John Quick sits down with Suzanne Downing of The Alaska Story on The Northern Ledger for a wide-ranging conversation on Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Alaska, the final stretch of election season, and the major races and ballot measures shaping the state.

Downing shares a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to travel with the vice president’s team on Air Force Two, from the security process at JBER to the flight into Fairbanks, the rally atmosphere, and the logistics of a vice-presidential visit. She describes the crowd reaction, the media setup, Senator Dan Sullivan’s role in the event, and why the Fairbanks stop stood out during a major election year.

The conversation also turns to Alaska’s high-stakes U.S. Senate race, including Sullivan’s campaign, former Congresswoman Mary Peltola’s bid, outside spending, political ads, and the fight for Alaska voters. Downing also discusses recent reporting about Peltola’s congressional office and campaign, questions about staff turnover and constituent responsiveness, and how those issues could affect the race.

John and Suzanne also cover the governor’s race, including Bernadette Wilson & Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, along with the debate over ranked choice voting, Ballot Measure 2, Ballot Measure 3, election integrity questions, James O’Keefe’s recent Alaska videos, and what Downing believes is at stake as Alaska heads toward Election Day.