Nathaniel Herz
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
MSN,
The New York Times,
Yahoo Life,
The Washington Post,
Yahoo News,
NPR,
Yahoo Finance,
House.gov,
POLITICO,
SFGate
and
Covers:
government, politics, elections, environment, climate change natural resource development
Articles by Nathaniel Herz
Alaska’s congressional elections pit “thousandaires” against millionaires and “billionaire buddies” Original
One of the starkest contrasts in Alaska’s federal races for Senate and House this election season is about money. Two of the candidates, from rural Alaska and running to the left of two Republican incumbents, have few assets to their name. Mary Peltola, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, reports as little as $47,000 in assets, according to the financial disclosure she was legally required to file as a candidate.
After Democrats boost JKT, national Republicans send $1.6 million to Alaska for governor’s race Original
A national Republican organization has put $1.6 million into the Alaska governor’s race — going toe-to-toe with Democratic money that’s also flooded into the state in recent days. The Republican Governors Association made the transfer Wednesday to Kodiak PAC, an Alaska group that’s working in support of GOP gubernatorial candidates, according to campaign finance disclosures.
After Democrats boost JKT, national Republicans send $1.6 million to Alaska for governor’s race
kAmp ?2E:@?2= #6AF3=:42? @C82?:K2E:@? 92D AFE S`]e >:==:@? :?E@ E96 p=2D<2 8@G6C?@C’D C246 — 8@:?8 E@6\E@\E@6 H:E9 s6>@4C2E:4 >@?6J E92E’D 2=D@ 7=@@565 :?E@ E96 DE2E6 :? C646?E 52JD]k^Am kAm%96 #6AF3=:42? v@G6C?@CD pDD@4:2E:@? >256 E96 EC2?D76C (65?6D52J E@ z@5:2< !pr[ 2? p=2D<2 8C@FA E92E’D H@C<:?8 :?
National group backing Democrat Kreiss-Tomkins puts $650,000 into Alaska campaign Original
A national organization has put $650,000 into an Alaska political group, saying it aims to boost the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. Alaska political experts say Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from Sitka, stands a strong chance of winning the general election after finishing first in the primary election in August. He faces a divided field of three Republicans who are likely to split the GOP vote in the general.
“Nothingburger.” “She should apologize.” “Arghhh!”: Readers react to Peltola exposé
The Anchorage Press is a reader-driven publication. If you're already a subscriber, we're grateful for your support; if you're not, $130 will buy you our undying gratitude AND a hard copy of the Press in the mail each month! Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, used derogatory terms for gay and intellectually disabled people.
This AI agent has written thousands of Alaska news articles. We interviewed it.
Posted Friday, September 18, 2026 10:53 am In the past 24 hours, the website AlaskaNews.com has featured stories on city spending on housing for people experiencing homelessness in the Western Alaska hub town of Bethel; on limits on crab harvests in the Bering Sea; and on a proposed underwater data center off the Kenai Peninsula. Since its inception earlier this year, Alaska News says it’s published more than 4,500 stories. But the site has no flesh-and-blood reporters.
This AI agent has written thousands of Alaska news articles. We interviewed it.
The Anchorage Press is a reader-driven publication.
Amid fractured GOP field, a Democrat could be headed for the Alaska governor’s mansion Original
15:59 News Story This story was originally published by the Anchorage Press. The improbable rise of a long-shot Democratic candidate now has the party positioned to capture the Alaska governor’s mansion for the first time in more than two decades, veteran political observers from across the ideological spectrum said this week.
Breaking: In shakeup, disqualified governor candidate's running mate — and his wife — step up to run
Northern Journal has merged with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. In a last-minute shakeup, Republican gubernatorial candidate Treg Taylor's running mate, Candi English, is filing to fill his place on the ballot after state elections officials disqualified Taylor for noncompliance with Alaska's financial disclosure law. Taylor's wife, Jodi, meanwhile, is filing to run as English's new lieutenant governor running mate.
This podiatrist spent $325 per vote in his bid to be Alaska governor. Here's how the other candidates did.
Northern Journal has merged with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Matt Heilala spared little expense on his gubernatorial campaign. The Anchorage podiatrist, a Republican first-time candidate, largely self-funded his bid for governor, putting up more than $1 million in his own money. Heilala’s campaign paid for ferry tickets in Ketchikan. Internet. Car washes. A helicopter tour of a port outside of Anchorage. AI software.
