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Re-Elect James Kaufman for State Senate

Common Sense,
Conservative Leadership
for South Anchorage

Senator Kaufman has delivered real results for you

James Kaufman has been leading the charge for common sense budgeting that makes government work more like your family budget. For the last four years, James has delivered balanced budgets and passed almost a dozen bills that help fix real-world problems for Alaskans. 
James has taken his management experience to Juneau to make government work for all Alaskans. That’s leadership we can trust. 
That’s why James Kaufman is the best choice for State Senate.

Choose Kaufman, choose results.

Early Voting is Open!

Division of Elections Region II Office

2525 Gambell Street

Monday-Friday: 8am-5pm

Saturdays: 10am-4pm

Sundays: 12pm-4pm

Election Day (11/5): 7am-8pm

Anchorage City Hall

632 W 6th Ave

Monday-Friday: 8am-5pm

*Not open on weekends or Election Day*

Don't let anything stop you from voting!
Vote for James Kaufman Today!

Every Dollar Counts

"Your contribution allows me to share my common sense, conservative approach with more of our neighbors. Thank you."
-James

Talk to James

  • (907) 538-5262
  • James@Kaufman4Alaska.com

Join the Team!

Get notified of events, volunteer opportunities, and more!

Important General Election Dates

10/21: Early Voting Beings! Vote in-person or pick up a special needs ballot at City Hall or the Region II Elections Office

Region II Elections Office (2525 Gambell Street): Open M-F 8am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 12pm-4pm, Election Day 7am-8pm.

City Hall (632 W 6th Ave): Open M-F, 8am to 5pm. Not open on weekends or on Election day.

Find all locations here >

10/26: Deadline to request an Absentee Ballot by mail.

Request one here >

11/4 by 5pm AKST: Deadline to request an Absentee Ballot by electronic transmission.

Request one here >

11/5: General Election Day!

Polls are open 7am-8pm

Absentee Ballots can be returned in the mail (make sure it is postmarked on/before 11/5), at the Region II Election Office (2525 Gambell St), or at any polling place on Election Day.
Questions? Click here >

10/6: Final day to register to vote or update your voter registration.

Online application here >
Check your registration status >

10/14: Official Election Pamphlets are mailed to all voters.

See online version here >

Hi, I'm James!

I came to Alaska and found my home on the Anchorage Hillside when I accepted a position as a resource projects Quality Manager and Team Lead. I helped project management teams improve the quality and efficiency of their North Slope projects to deliver greater value for the money spent on capital improvements.  

I retired from that position in 2017 and stayed right here in Anchorage, because this is my home! I have been focused on community safety and security by being very active in our local Community Councils, AnchorageHALO.org, and the Hillside Lead for the Coalition of Community Patrols.

In late 2019 early 2020, I helped organize public events to improve our community resilience in the face of potential disasters such as fire, earthquake, eruptions, and pandemics. In 2020, I ran for public office for the first time and was elected twice, winning the primary and then the general election. I served as the State Representative for District 28 in the 32nd Legislature. Following that, I have been grateful to serve District F in the State Senate for two years.

My career and experience in the legislature shows the ability to analyze complex and expensive scenarios, determine the root cause of failure, find efficient solutions, identify improvements, and manage changes to avoid unforeseen consequences and impacts.

I have championed spending controls, better budgeting, increased accountability, and transparent governance in the Legislature as a member of both the House and the Senate. I passed and cosponsored numerous pieces of legislation that helped reduce the cost of government and increase government performance. Now I hope to use my range of skills to continue to direct the State of Alaska towards a more fiscally-sound future in the Senate.

The Issues

Stability

Controlling Government Spending

Alaska’s persistent fiscal issues have driven people and private investment away from the state for far too long. It’s past time to solve these issues.

What I've done:

In 2021, I helped to create a Fiscal Policy Working Group which agreed to components of a plan that needed solving. See our report here >

Since entering office, I have been championing a spending cap designed to tie government spending to the health of our private sector. At the same time, I have been working to pass a rewrite of Alaska’s Executive Budget Act. 

These two pieces of legislation work together to control the state’s spending while ensuring every dollar is measured against the value it delivers. While my innovative spending cap ensures that Alaska’s government is focused on growing the private sector, my Executive Budget Act ensures that budgeting leads to truly sustainable, performance-driven spending.

Supporting Education

Education is probably one of the most important areas our state spends money. Our children and teachers need predictable and reliable funding and accountability measures to ensure that every child, across every educational path, is receiving a quality education. 

What I've done:

I was a deciding vote to pass the Alaska READS act in 2021, a bipartisan effort to ensure all Alaskan children will be able to read by the time they reach 3rd grade.
 

In 2024, I supported (and continue to support) the compromise education package that:

  1. Provided a $680 increase to the Base Student Allocation (and required that school districts report describing efforts to direct the extra funding to the classroom)
  2. Helped make establishing charter schools easier
  3. Increased funding for correspondence homeschoolers

 

In the last few years, I have spent hours talking to teachers and administrators about the day-to-day issues they are facing. In addition to needing stable and predictable funding, there are a number of systemic issues (over-testing and absenteeism being two large ones) that districts are facing which can and must be addressed.

