Tom Begich has a vision for Alaska.

The former Anchorage state senator is running for governor. He is one of three Democrats in the crowded field of 17 candidates.

Begich visited Ketchikan earlier this month and Wrangell on Sunday, March 22.

“It’s about seeing the state for the last, in particular, eight years, but, really, over the last two decades, slow down, lose its sense of vision, lose its sense of purpose,” he said in an interview with the Ketchikan Daily News.

“We’ve allowed ourselves to slowly slip into a kind of soft decay, and I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said.

“I have a lot of hope for my state. And, when I look at the things we should be doing and could be doing, how you can, with collaboration and cooperation, make things happen, I want to see that energy again.”

Begich is concerned about Alaska losing its attraction, particularly for young people, because of the lack of purpose, but also because of the high costs, especially for housing and fuel. Those are disincentives for young people to be in Alaska.

“OK, that sounds like a pretty grim prescription. For me, it’s not a grim prescription. It’s an opportunity for change. ... That’s what I see,” he said.

“We have the wherewithal to actually fully fund education. We have the ability to actually create an affordable energy structure in this state (and) the resources to do it as well. ... We have the opportunity to bring new technology to Alaska. ... That’s the kind of thing that should attract research and innovation and ideas, and that attracts young people.”

The Aug. 18 primary election will narrow down the field to the top four vote-getters, who will face off in the Nov. 3 general election to determine the next governor.

Begich, who served six years in the state Senate, had goals in mind when he joined the Legislature in 2017.

He wanted to add pre-K to the base student allocation (the state formula for funding schools). And he wanted “to create civility in the bodies because they were being mean to each other and uncivil, which wasn’t getting anything done.”

Funding for pre-K programs is being added to the funding formula, he said, though it will take another three years to fully implement. And the Senate succeeded at improving its civility. Begich was part of the Democrat minority that worked with Republicans to craft a bipartisan coalition to lead the Senate.

Begich has another list of goals should he become governor.

He supports legislation that would change state law to collect corporate income taxes from businesses that reside out of state but profit from selling their goods and services online to Alaskans.

He wants to reexamine the oil tax structure and taxes being paid — or not — by oil corporations for extraction of Alaska’s natural resources, he said.

Throughout the interview with the Ketchikan Daily News, Begich focused on the importance of relationships, cooperation and resolving problems.

“Right now, our Marine Highway System policy is driven by every administrative change that we enact. It’s the stepchild of the Department of Transportation. It is treated always as (an) afterthought. People forget that it is a highway system. It’s, in fact, the only toll road in Alaska.”

He went as far as to say that Southeast Alaska students traveling via ferry should pay the same as students in other parts of the state who take buses to other communities: Nothing.

He also addressed Alaska school districts’ financial struggles. His message is: “If you can hold on, I think that there’s a possibility things are going to change. Oh, absolutely. And it’s just a question (of) whether you can hold on.”