Mat-Su residents turn out to ‘Flip the Script’ at back-to-back Sentinel candidate forums

PALMER — Hundreds of Mat-Su residents turned out for two Mat-Su Sentinel candidate forums this week that gave voters a chance to meet state and borough candidates — and gave candidates a chance to hear directly from residents through live audience polling.

Rather than asking candidates to debate one another or respond to a series of questions, the events invited candidates to introduce themselves and then listen.

Audience members used their phones to respond to live polling questions about government spending, public services and other issues facing Mat-Su, with the results appearing on screen in real time.

The back-to-back events built on the Sentinel's award-winning Flip the Script: Mat-Su Election Connection format, first piloted last year, and brought the audience-driven approach to both state and local races for the first time.

Candidates also answered brief, rapid-response questions designed to give voters insight into their positions on some of the issues raised during the events.

“I designed Flip the Script to solve a problem I saw in our community,” said Sentinel founder and editor Amy Bushatz. “Readers told me they were frustrated with traditional candidate forums where politicians did all the talking, or town halls where a few loud voices dominated the conversation. And some candidates told me they don’t love those formats either. So I wanted to create something different — a respectful space where candidates could share their ideas, but voters were the ones driving the conversation.”

The first event, held Sunday at the Glenn Massey Theater in Palmer, drew about 200 residents and 22 candidates for Alaska House Districts 25 through 30 and Senate Districts M and O. Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks co-hosted the event with Bushatz.

A second forum, held Thursday at the Palmer Depot, brought together about 150 residents and most candidates for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly and Mat-Su School Board. Emily Forstner, a longtime educator turned Big Cabbage Radio volunteer and freelance reporter for the Sentinel, joined Bushatz as co-host.

Participants at both events enjoyed free food and drinks provided with support from the Mat-Su Health Foundation and the Odom Corp.

The Flip the Script events and a traditional candidate forum for Wasilla city races complement the Mat-Su Sentinel’s suite of interactive, nonpartisan voter guides, available on the Sentinel's website.

State forum participants emphasize cooperation, education and cautious spending

At the state forum, candidates gave brief introductions while audience polling questions covered a wide range of state-level topics, including energy, taxes, funding, roads, education and public employees. An extended intermission gave participants a chance to meet and speak directly with candidates from their districts.

The event was free to attend, and residents were not asked their party affiliation before participating.

Seventy-five percent of poll participants said it is very important for legislators to work across party lines, while 77% said they would be comfortable with their legislator joining a coalition led by another party.

On state finances, participants ranked new corporate taxes as their preferred way to raise revenue without cutting services or reducing Permanent Fund dividend payments.

Increasing pay for teachers, police officers and other public employees was the top choice for spending any state budget surplus tied to the war in Iran, while 56% supported increasing per-student school funding even if it meant raising taxes or cutting spending elsewhere. Another 61% favored restoring defined-benefit pensions for public employees.

On energy and development, 55% opposed using any state money to build a natural gas pipeline, while half opposed state funding for the proposed West Susitna Access Road.

Download Flip the Script: State Edition polling results:

Participants were closely divided between prioritizing natural gas and pursuing natural gas and renewable energy equally. About half favored prohibiting large artificial intelligence and data center developments in areas such as Mat-Su, while most of the remaining respondents supported strict regulations.

One of the evening's strongest results came on fishing rights, with 101 of 111 respondents saying Alaska residents fishing for personal use and subsistence should receive priority when fish runs are limited.

Borough forum participants prioritize teachers, existing roads and public input

At the borough forum, participants put education and existing infrastructure at the top of their priorities.

Asked what they love about the Mat-Su school district, participants most commonly responded with "teachers," followed by words including "options," "choice" and "libraries." Teacher pay and benefits also ranked as the top school spending priority, followed by hiring support staff and keeping schools open. If cuts are necessary, participants ranked a four-day school week as their preferred option, while further cuts to support staff ranked last. Sixty-three percent opposed Proposition A, which would extend school board terms from three to four years.

On borough spending, participants ranked schools first, followed by road repair and construction and fire and emergency services. Eighty-five percent said the borough should prioritize fixing existing roads over building new ones, while 57% said major road projects should require voter approval.

Asked to rank alternative sources of tax revenue, participants put a summer-only sales tax first, followed by an alcohol tax and a gravel tax — a shift from the Sentinel's 2025 forum, when a gravel tax was the top choice.

Participants also said the best way to encourage more residents to attend public meetings is for elected officials to show they are listening to public feedback, followed by consistently ending meetings before 9 p.m.

Download Flip the Script: Borough Edition polling results

Future Mat-Su Sentinel events

Thursday's Flip the Script was the final election-related event planned this year. But Bushatz said the Sentinel is already planning a series of community events for the winter season, including the Mat-Su Untold storytelling night at the Glenn Massey Theater in early February and a Best of the Valley celebration at the remodeled Wasilla VFW post in mid-March.

Contact Mat-Su Sentinel at contact@matsusentinel.com