Monthly Archives: June 2014

American Crossroads attacks Begich’s commitment to veterans

A day after U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan called for Sen. Mark Begich to agree to try to put an end to third-party ads, American Crossroads released the following ad, accusing Begich of not taking enough action on veterans healthcare. The new ad will air statewide for a total buy of $450,000. It started on Wednesday.

“Begich likes to use his position on the Veterans Affairs Committee to score political points when he’s in Alaska, but he continues to sit on the sidelines when it comes to holding President Obama and the VA leadership accountable in Washington,” said Art Hackney, well known Anchorage-based adman and strategist for Crossroads.

Begich’s campaign responded:

Begich has widespread support from the Alaska veteran community. Begich also sits on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee where he successfully facilitated an agreement between the VA and tribal health facilities to allow veterans to receive care closer to home, helping to significantly cut down on VA wait times in Alaska.

The Senate passed a $50 billion VA health care bill on Wednesday night, largely mirroring similar proposals from the House. Begich was in D.C. and voted for the bill.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

The pack’s take on Brat

Here’s some excerpts from pieces on the historic beating of Virginia House Majority Leader Eric Cantor by Dave Brat, a relatively unknown economics professor from Randolph-Macon College. A few things to keep in mind: Cantor spent about $4.9 million on operating expenditures this election cycle. He still had more than $3.7 million on hand late last month. Brat spent just under $123,000 on operating expenditures. Cantor spent $168,000 alone at a D.C. steakhouse. No doubt many who regularly dine at that D.C. steak house are rattled, and at least two Alaskans are gleeful. Read on.

From a Joe Miller press release:

‘The Party elite always play the same game: use unreliable polling and the media to try to convince voters there is no way to defeat their hand-picked candidates. The people are not buying it,’ said Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto. ‘They know Washington is the problem and sending more there who want to play the Establishment game will not restore freedom or revive our economy. Based on what we’ve be seeing here in Alaska, the grassroots have another surprise in store for the Establishment in August.’

Brat does sound an awful lot like a gentler Joe Miller:

From a Washington Post blog post:

(W)ith Eric Cantor’s shocking defeat Tuesday night, things for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable just got a whole lot worse. For one, they lost a major defender of their favored policies–from the beneficial tax treatment of private equity income to immigration reforms favored by the country’s biggest tech companies. But even worse for their prospects, Cantor lost to a challenger who specifically attacked him for his close ties to big business — going so far as to single out the BRT and the Chamber. “The central theme of Brat’s campaign is that Cantor is beholden to business — specifically the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable,” wrote Politico in April.

The big lesson: don’t trust the polling. From a June 6 Washington Post story:

A poll conducted late last month for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) shows him with a wide lead over challenger David Brat heading toward next Tuesday’s Republican primary election. The poll, shared with Post Politics, shows Cantor with a 62 percent to 28 percent lead over Brat, an economics professor running to Cantor’s right. Eleven percent say they are undecided. The internal survey of 400 likely Republican primary voters was conducted May 27 and 28 by John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates. It carries a margin of error of +/-4.9 percentage points.

From Sarah Palin’s Facebook page.

Tonight’s victory showed the power of the local grassroots – the ones with boots on the ground who put up the campaign signs and go door to door to provide needed support for great candidates…Grassroots commonsense conservatives can use this momentum to push good candidates like Chris McDaniel, T.W. Shannon, and Rob Maness to victory for America. These candidates are also being massively outspent by establishment candidates and they need our help and energy.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

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Sorry all. There’s a problem with the commenting system on the site. I’m working on it and hope to have it fixed soon. Technical difficulties are… difficult.

Young blasts Begich for taking undeserved credit

The video below was brought to my attention from a source who does not want Sen. Mark Begich reelected. I’m putting it up because it’s on Rep. Don Young’s official campaign channel and it’s in the public domain. Fair warning: I know it’s Young talking and I know his words are unaltered. I’m told that it was shot last week in Fairbanks while Young was campaigning. But I don’t know who asked the question or who’s holding the camera.

