Alaska’s hard-left public teachers’ union – NEA-Alaska – has released its endorsement of state and federal candidates, along with its recommendation on ranked-choice voting and minimum wage hikes.

As expected, the union largely supports entrenched Democrats and radical left-leaning independent candidates who will support NEA’s institutional vision of government-run education. The organization also backs Democrat Congresswoman Mary Peltola, opposes Ballot Measure 2 (which would repeal ranked-choice voting) and supports Ballot Measure 1 (which would force small businesses to pay a $15 minimum wage while granting 56 hours of paid time off to employees).

In what might surprise some, the NEA also recommends that voters support several Republicans who regularly support and empower Democrats to control the Alaska State Legislature, despite the fact that the GOP typically has a majority of elected members. These NEA-backed GOP candidates include State Senate candidates Jesse Bjorkman and Kelly Merrick, along with State House candidates Louise Stutes and Chuck Kopp. Joy Beth Cottle is another NEA-suppored GOP candidate who backs big union interests.

The union sees these Republicans as key allies in its mission to siphon off more funds for government schools.

Despite Alaska’s chronically failing student test scores, NEA-Alaska has a long history of demanding more public funding, without measurable accountability. It also footed the bill for the recent failed lawsuit that sought to completely overturn Alaska’s popular state-funded homeschool allotment program.

While NEA-Alaska claims to be non-partisan, it is consistently aligned with the political and cultural left on a host of issues.

In recent years it has partnered with LGBTQ activist groups, such as the ACLU and others, to push radical sexual agendas and programs throughout Alaska’s state-run school system. NEA members have also been on the front lines, demanding that graphic sexualized library books remain readily available to young children in Alaska’s public schools. Additionally, it opposed legislation aimed at protecting girls’ sports from biological males who identify as women.

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