Hilcorp Chairman Donates $10,000 to Wilson

Founder Jeffery Hildebrand's contribution comes days before Election Day as Alaska's governor race centers on whether oil and gas companies should pay corporate income tax.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Philanthropy

Hilcorp Chairman Donates $10,000 to Wilson

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Should Alaska's oil companies pay the state corporate income tax like other businesses?

Hilcorp Energy founder and chairman Jeffery Hildebrand donated $10,000 to Republican governor candidate Bernadette Wilson, his first contribution to any candidate in the 2026 state elections. The donation was made days before Election Day as Wilson, Dave Bronson, and Treg Taylor oppose applying the corporate income tax to oil and gas companies that do not currently pay it.

Why it matters

The contribution lands in a race where tax policy for the state's oil and gas sector is a central dividing line between candidates. Hilcorp has argued that expanding the corporate income tax would threaten a proposed gas line and oil and gas production in Alaska.

Wilson has taken in nearly $85,000 in contributions during the final week of the campaign, while Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins raised more than $400,000 over the same stretch. A 2025 fiscal impact analysis estimated the proposed corporate income tax could have netted $186 million in fiscal year 2026, and it remains unclear how the race will shape that policy.

The players

Jeffery Hildebrand

Founder and chairman of Hilcorp Energy, a major Alaska oil and gas producer that has opposed applying the corporate income tax to S corporations and LLCs.

Bernadette Wilson

Republican candidate for Alaska governor who opposes applying the corporate income tax to oil and gas companies that do not currently pay it.

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins

The lone Democrat in the Alaska governor race, who supports expanding the corporate income tax and other new revenue measures.

Brendan Duval

CEO of the Glenfarne Group, which is pursuing an Alaska LNG project, who donated $5,000 each to Wilson and Kreiss-Tomkins.

The details

Hildebrand's $10,000 gift went to Wilson days before Election Day. Glenfarne Group CEO Brendan Duval separately gave $5,000 each to Wilson and to Kreiss-Tomkins, the lone Democrat in the race, on the same day during the final week.

2025: A bill was proposed to impose the corporate income tax on companies like Hilcorp.
August 2026: Kreiss-Tomkins finished first in the primary with 22.5% of the vote in a 17-candidate field.
Summer 2026: Three consecutive special legislative sessions were held on an Alaska LNG tax package.
Mid-September 2026: Glenfarne officials met with the Anchorage Daily News editorial board.
Final week before November 3, 2026: Hildebrand, Duval, and other contributions were made to candidates.

Philanthropy Ties

Political giving by energy executives has become a recurring feature of Alaska's fight over whether oil and gas producers should pay the corporate income tax. The 2026 governor race now reflects that long-running split, with Republican candidates opposing the tax and the Democrat backing expansion.

Alaska voters will decide the governor's race in the coming days, and the outcome will determine whether the corporate income tax is applied to oil and gas companies. Residents across the state will feel the effects through public revenue and energy project decisions.

The takeaway

Campaign contribution records are publicly searchable, so readers can track who is funding each candidate's position on state tax policy. Comparing contributions with stated tax positions offers a clearer picture of where candidates stand.