Ch’atanaltsegh: A weird and wonderful parade marks return of a Dena’ina place name in Anchorage
Northern Journal has merged with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Just after work Thursday, a school of salmon gathered at West Anchorage’s Lyn Ary Park. They were guzzling cans of Mountain Dew. Or, at least, the teenage boys wearing the costumes were.
Results suggest left-leaning voters buoyed Petersburg Sullivan in Alaska's U.S. Senate primary
Northern Journal has merged with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. For months, Republicans have been criticizing U.S. Senate candidate Daniel J. Sullivan — a retired Alaska teacher who in May filed to challenge his state’s GOP incumbent: Daniel S. Sullivan.
A Democratic Socialist could cost Peltola votes in November. But he says he’d actually boost her. Original
This story was originally published in the Anchorage Press. Subscribe here. Leading up to Alaska’s high-profile U.S. Senate primary, political groups spent millions of dollars to boost not only the leading Republicans and Democrats, but also fringe candidates who could tip the balance of a tight race in November.
This Democratic Socialist could cost Mary Peltola votes in November. But he says he’d actually boost her.
Northern Journal has merged with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Leading up to Alaska’s high-profile U.S. Senate primary, political groups spent millions of dollars to boost not only the leading Republicans and Democrats, but also fringe candidates who could tip the balance of a tight race in November.
ExxonMobil won big at a big Alaska lease sale. Months later, its bids are still in legal limbo
Other companies also have their leases tied up in litigation from local and environmental groups. Caribou graze on the tundra within the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. (Bob Waldrop) This spring, ExxonMobil made big news in Alaska. For years, the multinational oil giant had ignored the periodic auctions for drilling rights on public land in the state, instead investing in projects in other parts of the world like the South American nation of Guyana.
ExxonMobil won big at a big Alaska lease sale. Months later, its bids are still in legal limbo.
14:00 News Story This story was originally published in the Anchorage Press. Subscribe here. This spring, ExxonMobil made big news in Alaska. For years, the multinational oil giant had ignored the periodic auctions for drilling rights on public land in the state, instead investing in projects in other parts of the world like the South American nation of Guyana.
As Alaska’s U.S. Senate campaign heats up, super PACs boost out-of-state candidates
This story was originally published in the Anchorage Press. Subscribe here. Richard Grayson lives in Arizona and has been a fringe candidate in a number of federal elections.
An Alaska candidate for governor sparked a backlash by taking AI employees’ money. But he says he’s the opposite of an AI candidate.
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Alaska hasn’t had a Democratic governor in a quarter century, since Tony Knowles left office in 2002. But Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democratic former legislator from the Southeast town of Sitka, has shown he’s a credible candidate — at least in financial terms.
ExxonMobil won big at a big Alaska lease sale. Months later, its bids are still in legal limbo.
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. This spring, ExxonMobil made big news in Alaska. For years, the multinational oil giant had ignored the periodic auctions for drilling rights on public land in the state, instead investing in projects in other parts of the world like the South American nation of Guyana.
As Alaska’s U.S. Senate campaign heats up, super PACs boost out-of-state candidates
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Richard Grayson lives in Arizona and has been a fringe candidate in a number of federal elections.
On Trump, salmon and bison confusion: An Alaska-themed Q&A with the Yukon’s top official - Juneau Empire
Currie Dixon spends a lot of time thinking about political issues that are also on the minds of many Alaskans: energy, salmon, resource development. He’s in touch with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and has met with the state’s commissioner of fish and game, Doug Vincent-Lang. But many Alaskans have never heard his name. That’s because he’s a top political official not in our own state, but in our frequently overlooked neighbor: the Yukon Territory. The Yukon, population 50,000, is part of Canada.
Alaska’s economic development agency plans Mat-Su industrial park, with data centers Original
A "Welcome to Houston" road sign is shown in June 2024 near the city's border outside Big Lake. (Amy Bushatz / Mat-Su Sentinel) A 30-square-mile parcel of state land just north of Houston could be home to a new industrial park with data centers and a freight hub under a proposal from the state’s economic development agency.
At $20, Anchorage’s parking tickets are a bargain. That could be about to change.
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Stuff costs more in Alaska. Gas and electricity prices are among the highest in the nation; shipping costs can be painful. And you can buy a flight from Los Angeles for Tokyo for less than a plane ticket from one rural Alaska community to another. There’s one specific item in Anchorage, though, that’s still a pretty good deal.
