Quite a crowd of well-known political and business types gathered at the Alaska Aviation Museum Thursday evening for Ted Stevens’ defense attorney Rob Carey’s book signing of his recently written “Not Guilty: The Unlawful Prosecution of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.” Spotted at the reception: Rep. Don Young; Ben and Elizabeth Stevens; Julie Fate Sullivan; Greg Chapados; Ken and Myrna Maynard; Governor Sean and Sandy Parnell; Laurie and Matt Fagnani; Orin Seyberts; Art and April Hackney; Randy Ruederich; Mayor Dan Sullivan; Father Norman Elliott; Curtis Thayer; Frank and Jeanne McQueary; George Walton; Jim Jansen; Jerry Hood; Maynard Tapp; and, Paulette Simpson who flew up and back to Juneau the same day just to attend the event.
KTUU – Channel 2 dedicated their main studio, at their new building, in honor of Al Bramstedt, Sr., a real pioneer in Alaska broadcasting, who put Channel 2 on the air in the 1950’s, and Al Bramstedt, Jr. who carried on his father’s legacy and built KTUU into what it is today.
The Sullivan for Senate campaign announced this week that they raised almost $2.8 million in the third quarter which ended September 30th. FEC campaign reports are due no later than October 15th.
Wasilla City Councilwoman Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, just two days after being re-elected in Wasilla, hosted a wine and cheese fundraiser in her home for the Republican Valley Women State House Candidates: Reps. Shelly Hughes, Lynn Gattis, and candidate Cathy Tilton. Around 20 women showed including: Julie Nystrom; Becky Huggins; Margaret Sharp; Councilwoman Gretchen O’Barr; Beth Fried; Pat Purcell; and, the sole guy, the Mat-Su coordinator for the Sullivan for Senate campaign, Richard Heller. In addition to bringing campaign checks, many women also brought purses and scarfs to contribute to the charity “My House” for the less fortunate.
APOC reports show the Parnell – Sullivan campaign raised $794,284 . The Walker – Mallott campaign raised $667,730.
Rep. Mia Costello, who’s running for state Senate in West Anchorage, appears to be stepping up her game. Her opponent, Clare Ross, will be a tough one to beat, and has proven adept at raising money. So far, Costello has raised $133,646 and Ross has raised $109,484, which in the scope of things is pretty darn close. Costello had two fundraisers this week: The first one was at Michelle Toohey’s on Wednesday night. Toohey is the former COS to Lt. Mead Treadwell and her husband, Cam, works for Shell Oil. So both are pretty keyed in and the crowd in Turnagain reflected it. Among those spotted: Mayor Dan, former legislator and current member of the RCA Norm Rokeberg, Matt and Laurie Fagnani, Kara Moriarty, Loren and Carolyn Leman, and Linda Leary. On Thursday she had another fundraiser with House candidate Liz Vazquez. About 20 showed, including AWAKE’s Kelly Hogeland and Stacy Stone.
And on Saturday, Costello was seen at the Kaladi Brothers on Jewel Lake strategizing with a group of volunteers and Senate President Charlie Huggins. One person in the group was overheard talking about perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to knock on doors on homes with Clare Ross signs.
But Clare Ross isn’t exactly taking it easy. On Tuesday, she and fellow West Anchorage candidates Marty McGee and Matt Claman had a meet-and-great at the Tastee Freeze on Jewel Lake, and on Sunday, she and a group of volunteers knocked on 150 doors.
I’m told from a reliable source that there’s a 4 x 8 Bill Walker for Governor sign at the entrance of Sarah Palin’s driveway. Can we expect a meet & beat fundraiser soon?
And I know that we’re all so over the Palin brawl up here, and I know that I posted this a few weeks ago, that I thought it deserved a revisit given the recent events:
http://youtu.be/VlFZFTEShh4Speaking of women from the Valley: One of the happening places in Eagle River Friday evening was Rep. Lynn Gattis’ OktoberFeast fundraiser at the home of Mike and Linda Leary. The best part of any Leary-hosted event, I’m told, is Mike’s culinary capabilities. Apparently, he does wonders with brats and sauerkraut. Some of the supporters at the event included: Arden Miller from NC Machinery; Scott and Crystal Nygard; Shawn Fuller, Mat-Su Assemblyman Steve Colligan; Judy Patrick; Richard Heller; Glenda Ledford; and, Rep. Dan Sadler, whose district was being invaded by the Gattisites. The guests were privy to the debut of Gattis’ new radio ad. Listen to it here:
Anchorage’s Turnagain neighborhood is a tough district for a Republican with tea party leanings. Could that be why Anand Dubey didn’t go out of his way to publicize the Oct. 9 Fairbanks fundraiser he had with Rep. Tammie Wilson, where Joe Miller was one of the hosts?
