Q&A with Crystal Jones
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Why are you running nonpartisan?
My loyalty belongs to District 36, not a party. When a legislator's first obligation is to their party, the people who sent them there come second. I answer to the folks in District 36. I'm running nonpartisan because I want to work with, and represent, all Alaskans; not just the ones who share a party label.
You're not a career politician. Why should we trust you to do this job?
I think it's fair to ask whether that kind of experience is actually a qualification. Politicians have lined their own pockets and put corporate interests over the locals they claim to represent. I have an M.A. in Anthropology, a B.A. in Philosophy, and an A.S. in Business Management, plus fifteen years managing programs and budgets across nonprofit, education, and tourism work. I know how to read a budget, build coalitions, and get things done without a party telling me how to vote.
What makes you different from the incumbent?
Party loyalty has a cost. When your first obligation is to your caucus, the district's needs can get traded away in negotiations. I don't have that conflict. The incumbent has said she'd like a full PFD "one day." I'm going to fight for it now.
How will you get anything done as one representative?
One honest vote in a closely divided legislature matters more than people think. I'll build relationships, show up consistently, and fight for what this district needs. I've spent fifteen years moving things forward in environments where I didn't control all the variables. That's most of governance. It won't be easy, but I'm willing to fight for what is fair and just.
Where do you stand on the Permanent Fund Dividend?
Full restoration of the statutory formula, the same one Alaskans relied on for thirty-four years before the legislature started raiding it. That money belongs to Alaskans as co-owners of this state's resources. It's not a government gift; it's your share. I'll vote to restore it and support a constitutional amendment so future legislatures can't quietly cut it again without a public vote.
Where do you stand on taxes?
Alaska is resource-rich, and we should be taxing those resources properly before we ever put new taxes on Alaskan families. Right now, plenty of industries are undertaxed compared to similar markets. Tax the out of state corporations taking our valuable, finite resources and close tax loopholes. Find a way to tax tourists who use our roads and oceans. And give Alaskans some relief from property taxes that are drowning people.
What's your position on oil taxes and SB21?
The promise was that better tax terms for oil companies would reverse production decline and benefit all Alaskans. Production kept declining. The state lost billions in revenue during low oil price periods. This is money that could have funded your full PFD, rural energy, and schools. Alaskans deserve an honest look at whether the current deal reflects what we're actually owed as owners of this resource. I don't think it does.
What's your position on AKLNG and the gas pipeline?
I would love to see this project happen. What I'm not sold on yet are the current terms. Before this moves forward, I want to see the numbers and make sure Alaskans are getting a fair deal — not just signing onto whatever terms get put in front of us. Support for the project doesn't mean pushing it ahead without terms that benefit all Alaskans.
What will you do about federal funding cuts to Alaska?
When Washington cuts Medicaid, SNAP, or other federal dollars, rural Alaska feels it first and worst; we don't have the cushion that bigger states do. I'll fight to protect the programs this district actually depends on, and I won't pretend those cuts don't hit real families.
Where do you stand on trawling?
Trawling is wiping out salmon and bycatch in our waters, and the villages at the end of the line pay for it. I support banning trawl gear in state waters and putting real fisheries management back in the hands of the people who depend on these waters to eat.
What are your thoughts on subsistence rights?
For a lot of people in our district, subsistence is how our families eat. State and federal rules overlap and conflict, creating real hardship for people who've fed themselves off this land for generations. I support a constitutional amendment restoring the rural priority so that Alaska manages these resources, paired with real tribal co-management, not just consultation that gets ignored. Doyon, Limited, Ahtna, Inc. and the Tanana Chiefs Conference communities have managed these lands and waters for thousands of years. That knowledge belongs at the center of policy, not as an afterthought.
Are you pro-development or pro-environment?
In Alaska, healthy land and responsible development aren't opposites; they're both necessary. Commercial fishing, tourism, and subsistence all depend on clean water and healthy fish runs. So does oil development that actually lasts. When we treat the environment as separate from the economy, we end up damaging both.
What will you do about energy costs?
Whether you're on CVEA, GVEA, or AP&T, your power bill is extremely high. Rural Alaskans are paying some of the highest prices nationally. I support expanding Power Cost Equalization, investing in the Railbelt Intertie, and clearing the path for renewable energy development. Wind, hydro, and geothermal don't run out and don't get trucked in. That's the direction we need to move.
What will you do about rural healthcare access?
Too many people in this district put off care because the nearest clinic is half a day's drive, myself included. That's not okay. I support expanding telehealth so people can see a provider from home, funding for rural clinics, and making sure both men and women here can get basic healthcare, including OB/GYN services, without leaving the region.
What's your position on broadband expansion?
Not having reliable internet means no telehealth, no remote work, no real education options for kids out here. I'll push hard for every federal broadband dollar this district can get, and make sure Alaska doesn't leave money on the table or let it get absorbed somewhere else. It's not a luxury anymore; it's essential.
What's your position on education funding?
Rural schools have been running on fumes for years with outdated materials, teacher turnover, kids who have to leave home just to get a decent education. I support increasing the Base Student Allocation and protecting rural school funding specifically, so it doesn't get treated as an afterthought to urban district budgets. We also need the means to recruit and retain great teachers for our rural students.
What's your position on gun rights?
I strongly believe in Alaskan's autonomy over ourselves and oppose government control that infringes upon this. In a district where people hunt for food, live miles from law enforcement, and depend on firearms for real safety; I'll oppose legislation that infringes on Alaskans' right to keep and bear arms.
Where do you stand on privacy and surveillance?
Your face and your information belong to you, not the government. I'm against biometric surveillance on public infrastructure and against the government quietly collecting data on Alaskans going about their lives. I'll also push back on data centers that want to use Alaska's land and power without giving anything real back to our communities.
Why should Republicans vote for you?
I'll fight for a full PFD. Fiscal accountability. Resource sovereignty. No government overreach on your personal rights. Rural values I actually live, every day. The Republican caucus has had years to deliver a full dividend and hasn't. I'll fight for it regardless of who tells me not to.
Why should Democrats vote for you?
Rural healthcare is broken. Our fisheries are being exploited by outside corporate interests. Our schools are underfunded. A representative who answers to this district, not a party, will fight for those things more effectively than a vote that gets traded away in caucus.