Young is referring to Begich’s claims in recent ads about a road in NPR-A, and about his role in other projects across the state. I’ve been hearing grumblings for years from some of both Young and Murkowski staffers about Begich taking full credit for things that he had but a part. And that might be true, but I’m not in D.C., and it’s nearly impossible to know which congressional member should get credit for what. I do know that contrary to what Young says in the video, Begich should get credit for getting the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center built. As mayor of Anchorage, he fought tirelessly for the convention center. In any case, it’s the most explosive video yet of the campaign season. Young is popular in Alaska, and this will not help Begich’s campaign.

I also know that to the extent there’s been a détente between Young and Begich, that’s probably over, for now at least.

This just in from Begich’s spokesperson Max Croes:

Congressman Young and Senator Begich had known each other for a long time and have a strong working relationship. Along with Senator Murkowski, they have been able to rack up big accomplishments for Alaska. The combined seniority of Alaska’s team will continue to bring new jobs, oil and gas development, and infrastructure investments for Alaska.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

GOP Senate hopeful Sullivan calls on Begich to sign pledge limiting Outside spending

In a bold move that surprised many, this writer included, GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan on Tuesday announced a plan to try to counter the influence of third party money in Alaska’s Senate race. First, he asked U.S. Sen. Mark Begich to call on third party spending groups, including super-PACS, to cease all television and radio ads which “clearly identifies either of us and supports or attacks our campaigns.” And if the groups don’t obey, Sullivan wants Begich to agree to donate 50 percent of an individual ad buy to the charity of the opposing candidate’s choice.

Sullivan called it “The Alaska Agreement.”

The money that each candidate raises on his own would not be subject to the deal.

“We’re confident in our ability to go mano-a-mano with Mark Begich,” Sullivan said, referring to direct candidate contributions. That said, Sullivan said that he supports Citizens United, the Supreme Court case that allowed unlimited PAC money into races such as this one.

A similar plan to what Sullivan is proposing has worked elsewhere. In the 2012 Massachusetts Senate race, Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown agreed to the “People’s Pledge,” It worked to cut outside spending to about one-tenth of what the candidates themselves spent.

In the Alaska Senate race alone, campaign spending placed on TV and radio has now exceeded $20 million from February through election day in November. This leaves little, if any, airtime for other races, including the governor’s race.

As of this writing, it’s unclear if Begich will sign the agreement. If he doesn’t, it will make it more difficult to decry Outside spending and super-PAC money, something that he’s done no less than 100 times in fundraising emails and press releases, even as his own campaign has greatly benefited from such spending.

I’m trailing Sullivan today in the Valley and this will definitely come up. I’ll have more later.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Loose Lips: Mayor Dan gets his glow on. Parnell a no show at Native forum. French is confident.

Loose Lips, getting hooked: AP reporter Becky Bohrer and Juneau Empire sports writer Klas Stolpe were married on a boat on the waters outside of Petersburg. They wore Norwegian sweaters and according to a news account, exchanged gaff hooks.

Gov. Sean Parnell didn’t attend the opening ceremonies for the National Congress of American Indians on Monday morning in Anchorage. Nor, did he attend a governor’s forum that the Congress, in conjunction with AFN, held Monday night. “We’re here again together,” said Democratic candidate Byron Mallott to independent candidate Bill Walker. Mallott said that the two were getting used to sharing the stage together, without Parnell and that they were becoming friends. Walker urged the crowd to remember who showed when they went to the voting booth. “The person who didn’t show up?” Walker said. “He’ll come in third.”

In addition to the governor’s forum, there was also a U.S. Senate candidate forum, where Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan talked about everything from ObamaCare, which Alaska Natives generally favor, to the state’s relationship to tribal governance, which the state is generally opposed to, to voting rights. Both were on tricky ground, but both earned respectable applause for showing up and trying. Joe Miller, the other candidate in the Republican primary, didn’t make it for the forum, but showed up later and hung out in the back, listening to the other candidates.

