Rev. Matt Schultz is running on ‘facts and compassion’ in his challenge of Rep. Nick Begich in 2026 US House race
- Jasz Garrett
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
Pastor says he has seen firsthand how Washington’s decisions impact Alaskans, from health care to salmon runs
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
The Rev. Matt Schultz is running for Congress. He is currently serving at Anchorage’s First Presbyterian Church.
He said his past three decades in ministry work have taught him one of the best ways to help someone is not just in the moment, “but to change the policies that cause their hardship in the first place.”
“Nine times out of 10, that has to do with a person’s ability to just pay their monthly bills and buy groceries and be able to go to the doctor,” Schultz said. “And it’s one thing to say, ‘Hey, I hope you have a great day,’ but it’s way more meaningful to say, ‘I hope you have a great day, and let’s work together to change the system so that you can buy some food.’ So that’s why I’m running for Congress.”
A registered Democrat, Schultz declared candidacy for the primary scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026. He is running for Alaska’s lone House seat, challenging incumbent Republican Nick Begich III, Democrat John Brenda Williams and independent Bill Hill.
As for the policies Schultz thinks he can change, he said the first thing he would do is work to overturn the budget reconciliation bill that passed the House on May 22, 2025.
“A lot of the problems that are going on have just been exacerbated in the last year in lots of different ways. So I would want to overturn that bill, and in particular, overturn a lot of the attacks that have been made on things such as SNAP benefits,” Schultz said. “And I would love to see a living wage paid to all people, not just a starvation wage, which is currently what the federal minimum wage is set at. I want to make sure that health care is accessible and affordable for all people, regardless of their employment status — that we make sure that everyone is able to have life-saving medicine and the ability to get to some type of medical care without having to fly thousands of miles to get it.”
Schultz said he has been traveling around the state to meet face to face with voters and groups, comparing campaigning to ministry work because “job number one is listening.” He was in Juneau last week.
“We are a representational government, and I don’t know how anyone thinks they can represent people if they don’t meet people,” Schultz said. “If you’re only meeting with, for example, wealthy donors, then you’re only representing wealthy donors, so you have to be out meeting all kinds of people in all kinds of places.”
Begich has been criticized for his lack of hosting town halls, according to the Juneau Empire.
Schultz said what he sees in the broad strokes of Begich’s actions in the House over the past two years is “he’s just a rubber stamp for Trump’s agenda — and that agenda, we are seeing the fruits of it all across Alaska, people losing their jobs, people losing their food security and people losing their health care.”
He said he thinks the efforts to boost natural resources in Alaska, as outlined in President Donald Trump’s executive order “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” should be given a chance, but he would like to look carefully at the details. He said he does not oppose the natural resource industries, but wants to make sure efforts to expand them follow the criteria Gov. Jay Hammond put forward.
“We have to make sure that with any of these projects, we make sure that it benefits all Alaskans,” he said. “The way that I’ve seen this administration function is it’s not going to do that. It’s going to benefit a small group of people who are already millionaires, who live outside of the state. So show me the proof that it’s going to actually benefit local Alaskans, and then I’ll take it seriously.”
Schultz told the Anchorage Daily News he would not focus on Trump during his campaign. In an interview with the Independent, he said that doesn’t mean he won’t call Trump out “on his criminality” or discuss his thoughts on the president with voters. Schultz said he would stand up to Trump by upholding his oath to protect the Constitution by enforcing the law in the executive branch. But he said right now, he is “listening first,” and has been hearing from Alaskans that they care most about affordability.
“What I hear most often from people are food security and health care,” Schultz said. “Those are the things that make people feel really, really scared on a daily basis, some of whom have lost their livelihood in their homes and have even had to leave their homes to move in with family members, sometimes out of state, because health care costs have driven them so far from any sort of ability to afford their daily life. Energy costs are another one.”
His church, along with a coalition of businesses and nonprofits, was engaged in the purchase of the GuestHouse Inn and Suites in Anchorage. The hotel was revamped to be long-term and permanent housing for workforce-ready individuals who were otherwise experiencing homelessness, Schultz said.
“They’re now in a spot where they can lock up their belongings during the day, go to work for the whole day, come home to a safe and stable environment, get cleaned up and rested for the next day,” he said. “It was economically wise. It was wise from a health perspective, and statistically, it helps to lower crime and increase the economy. So you have the facts on your side. And at the base level, it’s just the right thing to do. It’s simply compassionate.”
He said he is lucky to work for a church that is generous, but to really address the problem, “we need to change those systems.”
“One easy start is to change the tax laws, which have, for a long time and now, even worse under the Big, Beautiful Bill, take more money from working class families and give more money to people who are already billionaires,” he said, criticizing Begich’s vote for the budget reconciliation bill and his vote to continue tariffs.
Schultz said he agrees with Begich’s campaign rhetoric to stop bottom trawling, but the representative has not followed through. Schultz said he believes bottom trawling needs to be stopped entirely and stricter regulations put in place for mid-level trawling, suggesting that panels and boards include people who fish in subsistence lifestyles and depend on salmon runs upriver. He said currently, they do not have proper representation in the decision-making process and it is weighted toward the wealthy.
“They don’t care that those salmon runs no longer make it to the villages that are depending on them further up or the individual sports fishermen that are trying to feed their family for the year,” he said. “They’re just out there making their money for their businesses that are located outside of Alaska. Of course, that’s not going to serve Alaskans. It’s not designed to. We have to change the design.”
Last year, Elon Musk, the former head of the disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, said, “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”
Schultz disagreed, drawing on his experience of helping families through addiction in Anchorage. He said empathy is the “groundwork of human civilization.”
As a pastor, Schultz said he believes the separation of church and state is paramount. He said he will never pass a law based on his faith. He added he is pro-choice and pro-equality for LGBTQ+ individuals.
“I will pass laws that are based on the facts of the issues and based on compassion for all people,” he said. “Now, fortunately, my faith often is really in harmony with those things. For example, SNAP benefits, I believe, should be increased and strengthened. That’s not because of my faith. It’s because data shows that every dollar we put into SNAP benefits gives something along the lines of $1.35 in returns. It stimulates the economy in good ways. So the facts are on our side. It’s also just the kind thing to do.”
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
