By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | January 2026
A key moment in Ketchikan Indian Community politics arrives January 6, when tribal citizens will have a chance to question, challenge, and size up candidates seeking seats on the KIC Tribal Council.
The Meet the Candidates Forum, hosted by the Ketchikan Indian Community and promoted by the Get Out The Native Vote initiative, comes just days before ballots are cast in the January 19 tribal election. The timing is deliberate. With three three year council seats open, the forum gives voters direct access to the people asking to help steer housing, health care, economic development, and cultural priorities for the community.
Eight candidates are running, a mix of incumbents and challengers that reflects both continuity and appetite for change. Incumbent council members Judy Leask Guthrie, Lloyd Ruaro, and Gianna Willard are seeking another term, campaigning on experience and familiarity with ongoing tribal initiatives. They face five challengers. Carrie Dodson, Frederick Williams, Darryl Simons, Ginger McCormick, and Ali Ginter are all making the case that their voices and perspectives deserve a seat at the council table.
The current Ketchikan Indian Community Tribal Council guides the tribe’s programs and initiatives, working to preserve a rich cultural heritage while supporting a healthy and thriving community of Tribal Citizens. Photo credit: Ketchikan Indian Community.
Tribal elections are nonpartisan, and none of the candidates run under Democratic or Republican banners. Still, the stakes are unmistakably political. Council decisions shape funding priorities, federal and state advocacy, and the day to day direction of tribal programs that affect members across generations.
The January 6 forum is designed to keep that power with the voters. Community members can submit questions in advance or ask them directly, pressing candidates on leadership style, transparency, and how they plan to navigate the complex relationship between tribal sovereignty and outside governments.
Get Out The Native Vote, a statewide Alaska Native civic engagement effort backed by organizations including the Alaska Federation of Natives and First Alaskans Institute, has made forums like this a cornerstone of its work. The goal is straightforward: informed voters make stronger communities.
For KIC citizens, the forum offers more than introductions. It is a chance to see how candidates think on their feet, how they listen, and how they respond when challenged. In a close knit community, that kind of face time can matter as much as any campaign statement.
When polls open January 19, voters will decide which three of the eight candidates earn the responsibility of representing them. The January 6 forum is where that decision making process truly begins.