And then other candidates crowded on stage to introduce themselves. Some of the candidates were from Outside, but most were from Alaska. Lt. gov. candidates Bob William and Craig Fleener were there. Hollis French wasn’t. Newly created House District 6 Democratic candidate Wilson Justin of Slana gave brief remarks. So did state Senate Democratic candidate Dorothy Shockley, who will face either Mike Miller or Sen. Click Bishop in the general election. U.S. Congressional candidate Forrest Dunbar made his statement blessedly brief. Republican gubernatorial candidate, Brad Snowden, didn’t. Snowden, who has “strong opinions” and lots of them, was politely hurried along by the moderator when he began to talk about, well, lots of things. The last I saw Snowden was late last month, when he had his thumb out on the Park’s Highway, making his way from Wasilla to Anchorage after the Freedom Festival.

High School freshman Sophie Hultberg, daughter of Becky Hultberg, blasted three home runs on Saturday helping the Juneau Douglas Crimson Bears win the ASAA small school state softball championship. The young Hultberg might have gotten some of her punch from Becky, who as Gov. Frank Murkowski’s spokeswoman, learned how to take swings right back at the media. Also on the team was Mattie Herman, daughter of DOE legislative liaison Marcie Herman.

Upcoming Events:

• June 10, 4:00 -6:00 p.m. Picnic in the Park with Rep. Scott Kawasaki, 1503
Turner Street, Fairbanks.

• June 14, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. BBQ Fundraiser celebrating Flag Day with state senate candidate Harry Crawford and state house candidate Laurie Hummel at the home of Hal and Barb Gazaway, 8620 Boundary Avenue, Anchorage.

• June 17, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Fundraiser for Reps. Lynn Gattis and Gabrielle LeDoux at Le Mex, off Diamond Blvd, Anchorage.

Sen. Mark Begich’s campaign had a brunch fundraiser on Sunday at the south Anchorage home of Greg and Jeanette Wakefield. From all reports, it was a success. More than 50 people showed. Some of the guests attending included former lite governor Stephen McAlpine, Marion Davis from Horizon Lines, former Gov. Bill Sheffield, and Mike Gallagher from Laborers Local 341.

Organized labor held its solidarity picnic in Anchorage on Sunday and hundreds showed. Both Sen. Mark Begich and gubernatorial candidate Byron Mallott gave rousing speeches. Labor favorite state Sen. Bill Wielechowski also spoke. Sen. Hollis French and Bob Williams, both vying for the Democratic Party’s number 2 spot, were there as well. Bill Walker, Independent gubernatorial candidate, who also enjoys some support from organized labor, showed too. And what’s a solidarity picnic without Vince “Baldtrami”?

In a show of electoral confidence, Democratic lite governor candidate Hollis French, given the expected tight market for television air time, bought some time on KTUU – Channel 2 for the week before the general election.

Miracles never cease: Mayor Dan Sullivan had a busy Sunday in his official capacity of being Hizzoner. He threw out the first pitch of the season opener for the Pilots v. Bucs baseball game. Then he headed to Cuddy Park where he gave welcoming remarks to thousands of people gathered for the Love Alaska Festival. One person there, who’s not necessarily a fan of the mayor, said that he did a “beautiful job,” and described him as “humble and funny.”

Congratulations to the Alaska Aces on Monday night’s victory and clenching their 3rd Kelly Cup. Most Alaskan candidates tripped over themselves to congratulate the victors. The Alaska Democrats took to Facebook, wondering if the sound of GOP candidate Dan Sullivan’s silence indicated that he was secretly routing for Cincinnati, his home town’s team.

The smaller of the two Pribilof village corporations, the St. George Tanaq Corporation, held their 40th annual shareholder meeting on Saturday. Congratulations are in order for Anna Tetoff for being named Elder of the Year and to Sara Merculief for being named Aleut of the Year.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Happy Birthday Don Young

In the scope of world history, 1933 was a big year. It was the year that North Dakota state Rep. Minnie D. Craig became the very first female in the country to become Speaker of the House. It was the year that German president Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor and the year that he dissolved Parliament. In 1933, the first issues of Newsweek and Esquire magazine were published and President-elect Franklin Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt. The gold standard was abolished in 1933, as were trade unions in Germany. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was created and the Golden Gate Bridge was completed. In London, 500,000 people marched against anti-Semitism. FDR created the Civil Works Administration and Albert Einstein escaped from Nazi Germany and came to the United States. Prohibition ended and the Lone Ranger began on radio.

