MY TURN: No vote on Ballot Measure 2 would support construction industry

Published 2:30 am Sunday, October 25, 2026

Lots of Alaskans have a stake in open primaries and dark money disclosure laws. However, I would argue that construction workers have the most at stake, and for the sake of our jobs I strongly urge a “No” vote on Ballot Measure 2. What do open primaries, ranked choice, and dark money disclosure have to do with our jobs? It’s pretty simple: Open primaries and campaign transparency mean that the best candidates can run and win, defeating demagogues who promise the world but end up wrecking the state budget. Construction workers depend on fiscal stability and a pro-jobs environment. Fundamentally, good government is good for jobs.

Let’s dig into this relationship between clean elections and jobs. When intellectually dishonest politicians promise fantastical PFDs without new revenue, what they end up doing is wrecking the state budget. Defunded schools, defunded capital budgets, and perpetual deficits that scare the heck out of industry. All of this fiscal instability is terrible for jobs.

As the construction industry, we have a profound interest in elected officials who are honest and fiscally responsible. Open primaries allow these honest, fiscally responsible politicians to win. In contrast, closed primaries are not only subject to manipulation by outside billionaire special interests, but dramatically tilt the political playing field toward radical, extreme politicians on both sides who make reckless campaign promises in an effort to win by securing support from only the most extreme elements of their party’s base.

Let’s look at jobs and growth. Almost all of us in the construction industry want jobs and growth across sectors, including everything from North Slope oil, to renewable resources along the Railbelt, to a natural gas pipeline. Open primaries allow fiscally responsible elected officials to win and provide a fiscally stable environment for investment. Closed primaries — which would shut down voter access if Ballot Measure 2 passes — are massively destabilizing because they create an environment where extremist radicals defeat fiscal realists in primaries.

I don’t care what political party you are: Alaskans of all backgrounds have a stake in rational politicians beating fanatical ideologues in key districts that consistently prove to be the principal battlegrounds in our state legislative primaries.

I grew up in Homer and have lived in Alaska my entire life. Literally everyone I know thinks we should have strong campaign finance disclosure laws. If passed, Ballot Measure 2 would allow outside billionaires and special interests to hide their political spending behind fake organizations with silly, ridiculous names like “Alaskans for Patriotism.” The billionaires funding the current repeal effort absolutely want to control our elections, and indeed, by extension, our natural resources. This is nothing more than a preposterous and insulting attempt by the world’s ultra-wealthy to clutch and control the invaluable resources that help make Alaska the greatest state in our great country.

Alaskans know better.

As Alaskans, we understand that when our resources are at stake, our jobs are at stake. Outside billionaires simply don’t care. They don’t care about our state, they don’t care about us getting our fair share for our resources, and they sure as heck don’t care about jobs for Alaskan women and men.

At the same time, we all can all understand there’s a lot more at stake than just construction jobs. Open primaries tend to result in supporters of public education winning office, because anti-education special interests can’t manipulate our elections. Open primaries protect access to the ballot for all voters, whether you’re registered Non-partisan, Undeclared, Democrat, Republican, or one of the smaller parties. Yes, there’s a lot at stake for the future of all Alaskans when it comes to Ballot Measure 2, but I argue that the construction industry and my friends in the building trades have the most on the line.

Ultimately, this is all very straightforward, and ultimately all Alaskans have a massive amount at stake. If you care about jobs, the construction industry, and our economic future, vote No on Ballot Measure 2.

Bronson Frye is a lifelong Alaskan, career construction worker, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council (BCTC) of Southcentral Alaska, and Secretary Treasurer of the Alaska AFL-CIO.