I’ve known Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for nearly a dozen years and couldn’t have been more excited when he filed to represent Haines — and Sitka, and all of rural Southeast Alaska — in the Alaska Legislature. I’ve followed the campaign closely, and was excited when Jonathan and Bill Thomas, Jonathan’s opponent, filed their fundraising reports. I crunched the fundraising data, and I think the data tell a story worth sharing.
Sixty-eight people donated to Thomas’ campaign last reporting period. One hundred fifty two people donated to Kreiss-Tomkins’ campaign last reporting period. Seventy percent of Kreiss-Tompkins’ contributions came from within District 34. Eight percent of Thomas’ contributions came from within District 34. Jonathan has 21 times more in-district donors than Thomas.
Where does the money come from? Thomas recently voted for the governor’s oil tax cut, which would cost the state $2 billion a year. Unsurprisingly, Thomas has received money from the oil industry, including the vice-presidents of ConocoPhillips/Alaska and Armstrong Oil and Gas. Kreiss-Tomkins opposes the tax cut and has received no money from the oil industry.
In contrast, dozens of Kreiss-Tomkins’ donors are students and educators in District 34 schools. Thomas has not received a single donation from a student or an educator.
Ultimately, though, I’m less impressed by statistics and more by what they represent. His broad grassroots support demonstrates that others see what I see: an honest, hard-working person who will represent us to the best of his considerable ability.
Iris Holmes