Dimitri Shein is a Democrat from Anchorage running for Republican Congressman Don Young’s seat. The 36-year-old father of six was in Juneau recently and stopped by KTOO to introduce himself. His main campaign issue is health care.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Introduce yourself.
My name is Dimitri Shein, I’m the Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives.
I’m running on a platform of Medicare for all. And I think it’s one of those things that’s really not ever been said in a federal election here in Alaska. And I think that’s really sad, because health care is bankrupting our entire state. Health care is going to be 30 percent of our state budget. And Medicare for all is a solution to this problem. So how can, how can politicians continue to run, and not talk about a solution like Medicare for all … when our schools are being closed, when we’re running out of money for public safety, when we don’t have money for economic development? It’s not right, I think someone should say something.
What’s your Alaska story? How’d you end up in Alaska and what’s kept you here?
My mother and I emigrated from Russia when I was 12. And we came straight to Anchorage, Alaska, and I have lived in Alaska for, you know, over 20 years now. … It was actually just, like, the fall of Soviet Union when we immigrated.
What high school did you end up going to?
I went to West Anchorage High School. And that’s where I met my wife, Melissa. I met her in gym class.
What’s your primary career been up to this point?
My education is in accounting, and I used to be CPA here in Alaska. And from there, I invented a planter box, and this invention took off, and I have an e-commerce company now manufacturing, selling planter boxes all over the country.
For gardening?
Yeah, for gardening.
That’s done well for you, just personally, financially?
Yeah, financially, that’s – I mean, I’m self-funding a large part of the campaign with the earnings from my business.
Have you run for any past political positions like this?
No. I have not run for anything before.
And do you have any past political experience?
I was on debate team in high school. (laughs)
And why do you think you’re a credible candidate for Congress?
I’ve grew up in Alaska, like I said, for over 20 years. And every two years, there’s some kind of political race, especially a race against Don Young. And we get these politicians who speak in vague terms about what needs to be done. And it’s getting to the point where my generation of people are getting affected by this kind of vagueness and lack of courage to talk about solutions. So I believe I’m a credible candidate because I’m simply willing to talk about solutions that we need to implement.
I was living in Bethel with my wife when she was doing her residency. And I stood there when Ted Stevens was visiting, and he gave a speech about how much work it was to build the first clinic there, how they had to fight for every dollar of funding. And that’s what it was, he was fighting for funding. Ted Stevens did not believe in trickle-down theory, he believed in government solving problems. And we had a health care problem. … He did his best to bring federal dollars to the state of Alaska, and he did a great service in providing better health care in establishing infrastructure in rural Alaska to provide better health care.
Do you have any kind of criminal history, any kind of things you want to get out of the way?
I don’t have any criminal history as an adult. I had a little rough childhood. I think when I was 14, I was arrested for shoplifting. … I was growing up very poor. And I think I was stealing a drill to help fix up a house we were living in.
And how did you get caught?
It was at Sears, and, you know, I put something in my bag and I was walking out, and I think a security guard approached me and just said, “What are you doing, young man?”
I think I’m really an example of how our system can be used to better teenagers. … I was reformed by youth court. So it was great to go to youth court fundraiser and give a donation to kids who are running the program.
OK. Anything else on that before we move on?
No. Does this mean my career, my political career? (laughing) … Yeah, I think that’s my darkest secret, probably.
What are some of the other major policy things you want to get done if you’re elected?
So these corporate tax cuts to the multinational corporations, and the 1 percent of Americans are really reckless. They’re really hurting our ability to invest in things like education, fixing our health care system. … We need to have a better tax system that’s more fair and appropriate and that invests in the future of all Americans, invests in things like education, renewable energy, and tackles our health care crisis. That’s where those resources should be going.
We’ve got a very colorful president in office right now. What’s your take on President Trump?
I think people like Donald Trump and I think people like Don Young, to me, to my generation, they’re one and the same. And I think they’re part of the problem. They’re bullies, they’re obnoxious, they don’t represent my generation of Alaskans. And I look forward to the day when we can move on from these people.
Alyse Galvin, an independent seeking the Democratic Party nomination, is also challenging Don Young.