And on June 9, 1933, in Meridian, California, Donald Edwin Young was born. After serving in the U.S. Army’s 41st Tank Battalion and after college, Young made his way to Alaska, where he taught in a 25-student BIA school house. He also captained his own tug and barge and delivered supplies to villages along the Yukon. He met his wife Lu in Fort Yukon. They were married for 46 years.

Young was elected to the House in 1973, and he hasn’t lost a race yet. He is fourth in House seniority overall and is the longest serving Republican in the House.

He’s ornery. Cantankerous. Shrewd. And I’ve heard told that he can even be kind. One thing’s for sure: he knows how to win.

He’s spending his birthday in D.C. with one of two daughters and three of 14 grandchildren.

His staff fed him cupcakes.

Another day, another Senate ad

From the Sunday New York Times piece about the Alaska Senate race:

Political ads are ubiquitous here already. They have run on Alaska airwaves nearly 20,000 times since early last year, according to Kantar Media, a monitoring and research firm. That is more than in North Carolina (18,000), Arkansas (13,000) and Louisiana (12,000), all of which are conservative states where Republicans believe they can pick off Democratic incumbents.

And as if on cue, here’s another ad. This one’s from GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan, who, after months of silence, appears to be on a roll.

This ad is supposed to be a counter to a recent one by Put Alaska First, a pro-Begich super-PAC, which attacks Sullivan HB 77, one of the most controversial bills introduced in the state Legislature recently. The rap on it is that it proposed to give unprecedented powers to the DNR commissioner to issue permits. At the time of its drafting, Dan Sullivan was the DNR commissioner.

The ad, however, pivots away from HB 77, and instead focuses on federal gun control laws.

Smart, maybe.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Loose Lips: More Three Amigos. Young in Chicken. Spoils of love: The tale of Tuck’s license plates.

You heard it first here: The Colony Days’ Bed Races took place Friday evening in Palmer. I don’t know what’s involved in a bed race, and because there’s so much to know in the world, I decided not to ask too many questions. I do know that Rep. Bill Stoltze was the only politician who partook. And, wait for it… The 2014 Bed Races champion was the Matanuska Electric Association team captained by their president Joe Griffith!

This is more like it: Some have been wondering why KFQD talk show host Bernadette Wilson’s Chevy Tahoe has legislative license plates. Wonder no more: Wilson’s former boyfriend, House Minority Leader Chris Tuck, didn’t get around to taking them off until Friday, when he heard a blogger was calling around about it. Tuck said that when he and Wilson were dating, he was driving her car. His own went to legislative aides. So he put one of his three allotted sets on hers and always meant to get them off when they broke up last year, but never got around to it. The license plates, which are numbered based on seniority—Tuck is number 23–don’t get you free parking or other perks, unless you count as a perk driving in a car that announces that you’re a state lawmaker. And I guess politicians like that kind of stuff. So, apparently, do talk show hostesses.

Legislative staffer Anna Latham, from Rep. Kurt Olson’s office, is now at the Alaska Department of Labor where she will serve as the department’s legislative liaison.

Upcoming events:

June 10, 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Ron Arvin for state House fundraiser at the Petroleum Club, Anchorage.
June 14, 4:00- 6:00 p.m. Bob Williams for lieutenant governor, hosted by Judy Youngquist and Phil Munger, 7127 E Shorewood Drive, Wasilla
June 19, 5:30 – 7:00 pm. Mat-Su Parnell for Governor Fund Raiser, New Horizons Telcom Hanger, Palmer.

Quien Es Mas Macho? We’ve heard about the Three Amigos in the Valley: Roger Purcell, Steve Jacobson and Verne Rupright—who are running against Reps. Keller, Mark Neuman, and Lynn Gattis. Here’s another Three Amigos for you of a different breed: Wiley Cason, Travis Smith, and Democratic congressional hopeful Forrest Dunbar. UAA debate team guru Cason is the communications guy for Forrest Dunbar for Congress campaign. Cason ran state Sen. Hollis French’s campaign in 2012. Dunbar’s campaign manager is Travis Smith, a recent grad of Willamette University.

