Bill Hill

During the 2026 primary campaign, Bill Hill went home for Bristol Bay's sockeye salmon run, explaining that commercial fishing paid the bills.¹ He grew up in Kokhanok chopping wood, carrying water, fishing and running dog teams with his family.² A Dena'ina Athabaskan from Bristol Bay, he started commercial fishing as a child and later raised his own children on the boat.² He joined his father on the family's drift boat when he was 12.³ He is a father of four and grandfather of seven.³

Both of Hill's parents were teachers, and he spent nearly 25 years in education as a teacher, principal and superintendent.³ He was named Alaska's 2023 Superintendent of the Year.⁴ He founded a regional career and technical education program serving students across four Bristol Bay school districts.⁴ His earlier union construction work included rural houses, health clinics, canneries and installation of the Bristol Bay Borough's sewer system.³

Hill and his wife, Diane, run Bristol Bay Brailer in Naknek, manufacturing textile products for the commercial fishing fleet.³² His community experience also includes serving on his Alaska Native village corporation's board, including as its president.²

Running as an independent, Hill emphasizes the cost of food, fuel and healthcare, opposes broad tariffs and supports banning congressional stock trading.² He also advocates protecting subsistence access and firearms ownership, connecting those positions to his own life as a hunter and fisherman.² He faces Republican Representative Nick Begich III in Alaska's four candidate House election.⁵