Democrat Matt Schultz Puts Listening at the Center of his Run for Congress
by pedro graterol
Pastor and housing advocate Matt Schultz grounds his House campaign in listening, bipartisanship, and Alaska’s independent spirit.
Matt Schultz’s campaign for Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House, currently held by Republican Nick Begich, centers on a straightforward claim. Leadership begins with listening. The longtime Anchorage pastor and housing advocate returns to that idea throughout his explanation of why he is running and how he hopes to serve.
His entry into politics, he says in an interview with SDMN, grew directly from his work in the ministry. “My work as a pastor definitely informs the work going forward, campaigning, and also being an elected representative,” he said. He often points to the Guest House Hotel project, a significant housing effort his congregation helped complete, as a model for what cooperative work can achieve. “We raised the funds, purchased the building, and transformed the building into permanent housing for workforce-ready people who had been previously homeless.”
Community support for that project was not assured at the start. Schultz described early concerns from neighbors, but said the team succeeded by building connections. “Through a lot of relationship building and reaching across the aisle, we made sure that it had nearly unanimous support going forward.”
He argues that this approach reflects something fundamental about the state he hopes to represent. “The type of Alaska that I intend to build in some ways is secondary to the type of Alaska that there already is, and that is independent,” he said. He views that independence as a guiding principle for elected officials. “People expect their elected leaders to do what is right, not just what the party line says that they should do.”
If elected, Schultz says he would begin by seeking collaboration. “I would seek out people on the other side of the aisle and say, let us start building bridges immediately.” He frames this work as a shift in political culture. “We have spent so long treating politics as a war zone that we have forgotten it is supposed to be the construction zone.”
Schultz also highlights immigration as a strength for the state. “It just makes each of us better as individuals. It enriches our souls,” he said, calling Alaska’s cultural diversity a source of depth and meaning.
Listening remains the foundation of his campaign. “The job of a pastor is 90 percent listening,” he said, adding that he would build a staff representing Alaska’s diversity and maintain regular contact with communities across the state. For him, effective representation depends on presence. “I think it would be impossible to be an effective representative if you do not show up to hear the people.” Schultz ties his decision to run to his broader purpose. “I entered ministry because I wanted to be of service to all people and make a better world for all people. And that work is a direct parallel to the work of the political world.”