Alaskan Lee Goodman’s spanking new legal thriller Indefensible got a starred review by Publisher’s Weekly. Goodman’s my friend, and wrote a damned good book.

About 200 people showed for Vic Fischer’s 90th birthday party on Wednesday to show their support for the Yes on 1 campaign. The haul was more than $30,000. It’s a pittance compared to the millions being spent on the other side. But $30,000 goes a long way when you’re buying Facebook ads and when you’re got a trove of true believers involved in a cause that they believe is a just one.

There were at least three fundraisers that I was aware of on Thursday evening. Gov. Parnell had an event in Fairbanks. I’m told that the take at the door was north of $10,000. Rep. Shelley Hughes had an event that drew almost 50 people in Palmer. And in Anchorage, Reps. Gabrielle LeDoux and Mia Costello held a joint fundraiser at Le Mex. Each of the candidates were rumored to have raised more than $5,000.

Congratulations to former Juneau Rep. Beth Kerttula on her appointment and new role as White House director of ocean policy.

More hot news: All three major gubernatorial candidates – – Sean Parnell, Byron Mallott and Bill Walker – – participated in Saturday’s Colony Days Parade in Palmer! A bunch of other politicians were there as well: Democratic Lite Gov. candidate Bob Williams, GOP senatorial candidates Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell, Rep. Bill Stoltze, to name a few. Smiles were bestowed! Candy was thrown!

Rep. Don Young was in Chicken on Friday. Deantha Crockett, executive director of the Alaska Miners Association was there too. I’ll bet you dimes to donuts, or hens to chickens, they discussed last year’s visit from the Alaska Environmental Crimes Task Force, when the agents showed wearing body armor and jackets announcing that they were POLICE! And that they were going to check for DIRTY WATER! And that NOTHING was going to stop them from doing their JOBS, enforcing Section 404 of the Clean Water ACT! It sounds like the good miners of Chicken could have used the help of the Three Amigos.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Democratic governor hopeful Mallott calls out Parnell for budget claims

On Thursday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Byron Mallott said that Gov. Sean Parnell was misleading the public about the state budget in a fundraising email that Parnell’s campaign sent out bragging about his fiscal record. “As Washington D.C. continues to overspend and overregulate, Governor Sean Parnell cut state general fund spending by $1.1 billion in the 2015 budget,” the fundraising email said.

Mallott, who isn’t known so far for his brass-knuckles responses, fired back: “Under Sean Parnell, Alaska has undergone an unprecedented fiscal collapse. Parnell took a $5 billion surplus and turned it into a $2 billion deficit,” Mallott wrote.

Indeed, Parnell is on tricky ground here. While he can technically say that he cut the budget, it’s only because his past budgets were so big. Too, the state took a whole category out of that budget. In previous years, the state’s contribution to the state’s retirement program had been in the operating budget. In fiscal year 2015, it’s not. In part, that’s because the state took an unprecedented $3 billion from the Constitutional Budget Reserve and put it towards the ballooning retirement program.

Many lauded Parnell for pushing, and for the Legislature passing, the one-time payment. But though it was likely wise fiscal policy, at least some portion of that should have been included in the budget in order to get an accurate comparison to previous years’ budgets. (See Brad Keithley’s blog post on that issue here.)

For his part, Mallott also appears to be doing some creative accounting. He leaves out the $3 billion when he refers to “liquidated budget surpluses.”

What is true is that under Parnell, the state is going into nearly $2 billion deficit spending. And at the same time, Parnell who signs the budget, as well as the Legislature which proposes it, have continually excoriated Washington D.C. for overspending. In April, Parnell signed a resolution passed by the Legislature calling for a federal balanced budget.

“Now it is time the federal government takes the necessary steps to address its out-of-control debt. America remains on an unsustainable spending path and we cannot rely on Congress or the president to fix this problem,” he said.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan returns favor and fires back at Begich

Sen. Mark Begich, as well as the super-PAC that supports him, have repeatedly gone after GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan for everything from residency questions to support of a permitting bill. In an ad released last week, Begich mocked Sullivan for a commercial Sullivan shot atop the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, which was built during Begich’s tenure as mayor of Anchorage, and which he considered one of his crowing achievements. Begich then offers Sullivan advice on other sites he might consider for future ads.