On Sunday, the Walker-Mallott campaign held a fundraiser at former Anchorage Mayor Jack Roderick’s home. About 100 people crammed into the home, which felt like a homecoming of the best from administrations past. Spotted: Tony and Susan Knowles; former AG’s John Havelock and Charlie Cole; former Lt. Govs. Fran Ulmer and Steve McAlpine; former state Sens. Mike Szymanski, Clem Tillion and Joe Josephson; current Reps. Andy Josephson and Les Gara; Hal Gazaway; Roger Shaw; Bob Williams; and the lovely Maggie Carey, Mona Havelock and Ann Rabinowitz, among others.
With just over three weeks left in the election cycle, the local political consulting scene is fast at work. Here’s a partial list of who some of the consultants have been engaged by:
- HACKNEY & HACKNEY – Bill Stoltze for Senate; Bristol Bay Forever Initiative; Lynn Gattis for House; Gabrielle LeDoux for House; Louise Stutes for House; and, just recently by the Parnell – Sullivan campaign.
- HELLENTHAL & ASSOCIATES – Mike Dunleavy for Senate; Lance Pruitt for House; and, Anna Fairclough for Senate.
- IVAN MOORE RESEARCH – Walker – Mallott campaign.
- DITTMAN RESEARCH – U. S. Chamber of Commerce Super PAC; Big Marijuana, Big Mistake Vote No on #2.
- SABER (Mary Ann Pruitt and Darcie Stieren) – Mia Costello for Senate; Cathy Giessel for Senate.
- NORTHWEST STRATEGIES – Mike Hawker for State House; Big Marijuana, Big Mistake Vote No on #2.
- LEILA WISE & ASSOCIATES – Pete LaFrance for State House; Max Gruenberg for State House; Sam Combs for State House; Matt Moore for State House; Marty McGee for State House.
- HAYS RESEARCH – Laurie Hummel for State House; Repeal AO 37.
There isn’t an overabundance of sisterly love in the air in House District 19 between Democratic Rep. Geran Tarr and Libertarian challenger Cean Stevens. So little of it in fact that the fuzz are getting involved. In a police report, Stevens alleges that Garr was spotted red-handed ripping out Stevens’ signs from in front of Hula Hands in Mountain View, and that she has affidavits from the witnesses. From Stevens’ police report:
Eric and Peggy Ash, were eating dinner with their dinner guest when they witnessed Geran Tarr drive up to Hula Hands restaurant on Mountain View Drive. She proceeded to get out of her car and walk over to the front of the restaurant, near the road. She then removed my Cean Stevens for House campaign sign, threw it into the bushes and then replaced it with her campaign sign. Both APOC and Division of Elections have advised me to file a Vandalism report. My signs are being vandalized at a rapid rate, on a daily basis.
Happy Birthday to Johnny Coyne, the best brother ever.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
Oh, CPG49, how wrong you are! The more people meet Bill Walker the more they are on board with a man who is real and they can sense his integrity just by being around him and listening to him speak. People are seeing this happen everyday everywhere he goes. Maybe you should show up at one of his meet and greets and shake the hand of a true statesman, not a career politician. Don’t be fooled. Don’t let money buy this election. As far as philosophy, how about this? Bills quote “I am not running a bipartisan campaign, I’m running a no partisan campaign. We will select the best and brightest Alaskans to work together for what’s best for Alaska. Let’s stop fighting about what colors represent us and let’s just get back to being who we are best , Alaskans working together for solutions. In my toolbox box will be a cup of coffee where we can sit down at a table together, discuss strategy and then roll up our sleeves and get to work.” You can stay to the far right or to the far left but there’s a place in the middle where more people are meeting who are sick and tired of the fighting and the inability to get things done and we’re voting Walker /Mallott on November 4th!
@Mike: From the statements you make you don’t sound competent to me. I know Cean Stevens personally and she would not lie or make up stories. Geran Tarr on the other hand has been known to be abrasive, mean, rude and just a b**ch. The incident above aptly describes Geran Tarr to a tee. And for that reason, Geran Tarr should be shown the curb. For crying out load, can you imagine someone as vindictive as Tarr making life and death decisions for the state of Alaska? I cannot. Hence I will be voting for Cean Stevens. The choice is CLEAR.
I have two woods for HD19: CAT FIGHT!
If the Palin’s host a meet and beat for Walker, let’s hope someone films the event this time. Bristol sounds liike a chubby little boxing champion. Who knows, maybe a film showiing a shirtless Todd and Track will provide the exposure they need to get a centerfold gig with Playgirl Magazine.
Wowwiz.
The Walker/Mallott ticket is an unholy alliance without any definable philosophy. In simple terms, it is a power grab with out a philosophical commitment or direction. It’s all about individual greed. Think aabout it – – liberals like Les Gara, subsistence and tribal rights advocates like Byron Mallott, misbehaved opportunists like the Palins and her gaggle of Scott Heyworth types. No thanks. Been there done that. Someone the other day commented about Walker saying the more you know, the less you’ll like him. Boy, if that aint the truth. Amanda Coyne nailed it with the joke about a “meet and greet.”
FYI. Steve McAlpine likes to be called Stephen.