Reflections from the campaign trail: Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly, 2022

Why don't they call it a cam-pleasure?

At the start of this summer, I wasn't expecting to run for public office.

I was looking to finish graduate school in peace, and have a nice, relaxing trip seeing family and friends in Europe.

We needed to get stuff done around the house, I was working full time, and I was still in school. I had no experience with politics, and I was 27.

Then sitting Assembly Member Kristan Kelly sent me a Facebook message, a few weeks before the deadline for announcing candidacy. She asked if I was interested in running.

We met, we chatted, and 48 hours later I was in.

What followed was one the busiest times of my life. Here's a (somewhat) condensed recollection of my first political campaign.

The process for filing to run for a seat on the Assembly in the Fairbanks North Star Borough is a relatively simple one. Three seats come up for election each year. You submit paperwork noting your intention to run with the State of Alaska, including declaring your finances, your team, and any potential conflicts of interest. Then you bring that paperwork to the Borough clerks, who process it and put your name on the ballot.

It's a very strange feeling.

Once your name appears, you watch all the other names pop up and off again, any shuffle between seats and candidates, and then, once the filing date passes, you see who your opponent(s) are.

I had decided before jumping in that I wanted to run a clean, professional campaign. No name calling, no shaming: just people talking through the issues. I didn't want to let my younger self down.

My opponent, Brett, agreed.

I had expected the process of campaigning to be lonely, but it was not. Very quickly, a group formed. Kristan introduced me to a crew of political action heroes, including a slate of other candidates spread across the Borough Assembly, City Council and Mayor, and School Board.

We started chatting. We started laughing. We began to build a shared vision for the future of our community. I couldn’t have gone as far without them, and I’m proud of each one.

Last year’s candidates started campaigning in the spring. I launched my bid for Borough Assembly during the last breaths of summer. There was a lot to do: have signs designed and printed, build a website, create radio ads, rally and ask people and organizations for endorsements and letters of support, prepare for interviews, debates, and forums, raise funds, set up social media channels, and do a whole lot of research of our budget and pressing current events.

I couldn't have done half of the work without my campaign manager, John, and the rest of my team.

Our Borough’s budget is long, and many issues that affect our community aren’t outright spelled out in it. My process of running for Assembly involved combing through the budget, reading the Borough Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), attending Borough Assembly meetings, studying and completing questionnaires, interviewing past and present Assembly members, and talking with residents of Fairbanks.

As Borough Assembly candidates, we had the chance to share our knowledge and perspective in three candidate forums, spaced out in the last several weeks of the campaign. The first was hosted by the NAACP, done virtually by Zoom, followed by a pair each hosted by the League of Women Voters and Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. I had a blast doing these, and I think I shared my vision well.

We also submitted candidate biographies and non-partisan statements to the clerks who (for the first time on the Borough level) printed and uploaded virtual versions of these candidate backgrounds into one large informational pamphlet. The thought was that these would be help with voter information and turnout: while they were effective as reference material, it’s a little unclear how many people made use of them.

Ultimately, we did not win our race, ending up behind by roughly 500 votes (which is pretty close!).

If I was disappointed with anything, it was the voter turnout: several thousand less people participated in our local elections than did the previous year. I also did not appreciate losing access to my social media accounts at a critical time and I wish I had had more time to devote to campaigning earlier in the spring and summer (along with having a plan to run!).

At the same time, we put a lot of our energy into this campaign and I am humbled that our vision for the Fairbanks North Star Borough resonated so strongly with such a significant number in our community.

I'd like to wrap this up with some closing thoughts and many thank yous.

First of all, I'd like to encourage more people of all ages to run for public office. It can be intimidating, but it's also extremely rewarding. I had great and meaningful interactions with many engaged residents of our Borough, and I've learned a lot about myself and our community. It's an exhausting undertaking, but it leaves you with that good kind of tired.

I appreciate everyone who stepped forward in this difficult time. Our Borough, like many smaller communities spread across Alaska and the lower 48, is at a crossroads. We need everyday people to participate in politics and build towards a brighter future.

Second, I made some fine and mighty friends throughout this process. Mindy O'Neall, Liz Reeves-Ramos, Brandy Harty, Kaneisha Radgosky, Crystal Tidwell, Sue Sprinkle, and Valerie Therrien are not all just amazing candidates but amazing people, too. I was lucky to have them by my side.

I also had an incredible crew around me. My campaign manager, John, provided indispensable guidance and was always there when I needed him most. Jake, my treasurer, worked long hours to make sure that my financial reports were put together correctly. Danielle designed my beautiful signs. Kate stepped up as deputy treasurer and super volunteer. My partner Katlian was nonstop support and offered (needed) reminders that I had to rest and eat.

As candidates in last years Assembly election, I'd like to thank Kristan, Savannah, and David for their mentorship, openness, and desire to help. Grier, Nicky, Isaac, Leah, Matt, and many others also taught and encouraged me. Ryan, your mallet made my life much easier.

Alex, Eric, Kate, Shaun, Mindy, Kristan, Betsy, Cathy, Martha, Ashley, John D and Linda S: thank you for your very kind letters to the editor. I was touched to read each one.

Thank you to the many volunteers who called and canvassed in my name.

Thank you to the organizations that I was fortunate enough to have endorse me, including the the Fairbanks Central Labor Council, Fairbanks Education Association, the Education Support Staff Association, Teamsters Local 959, Laborers' Local 942, the Alaska Center, the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 302 (IUOE Local 302) and the Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT. I appreciate all the volunteer people-hours they provided and the money they spent to support my campaign.

Thank you to the many who donated their own time and money. Over 100 everyday people gave from 10 to 500 dollars each, and dozens gave their time.

And thank you to you, our community, for believing in this bright future and vision for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. I am humbled by the many thousands of people that supported me as a first-time candidate.

Post-election, I made this little corner for us. I hope you subscribe, leave comments, and stay a while.

Sincerely,

Kuba Grzeda