Sullivan accepts the advice and fires back at Begich for the first time. The results are pretty good. And for the first time, Sullivan appears relaxed, proves that he has a personality, and seems to be having fun on camera.

The power of political ads: Iowa Senate race now in play

The Senate race is unexpectedly in play in my adoptive home-state of Iowa. Relative unknown Joni Ernst won that state’s Republican primary on Tuesday. Credit is being given to two ads for her surge. One, descriptively titled “squeal,” featured castration. In another she pointed a pistol at the camera and fired. ObamaCare down. The ads got her lots of national attention and earned her tons of free media in the state. She’ll face Democrat Bruce Braley in the general.

Via Politico:

The late surge of momentum for Ernst — who first got on the national radar with a commercial about castrating hogs — really was something to behold. She got huge last minute help from both establishment and tea party figures. Romney came last Friday, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio helped her finish on Monday night. …If Republicans win this seat, which is very possible, a Senate majority is well within reach.”

Loose Lips: Dunbar could have been a star, Treadwell revels, Karly Meyer joins Parnell

Democrat Forrest Dunbar, who’s running against U.S. Rep. Don Young, might just be the only Alaskan in history to turn down a shot at reality TV stardom. Word is that Esquire TV reached out to him to film his run against Young. Dunbar is an interesting character, and would no doubt do good TV. He’s been in the Peace Corps, has a Yale Law degree, and a master’s from Harvard Kennedy School. He’s also a first lieutenant in the Alaska National Guard, and has the haircut and the arms to prove it. But part of the attraction had to be Young, whose props on the House floor involve a calcified walrus penis, and a wolverine trap. Both are custom-made for Esquire bro-culture.
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell is positively reveling in the recent poll numbers that show him within spitting distance of Dan Sullivan, the so-called frontrunner in the GOP U.S. Senate race. “The massive out of state contributions flowing into Dan Sullivan’s campaign have failed to buy the lead in this race – bad news for his inside-the-Beltway backers,” Treadwell wrote in a fundraising email. Treadwell had no fewer than 15 fundraisers last year across the country, trying to shake money from those same backers, to little success.
On Sunday afternoon in Fairbanks, proponents of the Repeal SB 21 campaign had a rally and BBQ. There was a good turn-out of normal Fairbanksians, whatever that means, and Democratic legislators, both former and current. Among them: Rep. Scott Kawasaki, Sen. Hollis French, and former legislators Joe Thomas, John Davies and Joe Paskvan. Also attending and speaking at the event was UAF’s Mark Myers, who was also the former director of the USGS and Alaska DNR Oil and Gas Division.
As most Democratic contributors have heard by now, the Mallott for Governor campaign suffered a data breech due to a stolen lap top. According to campaign insiders, credit card contributors have all been notified and it was suggested that for security reasons, they may want to get a new credit card to replace the one they gave with. The problem appears to be behind them and all operations, as it were, are back to normal.
Word is that APOC and Rep. Chris Tuck, a.k.a. “the most eligible bachelor in Alaska,” have reached a settlement for improper campaign reporting and that the commission will likely approve at their board meeting on either June 4 or 5.
DOT Special Assistant Tyson Gallagher has resigned his position with the state and will be joining the Parnell campaign. Also, recent college grad Karly Meyer, daughter of Sen. Kevin Meyer, has signed on with the Parnell campaign as their events coordinator.

Events:

June 5th, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Fundraiser for Reps Gabrielle LeDoux and Mia Costello at Le Mex off Diamond Blvd., Anchorage.
June 8, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 pm. Fundraising brunch for Senator Mark Begich at the home of Greg and Jeannette Wakefield, 630 Oceanview Drive, Anchorage. RSVP 907. 258. 2583.
June 8, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Fundraiser for Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Bob Williams at the home of Peggy and Boyd Berg, 856 S. Begich Drive, Wasilla
June 16, 6:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Go Halibut Fishing in Resurrection Bay aboard Saltwater Safari Charters with GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan. Cost: $2,000 per person. Space is limited. RSVP 677-2014.

