries.

And we are necessary to holding the balance of global stability and exercising our strength to protect countries.

Taiwan must Chesbro.

Yes, we should help Taiwan.

I like the way we're helping Ukraine is we're not sending our own people there, but we're sending stuff to help defend themselves.

I think people defending themselves at the strongest ways to do it.

All right.

The federal ban on assault style weapons expired in 2004.

Do you support or oppose the ban on the sale of those firearms?

And why Miss Tshibaka I do not support banning those weapons.

I think that's a ban should say expired.

I support the second Amendment.

Again, proud to have the highest rating from the NRA.

and the endorsement of the gun owners of America.

When we make these guns, illegal criminals still at them and law abiding citizens are deprived, their constitutional Chesbro, I think we should ban the sale of them.

I think it worked before.

I think there's no purpose of them except for killing people.

And I having a family member who has personally been murdered, I really am.

I'm against murder.

Senator Murkowski.

I do not support a ban on an assault weapons.

I think we recognize that with today's technology you you support if you were to ban one one model, one platform those who would do destruction and would find another way to attempt it.

All right.

Alakanuk voting on whether to hold a constitutional convention.

Do you support or oppose that?

And why is Chesbro your first?

I oppose a constitutional convention.

We have a good constitution.

It was thought up by very smart people and they looked at constitutions and saw what worked around the country.

and decided what was going to work for us.

I think we need we have an amendment process.

We should use it if we need to amend.

Senator Murkowski, I oppose moving to a constituted constitutional convention.

I agree with Pat on this one.

We have demonised that we've got a process that works.

We can amend the Constitution, our state constitution.

We've done it twenty eight times.

And that process is available to us.

Mr. Barr, I support governments of the people, by the people, for the people.

I'm not afraid of the people of Alaska.

I think it's important to remember when we formed our Constitution, we didn't include very many Alaska native voices at all.

They were excluded from the process.

I think that they should be included in the formation of our state constitution.

All right, thank you.

Candidates.

It's time now for closing statements from our candidates tonight to determine the order we call the candidates names before we got started tonight.

And as Chesbro, you will go first this one minute, please.

Thank you.

I come to you not as a bureaucrat or a legislator.

but as an educator and my focus throughout this campaign and throughout throughout my life actually has been on our young people.

I have significant concerns with the messages we're giving our young people, the rights we're taking away from our young people and the Earth we may be giving to our young people.

I am running for office to get the word out about my values and the values of many people.

The many people that I really am grateful to for supporting me throughout this.

And I appreciate the time that you're spending tonight and the many forums we've had the opportunity to attend.

So thank you very much.

And support me if you support my values.

Thank you.

Tshibaka.

You have one minute for your closing incumbent.

Will minimize Alaska's concerns, saying it's easy to criticize her record.

But her record has hurt Alaskans.

We're paying for inflation from the infrastructure bill.

The Senator Sullivan says will hardly see any of the money made accessible to us from infrastructure.

Why don't we have the millions of acres of land that are still owed to us from the federal government?

Yet why don't rural communities have the five million the the the fifty million dollars the incumbent promised us?

from the Department of Justice?

Why haven't we gotten rid of the blood quantum requirement for Alaska Natives?

Why are we still paying the highest prices in the nation for energy when we have the chairmanship of the energy Committee for six years?

We lost that chairmanship two years ago.

and the incumbent isn't in line to get the chairmanship of any major committee if she is re-elected The maximum value of our seniority has expired.

The incumbent cannot accomplish in the next six years what she hasn't been able to accomplish in the last twenty one years.

So if we want to see a change, we have to make a change.

Ranked me number one because it's time for a change.

Thank you.

Alaska Senator Murkowski, have one minute for your closing.

Thank you.

This the Senate race is really about who can best deliver for Alaska and the record is out there in terms of what I have done for Alaska every single day.

every single day.

And Kelly, may have some insight about certain federal agencies that she's been involved with, but frankly, she's been gone from the state for twenty eight years and she's out of touch with Alaskans.

And what Alaskans expect and want.

Alaskans want results.

They don't want parties and political rhetoric.

I've used my seniority and my ability to work with others to make things happen, to advance Alaska's priorities.

Alaska's priorities, always.

And this is everything from building out our economy, strengthening our military, supporting our veterans, making sure that we are investing in infrastructure like ports and broadband ferries and roads, making our communities safer and healthier and more sustainable.

I have been blessed to serve Alaskans.

I thank you for that.

but I respectfully ask for your vote so that we can continue our work together.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Candidates, for your answers tonight and for your presence.

That concludes our U.S. Senate debate for the state for twenty twenty two.

I want to again thank the candidates for joining us.

And thank you as well to Rebecca, Palsha for monitoring social media for us tonight.

want to make sure that yocheck out our candidate comparison tool at Alaska Public Dog to see all the answers from candidates across the state.

And don't forget, Election Day is November 8th.

We encourage every Alaskan to get out and vote and make sure that your voice is heard If you miss the US House debate or the debate for Alaska's next governor, you can find links to them on our website.

Alaska Public or for d Alaska Public Media.

Thank you for joining us tonight.

Good night.