Beyond the Campaign: Tom Begich

Tom Begich is a Democratic candidate and former minority leader in the Alaska Senate from 2019 to 2023. Begich is running for governor with former USDA Director Julia Hnilicka as his running mate.  

Begich spoke with The Northern Light and explained how music and poetry have been an outlet throughout his career. 

At the start of his campaign trip in December of 2025, Begich visited Bethel after people had been displaced by the typhoon in Kipnuk in October.

When he met with school officials to talk about how he could assist the district, he brought his travel guitar with him. As Begich toured the school, he noticed the school had many unused guitars, and he offered to teach a guitar class to the students. 

“The kids were ready to teach themselves,” Begich said. “Just because you’re the feature, the person that came into the room, there’s ways that you can empower the people that are in the room.” He and his wife, singer and songwriter Sarah Sledge, then performed at a local open mic night. 

Begich explained that when he was a senate minority leader, he kept a guitar in his office. “Music keeps me grounded. After my father passed away, music was my refuge.”  

When working in the Alaska Senate, Begich explained that “other members had trauma related to their legislative responsibilities. My office was an open office.” Begich said he would use music to distract himself and others from overwhelming stress.

During his time as senate minority leader, Begich worked on a variety of education issues, as well as with the UA Board of Regents in 2019 to decrease budget cut proposals from Gov. Mike Dunleavy. 

Begich said he believes the education system in Alaska can be fully funded by removing emphasis on oil and working to grow other economic areas in the state. In addition to education funding, he believes that Alaska would have enough to fund the Read’s Act, a literacy bill that Begich co-sponsored in 2022 when Dunleavy implemented cuts to education funding starting in 2019.

Tom Begich has additional information and event postings on his website.