By AlaskaWatchman.com

Alaska Watchman sent a list of hard-hitting questions to all candidates running for local office in Kenai, including borough assembly, school board and city council. Our intent is to give voters a clear sense of who the socially and fiscally conservative candidates are, especially in regard to some of the most hot-button and contentious issues facing our culture.

Not every candidate chose to respond to our survey. Of those who did, some appear to be down-the-line, consistent conservatives, while others are a mixed bag. Read their responses carefully before deciding who to vote for.

The Kenai borough and municipal elections are both scheduled for Oct. 5. Voters will elect two city council members, three borough assembly members and three school board members.

  • Click here for more information on borough and school board candidates.
  • Click here for more information on city council candidates.

CANDIDATE SURVEY ANSWERS

VICTORIA ASKIN (Running for Kenai City Council)

Victoria Askin

Q: Do you support COVID vaccines or mask mandates?

A: No.

Q: Do you support community-oversight boards for local police?

A: No.

Q: Do you support legal abortion or are you pro-life?

A: Abortion, in my opinion, is a decision between a woman, her God, her doctor and, in some instances, the father.  State and federal government should not pay for it.

Q: Do you support stronger voter ID protocols for absentee voters?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support universal mail-in voting, like what Anchorage and Juneau currently have?

A: No.

Q: Do you support ranked-choice voting?

A: No.

Q: How would you describe your political belief system: Conservative, progressive or moderate?

A: Moderately conservative.

Q: Name a contemporary political figure and BRIEFLY explain why you admire them.

A: Donald Trump. He came into office with no special agenda, no special interest support and stuck to his beliefs no matter how unpopular. As a businessman, he understood what the country needed and made it better, for a brief time.

Q: Do you support gender identity and expression laws to help regulate religious organizations and private businesses?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe we need tighter gun regulations?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe global climate change is a threat to humanity?

A: No.

Q: What church or religious group are you affiliated with, if any?

A: Non-denominational Christian

Q: Do you believe the main-stream media is biased against conservative viewpoints?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support increasing the minimum wage?

A: No.

Q: Do you support school vouchers which allow parents to send their children to whichever schools they choose, whether that be public, private or religious?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe human life begins at conception and should be legally protected?

A: In a perfect world, this would not be an issue.  I believe human life begins with the heartbeat, but I also believe that some women have the strength to abort if they are in circumstances they believe they have no choice. The state and federal government should not affect or fund that choice.    

Q: Do you support a full statutory PFD payment to Alaskans?

A: Yes. The PFD was never intended for house or senate to take it because they can’t manage the budget.  It was set up for the citizens of Alaska. 

Q: Do you believe systemic racism has undermined many of our educational, cultural and governmental institutions?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe bathrooms, showers or locker rooms should be restricted to members of the same biological sex regardless of how someone may sexually identify?

A: Yes.

DEBORAH SOUNART (Running for Kenai City Council)

Deborah Sounart

Q: Do you support COVID vaccines or mask mandates?

A: No.

Q: Do you support community-oversight boards for local police?

A: Not for small municipalities; but possibly, within limits, for the largest precincts.

Q: Do you support legal abortion or are you pro-life?

A: Pro-life.

Q: Do you support stronger voter ID protocols for absentee voters?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support universal mail-in voting, like what Anchorage and Juneau currently have?

A: No.

Q: Do you support ranked-choice voting?

A: No.

Q: How would you describe your political belief system: Conservative, progressive or moderate?

A: Conservative.

Q: Name a contemporary political figure and BRIEFLY explain why you admire them.

A: Ron DeSantis – because he hasn’t “Faucied” Florida!

Q: Do you support gender identity and expression laws to help regulate religious organizations and private businesses?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe we need tighter gun regulations?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe global climate change is a threat to humanity?

A: No.

Q: What church or religious group are you affiliated with, if any?

A: Kenai Christian Church.

Q: Do you believe the main-stream media is biased against conservative viewpoints?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support increasing the minimum wage?

A: No.

Q: Do you support school vouchers which allow parents to send their children to whichever schools they choose, whether that be public, private or religious?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe human life begins at conception and should be legally protected?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support a full statutory PFD payment to Alaskans?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe systemic racism has undermined many of our educational, cultural and governmental institutions?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe bathrooms, showers or locker rooms should be restricted to members of the same biological sex regardless of how someone may sexually identify?