Data center critics flood Alaska land managers with opposition to North Slope project Original
Opposition is pouring in against a large data center and power plant proposed for Alaska’s North Slope, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration considers whether to approve a 50-year lease of state land to the project’s developer. More than 500 public comments were received before a preliminary deadline set by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, according to copies of the messages released by the agency. Fewer than a dozen comments endorsed the project.
Data center critics flood Alaska land managers with opposition to North Slope project
Northern Journal is merging with the Anchorage Press! Read our announcement and other information here, and support us with a subscription here. Opposition is pouring in against a large data center and power plant proposed for Alaska’s North Slope, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration considers whether to approve a 50-year lease of state land to the project’s developer.
Alaska governor's race survey: AI policy and news sources
This edition of Northern Journal/the Anchorage Press is brought to you by the Cape Blossom Marathon. This destination running race in Kotzebue is scheduled for August 29 and features a stunning Arctic course and local hospitality. More information here and sign up here. One way to gauge the astonishing growth in the artificial intelligence since Alaska's last gubernatorial election, in 2022, is simply to look at the market value of the Nvidia, the leading AI chip maker.
Northern Journal ūü§Ě Anchorage Press
I have some news. Alongside some capable, dedicated colleagues, I‚Äôm (re-)launching a newspaper. After more than a year of work, we announced today that we have a deal to buy the assets of the Anchorage Press ‚ÄĒ a beloved alternative weekly newspaper that had 30 years of history by the time an out-of-state media company effectively closed it a few years ago.
Alaska’s 17-ticket gubernatorial race: The pundits weigh in
There are 17 different people running to be Alaska’s next governor. Add in their 17 running mates for lieutenant governor, and you’ve got enough people to fill a junior high classroom in the Anchorage School District. Since Alaska did away with its partisan primary system in a 2020 citizens initiative, voters will have to choose a single favorite from among the 17 tickets on August’s “open” primary ballot. The top four will advance to the November general election.
Alaska governor's race survey: how much should companies pay in oil taxes?
Legislative discussion of Alaska’s system of oil production taxes gained increasing traction this year, as the state grapples with a structural deficit. Legislative leaders say they’ve had conversations about hiring consultants that could review the tax system, which has in the past been a key revenue source for the state. Late in this year's legislative session, Senate leaders unveiled a proposal that would have eliminated some key, company-friendly provisions in the existing law.
‘You’d be crying at the pump’: This Alaska village’s gas was $8.44 — before the Iran war Original
by Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal, Alaska Beacon June 3, 2026 This story is co-published by Northern Journal and Bethel-based public media outlet KYUK. HOOPER BAY, ALASKA — Every few weeks this winter, 75-year-old Harvey Joe, an Yup’ik elder in this Western Alaska village, climbed onto his snowmachine. Dragging a sled with a fuel drum on top, he’d bump 20 miles across the tundra to the neighboring village of Chevak.
New independent group, 'Build the Damn Roads!', will support Alaska GOP governor candidate Wilson
Bernadette Wilson, one of the top GOP candidates in a field of 18 people running to be the next governor of Alaska, is poised for a boost from a newly formed political group that plans to support her campaign. The group, “Build the Damn Roads!” registered this week with state campaign finance regulators, and its disclosure lists contacts at a national law firm as well as two experienced, out-of-state political operatives.
For Alaska’s gubernatorial candidates, a sprint to find running mates Original
Matt Heilala, a Republican and a podiatrist, says he’s running to be the next governor of Alaska, and he’s put up real cash to back it up: He’s invested more than $1 million of his own money in his campaign. But officially, Heilala isn’t a candidate. And he won’t be until he’s found someone to join his ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor. That’s because state law requires a running mate before filing an official declaration of candidacy for governor.
A huge data center could rise on Alaska’s North Slope
The $500 million project could consume twice as much natural gas as urban Alaska’s grid. Stak Energy’s data center would sit roughly one mile west of the Dalton Highway, which connects urban Alaska to the state’s North Slope oil fields. (Arthur T. LaBar, CC BY 2.0) One of the largest data centers in the nation has been proposed on Alaska’s Arctic North Slope, where boosters say it could take advantage of abundant land, cold temperatures for cooling and a huge supply of natural gas for power.
For Alaska’s gubernatorial candidates, a sprint to find running mates
Matt Heilala, a Republican and a podiatrist, says he’s running to be the next governor of Alaska, and he’s put up real cash to back it up: He’s invested more than $1 million of his own money in his campaign. But officially, Heilala isn’t a candidate. And he won’t be until he’s found someone to join his ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor. That’s because state law requires a running mate before filing an official declaration of candidacy for governor.
