Lt. Gov. and Senate candidate Mead Treadwell is making some changes to his campaign. Treadwell announced today that he’s letting go of communications adviser Rick Gorka and campaign manager Adam Jones, both of whom were brought in from the Lower 48.
“I have had to make one of the toughest decisions to this point in our campaign,” Treadwell said in a release announcing the decision.
Peter Christensen, Treadwell’s personal friend and national finance chair, will be the campaign manager for now. “By restructuring our campaign, I know our campaign will be in a stronger position to make Mark Begich a one-term Senator,” Treadwell said.
Spokesman Fred Brown, who is staying on in the campaign, cautioned against reading too much into the decision. “This frees up resources for a few more things and for Mead to get his message out across Alaska,” he said.
Brown said that despite what appears to be a national drumbeat among party leaders and Republican groups to get him to drop out of the race, Treadwell is in it until the end. “Outside people can say whatever they want. They can’t vote. They clearly don’t know Alaska,” Brown said.
Although Treadwell announced early and was, for a while, the heir apparent to take on Begich in the general, he has had a hard time raising money, particularly since former Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Dan Sullivan entered the race in the Fall.
During his first quarter in the race, Sullivan raised $1.25 million. Last week, he was endorsed by the Club for Growth, which paves the way for a bigger haul.
Treadwell raised only $228,000 in that same fundraising period and $196,000 during the previous three-month period. His last filings show that his campaign debts were greater than his cash on hand.
Treadwell’s campaign has in the past pointed to Sullivan’s national contacts in explaining his fundraising success, and has emphasized that 80 percent of Treadwell’s donations have come from Alaskans.
“We have a committed organization and have committed Alaska supporters across the state,” Brown said.
Sources say that Treadwell has talked about self-financing if it comes to that. Treadwell has reported assets worth from $3.4 million to $7.7 million. His debt ranges from $580,000 to $1.2 million.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
I read in politico.com that Treadwell’s campaign manager left to work on a senatorial campaign in Oregon. I think Treadwell’s announcement is somewhat disingenuous in terms of being truthful. If he’ll lie on something as insignificant as this makes me question his credibility on more important issues. I was a supporter until now. I wish he had just been honest.
Eternal Watchdog: You have allowed this dark lord to twist your mind, until now, until now you’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy.
TJR: Don’t make me bring up Dan’s wife!
Eternal Watchdog: TJR, my allegiance is to the Republic – to ALASKANS!
TJR: If you’re not with Dan & the D.C. Republicans, then you’re our enemy
Eternal Watchdog: Only a Sith deals in Absolutes.
Well said, Watchdog ….
DNR Dan also is pro-Pebble – and never has visited the area nor spoken to residents of the region.
DNR Dan is pro-Chuitna coal mine which will remove more than 11 miles of productive salmon stream – and he has never spoken to people in the region about their feelings.
DNR Dan is a major force behind HB 77 that will change Alaska’s constitution in terms of lands/water usages – and will remove the public from the ‘public process’.
This is not the kind of Carpetbagger who will think of Alaskans first. Oh! But he served in the military so that makes him flawless …..
My comment is in response to the Eternal Watchdog commentary. His comment is based on some delusional state of mind or possibly he/she is just high on marijuana and is excited about the chanece for legalization. If Treadwell is so electable, why in God’s name is he doing so poorly in the campaiign. As a friend shared with me, a department commissioner drew 3 times the crowd to a Juneau Republican Club luncheon than did Treadwell. Why does the public not support him financially? Why are members of the cabiney that he is part of givoing money to his oppenet intead of him? Does he reallt think Alaskans are stupid enough to buy into MEAD’S. IMAGE OF THE MOMENT? Or does he think that the most important issue is something to do with Iceland ? Sorry you feel this way. Your support of Mead I’m sure is real. Your political analysis is delusional. I think you are the “plant”. As I read these pages and comments, I would suggest that Mead has a problem which appears to be the reality. What groups have endorsed Mead’s campaign? The Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska have endorsed Sullivan. Are they not Alaskan ? Your post sounds like a Treadwell staffer. If so, my condolences.
How many years of residency is required in your eyes to be “Alaskan”?
And in the book of Jon:
One shall not speak ill of a man named Dan. Dan is indeed Alaskan. Do not let the facts or the financial reports fool you. When confronted with a timeline that shows Dan filing for tax credit in Maryland (which requires somebody be a resident) while voting in Alaska, do not think it as anything but Altruistic! Dan did that for you. Dan did that so that his voice and leadership would reverberate all the way back to his eventual intermediate home (in between stays in DC) Alaska.
