Veterans
Alaska's veterans deserve a governor who will fight for them with the same dedication they showed in uniform.
Alaska has one of the highest per-capita veteran populations of any state in the nation. These men and women served with honor, often in the most demanding conditions on earth. When they come home to Alaska, they deserve a state that honors that service, not with empty words at a ceremony, but with real action, real resources, and real respect every single day.
As a physician who has spent nearly 30 years treating patients, including many veterans, I understand firsthand the healthcare challenges our military community faces. Bureaucratic delays, access gaps, and a VA system that often moves too slowly are not abstract problems. They are real barriers that affect real people. As Governor, I will do everything within my power to change that.
Healthcare and Mental Health
Access to quality healthcare, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, is one of the most critical needs facing Alaska's veterans. Too many of our heroes are waiting months for appointments, traveling hundreds of miles for specialist care, or falling through the cracks of a federal system not designed for Alaska's geography. I will work to expand access through telemedicine, state-federal partnerships, and innovative delivery models that bring care to veterans wherever they live in Alaska. I will also pursue meaningful synergies between the VA and Alaska's state health systems to eliminate duplication and improve outcomes.
Economic Opportunity for Veterans
Many veterans come home with world-class skills and discipline, and then struggle to translate military experience into civilian jobs or business ownership. I will make Alaska a place where veteran-owned small businesses thrive: through streamlined licensing, procurement preferences, and a business environment that rewards the work ethic and leadership veterans already have. Veterans should be first in line for state employment opportunities, and I will fight to make that a reality.
Fighting Federal Bureaucracy
The federal bureaucracy that manages veterans' benefits often fails the people it's supposed to serve. Claims take too long. Appeals drag on for years. Benefits are denied on technicalities. As Governor, I will use the full weight of Alaska's state government to advocate for our veterans at the federal level, pushing the VA to perform, working with our congressional delegation to fix systemic failures, and ensuring that no Alaskan veteran gets lost in a pile of paperwork.
Honoring Service Through Action
Honoring veterans isn't just about flying the flag on Memorial Day. It's about making sure a veteran in Bethel can see a doctor without flying to Anchorage. It's about making sure a combat veteran with PTSD can get into treatment without a six-month wait. It's about making sure a veteran starting a business in the MatSu Valley can navigate state licensing without a wall of red tape. That's the kind of honor that matters, and that's the kind of governor I'll be.
Matt's Veterans Commitments
Expand healthcare and mental health access for veterans
Pursue VA and Alaska health system synergies
Support veteran-owned small businesses
Priority state employment for veterans
Fight federal bureaucracy delaying benefits
Expand telemedicine for rural veterans
Combat PTSD and substance abuse with real resources
Honor service through action, not just words
"Our veterans gave everything for Alaska. Alaska owes them everything in return."
Matt Heilala