James Parkin in his office. Photo courtesy of JP4Gov.com.
Retired educator and veteran James Parkin joined the race for governor as a Republican in July 2025. He currently works at Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine. He sat down with The Northern Light to discuss how his faith led him to run.
“In Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, he said that you have to love your enemies,” said Parkin. He explained that throughout his journey with religious faith, he learned to see his comrades differently.
Sermon on the Mount is a passage in the bible where Jesus calls for his followers to commit themselves to love and emphasizes humbleness.
“It’s easy to love those who love you. But the Sermon on the Mount reminds me that everyone, regardless of who they are, are worth my time and effort,” said Parkin.
Parkin said that there should be a separation of church and state, but not a separation of God and state. He said he does not believe in pushing his beliefs on others and understands that not everyone agrees.
Parkin said his most impactful interaction on the campaign trail was a conversation with a man in Glennallen.
“I asked him who he worked for. He said he worked for me. I thought that wasn’t correct. The man explained that, as a government employee, he works for the person holding the governor position. The governor should be a servant for the public, not the other way around,” said Parkin.
As a retired educator, Parkin said he believes the system needs to be changed. “I am not in it for the money or the power. I am running to serve the people. That is the whole focus of my campaign,” said Parkin.
Parkin’s website has more information on his campaign.
.png)
.jpg)
