Anchorage pastor Matt Schultz to challenge Rep. Nick Begich in 2026 U.S. House race

Schultz, a registered Democrat, is the second person to register as an opponent for Begich in next year’s election

Democratic U.S. House candidate Matt Schultz is seen in an undated photo published on his campaign website. (Screenshot)

By James Brooks

Alaska Beacon

An Anchorage pastor announced Monday that he is running for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Nick Begich. 

The Rev. Matt Schultz, of Anchorage’s First Presbyterian Church, is a registered Democrat with an extensive history of support for progressive policies and ideals. On Saturday, he spoke at Anchorage’s No Kings rally.

In an interview on Tuesday, Schultz said he was motivated to run by his belief “that every person has a responsibility to use the many gifts and opportunities we have as a way to be of service to the world.”

Schultz said that what tipped him over into running was his sense that daily life has become too difficult. “The policies that our current legislators have put in place have made life unaffordable, just on the basics like food and rent and on the larger but just as important things such as health care.” 

Schultz was born and raised in rural New York state, which he described as “a place that had more cows than people.” 

He moved to Alaska with his wife in 1997. They have three children, two of whom are grown and one of whom attends high school in Anchorage.

Schultz and his wife left the state about four years after arriving in order to attend graduate school and returned in 2013 permanently.

Schultz’s father was a Catholic priest, his mother, a Catholic nun.

“They got married and excommunicated in the same moment,” he said, describing his family history.

“So I sort of inherited the family business, in a way, but I chose a different path slightly,” he said.

In regular opinion columns and letters submitted to the Anchorage Daily News, Schultz has espoused a progressive Christian viewpoint, with support for LGBTQ Alaskans, higher minimum wages and improved government-backed healthcare.

Begich, elected in 2024, has been a reliable vote for President Donald Trump, including on Trump’s signature budget proposal, which reduced federal services and increased federal tax breaks, particularly for wealthy Americans. 

The Congressional Budget Office expects the proposal to significantly increase the federal debt, something Begich doubts.

Schultz said he felt the budget “really just put the hammer on people who are working hard to get by,” and he hasn’t been happy with Begich’s decision to eschew town hall meetings to discuss his vote.

“I don’t know how it’s possible to be a representative that doesn’t show up for things like town halls and to listen to the people’s concerns, so I will definitely be doing that as much as possible,” Schultz said.

Officially, Schultz is the second Democrat in the race; Fairbanks Democrat John Williams signed up for the race in July but has not raised any money or conducted significant campaign events.

Williams is the only candidate to have officially registered with the Alaska Division of Elections. 

Schultz registered with the Federal Elections Commission on Monday, which allows him to begin fundraising and advertising. Williams and Begich have already registered, and according to the latest available FEC data, Begich had approximately $1.6 million available in his campaign account, discounting about $376,000 in debt.

More candidates may enter the race; the deadline to do so is June 1. The top four vote-getters in the August primary election will advance to the general election in November.

• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.