Bill Hill, an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, was in Sitka today (10-28-26). Hill is looking to unseat incumbent Republican Nick Begich for Alaska’s only seat in the House of Representatives. He met with fishermen at Seafood Producers Cooperative to ask questions and better understand their concerns about fishing in Southeast.
They said rising fuel costs, the loss of working waterfronts to the tourism industry, and destruction of habitats and natural resources are among their biggest concerns.
Linda Behnken is the director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. She said maintaining the Roadless Rule in the Tongass National Forest is crucial for the fishing industry.
“Anything that compromises stream health — cutting trees down, building roads — is a direct threat to the health of our fisheries in Southeast,” Behnken said.
Hill said he’s been commercial fishing since he was 8-years-old and understands the importance of harvesting natural resources sustainably. He said his goal while campaigning is to connect with the people he’ll serve if elected.
“There are important issues across our state, and I believe as a representative in Congress, you need to be out talking to all people across Alaska because there are very specific concerns in this room that are not heard in other rooms in our state,” Hill said.
After talking with fishermen, Hill met with Sitka teachers and will make his way to Juneau tomorrow.