If we’re going to have another lobbyist in the state, it might as well be Laurie Herman, who, full disclosure, I consider a friend. Herman will be retiring later this summer from Providence. With somewhere north of a quarter of century and south of a half century of working around government, you can bet she has friends in powerful places and knows her way around the halls of government.
This weekend is Colony Days in Palmer. The parade, which is a big deal in Palmer, is on Saturday. The Bill Walker for Governor campaign is soliciting volunteers on Facebook to join them in that parade and encouraging them to bring their hard hats and safety vests. His theme: “Walker is the governor who will stop studying and start building.”
Will many Dems other than Democratic gubernatorial contender Byron Mallott be marching in the Colony Days parade on Saturday? Probably not many. The party has scheduled candidate training school that day.
The awesomely named Otto Feather has joined the Sullivan for Senate committee as the campaign’s coalitions director. He also travels with the candidate frequently. He is a retired Air Force colonel and ~~F-18~~ C-130 pilot.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

UPDATED: This piece has been updated to include Byron Mallott’s participation in the Colony Days parade.

A baker’s dozen interesting and competitive state House races

As I wrote in an earlier article about the four Senate races to watch, the deadline to file for office in Alaska was on Monday, meaning that the field is set. All told, 14 Senate seats are up for election, as are all 40 House seats. Below are what I consider to be 13 of the most interesting and competitive of those House races.

House District 1 – This seat is currently occupied by Democratic Rep. Scott Kawaski. There are two Republican challengers: Greg Bringhurst and Jomo Stewart. I’m hearing that Jomo Stewart, who has been around for a while, is likely to have a slight edge in the Republican primary. Assuming Stewart wins the primary, this race could get interesting really fast. The district has changed significantly after redistricting. Kawasaki, who was first elected in 2006, is a relentless door-to-door campaigner and is known for constituent work. Likewise, Stewart will bring a lot of energy and personality to the race. And both dress well. At this early stage of the campaign, my money is on Kawasaki.
House District 3 – Redistricting has thrown incumbent Republican Reps. Doug Isaacson and Tammie Wilson into the same district. The two candidates are very different from one another, and those differences in this North Pole-based district are likely to be the deciding factors. Isaacson, for the most part, seems to generally believe that his role as a government official is to make lives better. Wilson, on the other hand, seems more interested in protecting people from the government by keeping it out of people’s lives. Both candidates are hard-working and good campaigners. This will be a hard fought and close race. However, at this juncture, I would give Wilson a slight lead. The winner of the Republican primary will face Sharron Hunter. Given the district’s ruby-red hue, it’ll most certainly stay Republican.
House District 6 – This open seat created by redistricting will see a Republican primary race between former Denali Borough mayor Dave Talerico and Tom Dunning of Tok. The winner will face Democrat and Slana resident Wilson Justin in the general. Everything that I’ve heard to date is that Talerico is the guy to beat.
House District 7 – The beating you hear in this district is the heart of Wasilla. Sarah Palin country. Where the bars stay open until 5 a.m. and where you can mosey up to a barstool and lay your gun on the bar. No one filed to challenge Republican freshman legislator Rep. Lynn Gattis in this Republican-leaning district in the primary. However, Wasilla mayor Verne Rupright has registered to run for this House seat against Gattis in the general election. Rupright is known for pulling out all the stops to win a race. Still, I think that Gattis has the edge assuming she works hard and runs a decent campaign.
House District 12 – This is the House seat that is being vacated because of Bill Stoltze’s bid for the Senate. Two Republicans have filed: Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Ron Arvin and Cathy Tilton, a former legislative aide to Rep. Neuman. Both candidates have their strengths and supporters. Tilton is rumored to have the ability and willingness to self-fund if necessary, and she’s got great shoes. Arvin’s got the good old business boys, whatever that means. (He might have great footwear too, for all I know). The Republican winner will face Democrat Gretchen Wehmhoff who is Stoltze’s sister-in-law. You can expect this seat, minus some intervention from the Democratic Gods, to stay in Republican hands.
House District 15 – This race is all general election. The seat is held by Republican Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux who is known as an uber fund raiser and campaigner. She is being challenged for the seat by Laurie Hummel, a retired Army colonel and West Point instructor. Her ex-husband, Eric Feige, is a member of the Legislature, a strange pairing if there ever was one. This East Anchorage district is known for its high turnover of residents. LeDoux knows the district, the ethnic groups and has canvassed the district multiple times. Hummel, a newcomer to politics, is touted as a serious and good candidate by some Democratic leaders. One thing that could help Hummel is the Democratic door-to-door ground game supporting Senator Begich’s campaign. Overall, this race continues to look good for Rep. LeDoux for the time being.
House District 19 – This seat is currently held by freshman Democratic Rep. Geran Tarr. The only challenge she faces is from Libertarian Cean Stevens in the general election. Two years ago, Stevens, who ran as a Republican, lost to Tarr by 20 points. The district covers Airport Heights and parts of Mountain View and is Democratic leaning. In fact, the best thing for Stevens would be if people confuse Libertarian with liberal. Tarr clearly has the edge but there is something interesting and compelling about Stevens, who is a former model and who has a chainsaw and isn’t afraid to use it. To cut up trees. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
House District 21 – This Turnagain House district seat in Anchorage is currently held by Rep. Lindsey Holmes who has announced that she will not be seeking re-election. Two Republicans and one Democrat have filed for the seat. The Republicans running are Anand Dubay and Matt Fagnani. Dubay ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2012. His background is in information technology and he is a conservative. This is Matt Fagnani’s first bid for elected office. He was recruited to run by the Republican Party establishment. The Democrat in the race is Matt Claman, who served in the Anchorage Assembly and as Acting Mayor of Anchorage when Begich was elected to the U.S. Senate. This race is way too early to call, however, Dubay signs are starting to sprout up throughout the district. Another plus for Dubay is that he has developed some proprietary software that allows him and his campaign workers to go door-to-door in the district and capture voter preferences in real time and directly communicate with them. Fagnani’s wife is the owner of MSI (Marketing Solutions, Inc) which is one of the city’s leading advertising firms with political experience. In other words, you can expect both campaigns to be good. I would rank the Republican primary as a toss-up for now, giving the slightest edge to Dubay because of his earlier entry into the race. The general election in this district, in my eyes, is a toss-up leaning towards Claman for now.
House District 22 – This is the seat currently occupied by Rep. Mia Costello. There’s one Democrat, Marty McGee, in the race and three Republicans: David Ness, Sherri Jackson and Liz Vazquez. Who’s going to win? I don’t know much about the other candidates, but I do know that Vazquez works hard, is smart, has a Segway and isn’t afraid to use it.
House District 28 – Republican Rep. Mike Hawker has represented this district since first being elected in 2002. One of the keys to his success has been that he always takes his opposition seriously. This year, he’ll be running against Democrat Sam Combs, a local architect. While Combs has never held elected office, he has been involved in a number of community organizations such as the World Affairs Council, NFIB, and several professional boards and organizations for architects. Many think that he’ll focus his campaign on the controversy surrounding the Anchorage Legislative Office lease. As an architect, Combs could speak with some authority on the subject. At this juncture of the campaign season, I would say that the district is leaning heavily towards Hawker.
House District 32 – Four candidates have filed for the seat being vacated by Rep. Alan Austerman. Three of them are Kodiak Republicans: Carol Austerman, daughter of Rep. Austerman; Louise Stutes; and Rich Walker. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Jerry McCune from Cordova in the general election. My crystal ball tells me nothing about this race yet.
House District 36 – This Ketchikan House seat is opening due to Rep. Peggy Wilson’s retirement. Three Republicans have filed for the seat: Chere Klein, Patti Mackey and Agnes Moran. The winner of the Republican primary will face Dan Ortiz who is not affiliated with any party. Word is that Patti Mackey, who is heavily involved in the tourism industry, may have a leg up on the race at this time.
House District 40 – North Slope Rep. Ben Nageak will face Kotzebue’s Dean Westlake in the August 19th primary. The only thing for certain is that District 40’s representative will be a Democrat. I would give incumbent Rep. Nageak a slight advantage for now.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com