I will continue to work with my colleagues and our education leaders to ensure adequate funding and needed improvements are made to our education system.

Ensuring Alaskan's Have a Voice in Our Land Issues

With more than twice the land mass of the next largest state, Alaska is blessed with rich cultures and traditions related to our state’s land. Hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, farming, responsible resource development, transportation, building our homes and lives, it all happens on Alaska’s land. But with 60% of that land under federal ownership, many people don’t know how to stay updated on new rules much less navigate all of the complex laws and permitting processes.

What I've done:

In 2024, my bill (SB 34) successfully reestablished the Citizens’ Adivsory Commission on Federal Areas, also known as CACFA. CACFA monitors federal rules and actions taken on federal land in Alaska and
 ensures that individual Alaskans have a place to go to understand them. The Commission then works to constructively engage with federal agencies, advocating for Alaskans. 
It is a source of institutional knowledge on the major laws that govern
 how our land is used, it helps Alaskans navigate federal permitting 
processes, and most importantly, it is an entity focused on constructively
 advocating for Alaskans to policy makers on the federal level.

For two years, I worked with stakeholders and my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that the Commission will represent a diversity of users around the state (making sure that rural communities who deal with these issues on a daily basis are well represented).

The process of appointing members to the Commission has begun and they will begin their work in the coming months.

Security

Protecting Critical Infrastructure

For Alaska, a few roads and ports are our lifelines, ensuring that food and goods get into your hands. Maintaining this infrastructure is a top priority of mine.

What I've done:

In 2024, I secured almost $2 million for capital project priorities in our district. The money will allow us to:

  1. Complete critical Hillside fire risk mitigation efforts
  2. Begin work on safe pedestrian road crossings at O’Malley Elementary, Trailside Elementary, and Elmore and Coventry, and Elmore and 84th.
  3. Install disaster evacuation routes on the Hillside.
  4. Complete several much needed draining and ditching efforts on the Hillside
 
Beginning in 2022, I have worked closely with the Municipality of Anchorage to support the critically important Port of Alaska Modernization Project. In that time, I helped secure $200 million in state grants to the Port of Alaska. Those state grants leveraged millions more of federal dollars, which help ensure that the PoA will continue to provide more than 60% of Alaska with the food they rely on.

Supporting our Peace Officers

Our police, firefighters, troopers, crisis teams, emergency medical services personnel, and correctional officers are on the front lines protecting our neighborhoods.

What I've done:

I have supported robust, sustainable budgets for these departments that reflect the challenges that come with the job. It is critically important that we hire and retain qualified individuals who are committed to doing their job well.

I have also supported meaningful updates to our criminal code to ensure that perpetrators receive the punishments they deserve and victims the justice they need.

In recognition of the incredible sacrifices our peace officers make every day, I worked to pass legislation creating a memorial specialty license plate for officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. The DMV will be offering these plates for purchase later this year.

Innovation

Promoting Responsible Resource Development & An 'All of the Above' Approach

Alaska desperately needs the freedom to responsibly develop our resources. With the highest environmental standards in the world, we are uniquely able to provide our state and the rest of the country with the oil and gas resources that are still in demand.

Every single Alaskan needs affordable, reliable energy. In addition to our oil and gas efforts, we need to be taking advantage of every energy source that makes sense for our state.

What I've done:

  1. Successfully advocated for the critically important Willow Project.
  2. Worked to see state owned oil fields move into production phase.
  3. Worked on legislation to ensure that the Cook Inlet continues to produce gas needed to power Anchorage.
  4. Worked on alternative energy legislation as a member of the the Energy and Resources committees.
  5. Sponsored and passed a bill to ensure that communities with high energy costs will continue to have access to Renewable Energy Grant Fund program (as funds are available).

Reducing Economic Burdens

Current Alaska law places extensive regulatory burdens on Alaskans and their businesses. Research showed that, in 2019, the Alaska Administrative Code contained 52,570 guidelines, 5.8 million words, which would take 8 weeks to read! We need to get government out of the way of the private sector.

What I've done:

I have been working with my colleagues in the Legislature to come up with novel solutions for chipping away at these costly regulations. 

Modeled after other successful states, I have introduced a bill to create a Office of Innovation and Economic Development. The office would focus on recommending regulatory changes and creating more opportunities and better mobility for Alaskan businesses and residents. The bill would also create a Regulatory Sandbox program to improve the way that the State regulates new industries.

I have also introduced legislation to create a state Office of Information Technology aimed at improving and streamlining our state’s IT systems. So many state departments doing critically important work are using decades-old, overly complicated programs. The OIT would help coordinate much needed IT upgrades across agencies, helping departments with the customization they need while looking for ways to reduce the complexity of the system as a whole.

If re-elected, will continue to work toward passing meaningful legislation into law.

Join the Team!

Get notified of events, volunteer tasks, and more!

Give James a Call!

(907) 538-5262

DONATE!

Paid for by Kaufman4Alaska, P.O. Box 231434, Anchorage, AK, 99523-1434

Contact Info

  • (907) 538-5262
  • james@kaufman4alaska.com