Think of him instead as being akin to the creator. As without Dan, we would have no Alaska. Submit to the will of Dan, all DC groups agree that he should be the candidate for you! But nay, this confirms nothing. If facts like these are presented do yourself a favor and use the red herring adopted by the campaign – Dan served in the military. Dan Served in the Military. Dan was in fact, in the military.
Dan has fought for Alaska and his country for most of his professional life. He had foregone many lucrative jobs to tirelessly serve the public interest. He has spent months at a time away from his family. He routinely worked 80 hours per week at the state. You can disagree with his positions but to suggest that he is corrupt is risible. perhaps you should question why your candidate can’t raise money and secure endorsements instead of slinging mud at Dan.
When Treadwell announced he was taking a week off to spend time with family, I thought he would find time to reflect on how the campaign was going and come to the conclusion that he should drop out. I was right in that he was reflecting, but I was suprised to read that all he did was fire staff. Allegedly.
Over the last two months I must compliment Randy, Daniel, & Ben – I love your comments. You’re doing a great job for Sullivan. You’re creating the perception that he’s got supporters. But don’t try to give me piss and tell me it’s water. It’s great that the Sullivan team is mostly Alaskan, but Dan Sullivan is not. Dan Sullivan will sell this state to the highest dollar bidder or to his Washington-Insider buddies who will continue to feed him money hand over mouth. Trying to sucker-punch the only candidate who can beat Begich will only continue to confirm your campaign as part of the out-of-touch Washington Establishment. Dan can’t win, Mead Treadwell can.
You should try not posting these things from your campaign headquarters, that’s far too easy to track.
Sorry Arctic Urbanophile but you’re wrong in including Begich in your list of those candidates hiring Alaskans. Begich, according news reports, has hired Celinda Lake as pollster and manager this year. Celinda Lake is the key organizer along with Porcine Rosie of KMart and the Brady Campaign in organizing the Million Mom March Against Guns and some New York City events protesting the 2nd Amendment. Lake has contributed over $1 million to fight the National Rifle Association! She was also in charge of the failed Fran Ulmer run for governor, and therefore it’s all the more curious and surprising that Begich hired her. Lake is radioactive in Alaska.
I feel bad for Mead. Having said this, I feel he has brought a lot of it on himself. He made a terrible political mistake in his last bid for office by repositioning himself as a conservative. It worked against a weak candidate then but wwont against a quality candidate. Also, it makes people not trust him and diminishes the quality of his character. He has brought it on himself but I still feel for him. Just couldn’t vote for him and understand why others can’t either.
Hopefully this means I’ll soon have to quite hearring Mead talk about the Laws of the Sea, the Uniited Nations and Iceland. No wonder the guy’s camapign never caught on. He talks about Iceland more than Alaska. I am so tired of this wacko.
Not surprised. Quite frankly that’s what happens when you hire out of state people with no loyalty to Alaska. Sullivan, Begich, Murkowski, Parnell, and Mallot all have the sense to local Alaskans and have loyalty in their home grown teams.
Nothing against Mead but the issues that are important to Alaskans are not familiar to Mead. He mentions them and says what he needs to say when facing a Republican primary but he cannot and does not avoid revealing that those issues are foreign to him.
Peculiarly, it’s almost the same with Begich. Starbucks candidates can do well in Seattle and Portland but Alaskans are not looking for a Bloomberg-lite. Even big-city Alaskans are not inner-city Alaskans. The few urban liberals we have always leave Alaska as soon as they retire from government.
Mead should withdraw so he can continue talking like the United Nations climate-guru that he is. We need a change-agent representing us in DC, and Mead is anything but that.
Who cares?
Be relevant.
Treadwell is a losing campaoign. Now it is a losing campaoign in disarray.
Mead’s press release was rather disingeenuous. It read as if he was shaking up his organization for some good. Well, this is typical Mead once again being less than honest. Rumor has it that his campaign manager quit because he wanted to get off a sinking ship and found a new position with a senatorial campaign in the Lower 48. I realize that being honest might be a novel concept for Mead but suggest he try it sometime. Its good for people to try something new for a change.
Treadwell’s campaign has been a disaster since the beginning. He has proven to be a weak funmdraiser and has failed to inspire people to support his candidacy. From my perspective, one of the reasons for his dilemma is his constant repackaging of himself, first a moderate, then a liberal and now a right wing zealot. It’s not believeable and if it is he looks worst than a fish flip flopping out of water. Staying in the race is not a viable option. its time he face reality.