A huge data center could rise on Alaska’s North Slope Original
Energy Environment The $500 million project could consume twice as much natural gas as urban Alaska’s grid. One of the largest data centers in the nation has been proposed on Alaska’s Arctic North Slope, where boosters say it could take advantage of abundant land, cold temperatures for cooling and a huge supply of natural gas for power.
After 10-year truce, a major tax dispute looms over the trans-Alaska pipeline system Original
Is the value of the trans-Alaska pipeline system $2.8 billion, or $10.3 billion? Or is it $20 billion? This week, a state review board will hold a formal hearing to determine which figure is the right one — with major financial implications for state government and the three municipalities along the pipeline system’s route.
A huge data center could rise on Alaska’s North Slope
One of the largest data centers in the nation has been proposed on Alaska’s Arctic North Slope, where boosters say it could take advantage of abundant land, cold temperatures for cooling and a huge supply of natural gas for power. The $500 million development would occupy an entire square mile with multiple buildings in a remote area off the Dalton Highway, some 25 miles south of the North Slope’s major infrastructure.
More Alaska crude flows to Asia as Strait of Hormuz stays shut Original
The Maritime Glory tanker arrived empty last week in Valdez, the mountain-flanked port town where the trans-Alaska pipeline comes to an end. A day later, it departed, laden down with a cargo of some 700,000 barrels of Alaska North Slope crude worth, at last week’s prices, some $85 million — making it the second oil tanker to depart Valdez for Asia in less than a month. The two cargoes represent only a tiny fraction of the crude produced by Alaska’s oil industry — about three days’ worth.
After 10-year truce, a major tax dispute looms over the trans-Alaska pipeline system
Is the value of the trans-Alaska pipeline system $2.8 billion, or $10.3 billion? Or is it $20 billion? This week, a state review board will hold a formal hearing to determine which figure is the right one — with major financial implications for state government and the three municipalities along the pipeline system’s route.
More Alaska crude flows to Asia as Strait of Hormuz stays shut
The Maritime Glory tanker arrived empty last week in Valdez, the mountain-flanked port town where the trans-Alaska pipeline comes to an end. A day later, it departed, laden down with a cargo of some 700,000 barrels of Alaska North Slope crude worth, at last week’s prices, some $85 million — making it the second oil tanker to depart Valdez for Asia in less than a month. The two cargoes represent only a tiny fraction of the crude produced by Alaska’s oil industry — about three days’ worth.
Alaska governor's race survey: climate change and dinner guests
It's been seven months since the remnant of Typhoon Halong slammed into Western Alaska's coastline, causing widespread infrastructure damage, nearly destroying two villages, and leaving one person dead and two missing. The storm is the latest in a series that have harshly affected rural Alaska, and experts say that the state needs to prepare for more as the climate continues warming — and for other threats to infrastructure that stem from hazards like thawing permafrost and melting sea ice.
A lawmaker thought regulators were “on board” with a plan to speed review of utility price hikes. They weren’t.
Alaska regulators are pushing back against a legislative effort to shorten their reviews of utility proposals that raise prices for electricity and other essentials — and they say lawmakers were led to a “mistaken belief” that they supported the proposal. At an April 22 commitee hearing, Anchorage Democratic Rep.
With one of two wells drilled, Hilcorp to pull out of Yukon Flats Original
by Nathaniel Herz, Northern Journal, Alaska Beacon May 5, 2026 A major oil exploration effort in the Yukon River watershed that prompted tribal opposition is coming to an end without an announcement of any major petroleum discoveries — and after the completion of only one of the two wells originally planned. Oil and gas company Hilcorp was set to drill both wells last summer on land held by Indigenous-owned corporations, including the regional corporation for Alaska’s Interior, Doyon, Limited.
With one of two wells drilled, Hilcorp to pull out of Yukon Flats
May 4—A major oil exploration effort in the Yukon River watershed that prompted tribal opposition is coming to an end without an announcement of any major petroleum discoveries — and after the completion of only one of the two wells originally planned. Oil and gas company Hilcorp was set to drill both wells last summer on land held by Indigenous-owned corporations, including the regional corporation for Alaska's Interior, Doyon, Limited.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Nathaniel
Contact Nathaniel, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack