–On Monday, Alaska state Sen. Lesil McGuire, who is running for lite gov, took a break from the session to attend an Anchorage Chamber luncheon thanking the city’s first responders. McGuire was invited to sit at the head table and say a few words about how important firefighters, police, etc. are to the city. Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, who is also running for lite gov, wasn’t at the event. Nor was he at the 2014 Anchorage Police Department graduation ceremony that same day. McGuire was there, however, and took the mayor’s empty seat. Sullivan chose to spend the day in Juneau, where he attended a Capital City Republicans’ event.

–Speaking of fundraisers, DNR Dan Sullivan’s Senate campaign is having a fundraiser Tuesday evening hosted at the home of John and Candace Hendrix which is better known as the “Atwood Mansion.” It begs the question: what’s the bigger draw – – the candidate or the house?

–Women for Sen. Mark Begich will be holding house parties on Wednesday in seven communities across the state to write postcards to friends and neighbors about why they’re supporting Begich. Mark’s wife, Deborah Bonito, will appear via teleconference. Anchorage is not one of the communities hosting an event. Here’s the page for the Anchorage event.

–Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell would win in a head-to-head against Begich according to Rasmussen Reports. The question remains if he has enough money or staff left to support continuing the race. Last week, he let go communications adviser Rick Gorka, and campaign manager Adam Jones, who has already hooked up with another race in Oregon.

–Gov. Sean Parnell methodically and successfully continues to raise funds for his campaign. Since Friday a week ago, he has held at least five fundraisers and is rumored to have raised in excess of six figures at them.

–Wasilla teacher and lite gov candidate Bob Williams has been traveling around the Bethel region this week attending, among other things, the Cama-I dance festival. From his Facebook page:  “I have never been so excited to be running for Lt Governor as I am right now. The warmth and friendship of everyone I’ve met in Bethel is encouraging, motivating and inspiring. Thank you Bethel!” Williams is, to put it mildly, exited and excitable.

–About that American Crossroads pro-Dan Sullivan ad: According to Politico, “This is the first time Rice has weighed in on a Senate campaign this cycle, and is the first time Crossroads has played in a primary campaign.”

American Crossroads has ties to Sullivan booster and adman Art Hackney, who is running a homegrown, pro-Sullivan PAC.

–The supposedly non-partisan, D.C.-based Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Government in Washington (CREW) sure has a heyday with Alaska Republican politicians. The group hounded Rep. Don Young tirelessly, and had a thing or two to say about Ted Stevens. Now, its target is Alaska state Rep. Lynn Gattis, and a complicated deal before she was a state rep that Gattis had with the Mat-Su Borough and the state. In a nutshell, the borough wanted to use a piece of land that Gattis owns, and paid $65,000 for it. It then decided that it didn’t need the land. Should Gattis have paid it back? Gattis said a deal was a deal. Besides, she and her husband put time and energy into the deal. The voters, apparently, agreed when they voted her into office. Too, other entities who got money from the borough for their land didn’t pay the money back. However, CREW thinks there should be an investigation against Gattis and doesn’t shy from telling the world as much.

But speaking from experience, trying to get the group to comment on a story involving Democratic Sen. Mark Begich trading in Citibank stock while he was a senator, smack dab in the middle of the financial meltdown, is a lesson in frustration. They were very excited before I told them who the senator was. After? No comment.

–A series of Choose Respect rallies will kick off Thursday. All told, there will be 171 of them across the state, up from about 12 when the rallies first started. Check out the map of rallies here. It’s really amazing. Kudos to Parnell on this.

Need a Brad Keithley fix? If nothing else because saying his name aggravates certain members of the state’s Republican Party? Or because he’s smart? Whatever your reason, you have your chance this Saturday, at Willie Hensley’s  “Alaska Policy Frontiers” class at UAA. He’ll be debating SB 21 with one of my favorite professors, Steve Haycox.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com