A: Absolutely yes!

ALEXANDER DOUTHIT (Running for Kenai City Council)

Alexander Douthit

Q: Do you support COVID vaccines or mask mandates?

A: No.

Q: Do you support community-oversight boards for local police?

A: No.

Q: Do you support legal abortion or are you pro-life?

A: I am pro-life.

Q: Do you support stronger voter ID protocols for absentee voters?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support universal mail-in voting, like what Anchorage and Juneau currently have?

A: No.

Q: Do you support ranked-choice voting?

A: No.

Q: How would you describe your political belief system: Conservative, progressive or moderate?

A: Conservative moderate.

Q: Name a contemporary political figure and BRIEFLY explain why you admire them.

A: Ronald Regan, he spoke the truth, “Trust but Verify”

Q: Do you support gender identity and expression laws to help regulate religious organizations and private businesses?

A: In some ways but perhaps not in others.

Q: Do you believe we need tighter gun regulations?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe global climate change is a threat to humanity?

A: No.

Q: What church or religious group are you affiliated with, if any?

A: Catholic.

Q: Do you believe the main-stream media is biased against conservative viewpoints?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support increasing the minimum wage?

A: Moderately.

Q: Do you support school vouchers which allow parents to send their children to whichever schools they choose, whether that be public, private or religious?

A: I’m not convinced it’s a good idea because it would be so hard to implement and difficult to moderate.

Q: Do you believe human life begins at conception and should be legally protected?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support a full statutory PFD payment to Alaskans?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe systemic racism has undermined many of our educational, cultural and governmental institutions?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe bathrooms, showers or locker rooms should be restricted to members of the same biological sex regardless of how someone may sexually identify?

A: Yes.

BENJAMIN MILLER (Running for Kenai School Board, Dist. 5)

Benjamin Miller

Q: Do you support COVID vaccines or mask mandates?

A: No. 

Q: Do you support community-oversight boards for local police?

A: Depends on the capacity. I like how they elect a sheriff in counties in the Lower-48, and support oversight in that way. The police should be transparent about what and how they do, but we need to let them do their job as well.

Q: Do you support legal abortion or are you pro-life?

A: Pro-Life.

Q: Do you support stronger voter ID protocols for absentee voters?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support universal mail-in voting, like what Anchorage and Juneau currently have?

A: No.

Q: Do you support ranked-choice voting?

A: No.

Q: How would you describe your political belief system: Conservative, progressive or moderate?

A: Conservative.

Q: Name a contemporary political figure and BRIEFLY explain why you admire them.

A: Ron DeSantis, He does what he says. 

Q: Do you support gender identity and expression laws to help regulate religious organizations and private businesses?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe we need tighter gun regulations?

A: No.

Q: Do you believe global climate change is a threat to humanity?

A: No, we need to be cognizant of our environment, but we will manage the natural cycles of the earth. 

Q: What church or religious group are you affiliated with, if any?

A: Christian

Q: Do you believe the main-stream media is biased against conservative viewpoints?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support increasing the minimum wage?

A: No.

Q: Do you support school vouchers which allow parents to send their children to whichever schools they choose, whether that be public, private or religious?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe human life begins at conception and should be legally protected?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you support a full statutory PFD payment to Alaskans?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you believe systemic racism has undermined many of our educational, cultural and governmental institutions?

A: Not in Alaska.

Q: Do you believe bathrooms, showers or locker rooms should be restricted to members of the same biological sex regardless of how someone may sexually identify?

A: Yes.

Click here to support Alaska Watchman reporting.

Kenai candidates open up on hot-button issues as Oct. 5 election nears

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


3 Comments

  • Buzz Kelley says:

    Just my opinion but for city council I would vote for Deborah. She IS pro-life. It is tough but Victoria does not appear to be pro-life. Alexander with his response to gender identity sounds like his next stop is Woke-ville. School board Benjamin Miller all the way. Go Ben or Go Home! You can use that Ben 🙂
    Thank you Mr. Davidson and Alaska Watchman

  • Greg says:

    Those who will not protect the most vulnerable (such as human beings at the moment of conception), have no business being in a decision-making role that affects human beings. To support murder in the womb is to show a lack of regard for life, and a lack of regard for the Lord of life.

  • Michael says:

    Another question comes to mind :
    Will you stand up for humanity and stand against these unlawful ‘mandates’ ?