Word from Ketchikan’s House District 36 is that the independent House candidate Dan Ortiz has more signs up than all three Republicans in the race – – Chere Klein, Patti Mackey and Agnes Moran – – combined. According to APOC reports, he also raised more campaign cash in the most recent reporting period than any of them.
The Sealaska Corp. board of directors announced their endorsement this week of Mark Begich for U.S. Senate; Byron Mallott for Governor of the State of Alaska; and Sam Kito III as Representative for House District 32. None of this is surprising, but Democrats appear to be hungry for any kind of good news.
Want to hear something unnerving? I had a phone call this week from ObamaCare threatening to drop my insurance unless I submit certain documentation for the credits I receive. I was like, are you kidding me? I was like, ObamaCare is going to start dropping people during election season, the result of which will largely center around if Democrats can persuade the public that ObamaCare isn’t dropping people from the roles. But I had a hard time mustering up righteous indignation. The guy who called was really nice. He was living in Arkansas, where he had moved only recently to take care of his sick mother. Before that, he had a place in Mountain View, and really missed it.
Generally, it was a slow week for gossip, but here’s a little tidbit that piqued my interest: I’m told that the executive director of APOC Paul Dauphinais might be leaving the agency soon, bound for Homer.
Tweet about the Ketchikan race:
@Amanda_Coyne you should start a “best APOC entry” contest. I’ll submit this description for a $150 contribution. pic.twitter.com/8utcdgg7PE
— Kyle Johansen (@kylejo574) July 23, 2014
It was a lovely day at the Valley’s annual Republican Women’s Garden Gala on Saturday. The women wore their finest wide-brimmed hats, sipped mint juleps and discussed opera, trips abroad, and forthcoming charity balls. The men wore their best jodhpurs… Wait! Scratch! Forgive me. For a minute, I was time and place warped. This is the Valley, after all, where fluoridated drinking water is still suspect—and where one of the senators campaigns on the backs of mules armed with a shotgun. And where one of the House members was recently quoted in the local paper referencing her opponent’s scrotum. But seriously, it is true that there was a Republican Women’s Garden Gala, and it’s true that it was reported to be lovely. It was at former Senate President Lyda Green’s beautiful home and groomed grounds. Spotted: Reps. Wes Keller, Mark Neuman and his wife Adele, Shelley Hughes, Bill Stoltze, and Lynn Gattis. Also there: legislative wannabes Ron Arvin, Cathy Tilton and DeLena Johnson. The Tokar family was presented a citation honoring the Republican activist, Gloria Tokar, who passed recently. Rep. Shelley Hughes left the Garden Gala early to attend her son’s wedding who was marrying Kayla Miller.
If nothing else, you’ve got to give Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Bob Williams an “A:” for effort and enthusiasm. He’s been everywhere this campaign season. The one who’s knocking at your door. That’s Bob Williams! That guy with a bounce in his step and an outstretched hand in the grocery store parking lot. Hey, hey, it’s Bob! Dipnetting in the Kenai? There he is again. Taking a leisurely stroll on the Seldovia boardwalk? Look down. There he is, down in the water, kayaking back and forth, keeping pace with you and waving his sign. What’s next? Denali? In the Bering Sea? Chilkoot Pass? The Whittier Tunnel..
If you were at the Soldotna parade on Saturday and wondering who that singer on Mead Treadwell’s float was, it was none other than Alaska’s Hobo Jim. And if you were wondering where Gov. Sean Parnell was, he was in the North Pole parade celebrating Christmas in July.
For just $9.95 a month, or $99.95 for a year, you too can sign up for Sarah Palin’s own subscription-based online network, called the “Sarah Palin Channel,” where she promises that she’ll “talk about the issues that the mainstream media won’t talk about.” Namely herself. No word on if you get your money back if she decides to quit halfway through.
The Midnight Sun Republican Women’s Club, which is distinct from the the occasionally controversial Anchorage Women’s Republican Club, celebrated Ted Stevens day on Thursday night. Angelina Burney – head of the club, was the emcee. Catherine and Lily Stevens were there. Lily spoke about her father and his love of Alaska and about the upcoming Senate race. Spotted: Dan and Julie Sullivan, Dan Coffey, Jerry Hood, Verne Martell, Dan Saddler, Paul Fuhs, Lesil McGuire, Karina Waller, Robyn Engibous, Steve Strait, Mary Hughes, Gloria McCutcheon, Edie Opinsky, Barb and Vince Mee. Celine and Doug Kaplan, Margy Johnson, Hope Nelson, Matt and Laurie Fagnani, Myrna and Ken Maynard, Robyn and Gail Phillips, Marilyn Stewart, Paul Brown, Jennifer Johnson. Many of the same people were at Alice Rogoff’s house on Saturday, the official Ted Stevens day.
Weird factoid of the day: NASA is testing its ice drilling robot Europa here in Alaska. It will be used on a mission to Jupiter in search of life. Read more here.
An interesting race is brewing in the Valley where Rep. Eric Feige has two Republican primary opponents: George Rauscher and Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Jim Colver. Word is that Colver is all over the place, with the help of the unions, who have given him at least $12,000 in the race so far. As far as I can tell, they’re investing more in Colver than in any other candidate in Alaska. All told, Rauscher has raised $8,000, Fiege $11,285 and Colver a whopping $37,437.
Well, this solves it! If you were undecided about who you were going to get your vote for president of your condo association…oops… I mean governor, this should clear things up. The snappy music and the expert production cinches the deal. Here’s a mystery, though. The campaign tweeted it, and then shortly after, erased the tweet. Wonder why?
http://youtu.be/QkGzPhKTPWUThe annual Republican Party picnic is this Tuesday. Get details here.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
An election that has an entirely predictable outcome but can still be fun to watch is House District 34. IBEW and the House Minority Leader found someone to run against Rep. Munoz, her first opponent since she was first elected. Back then, 2008, she was the only R to beat an incumbent D in Alaska.
So on one side is IBEW, and coming up next week is the largest 2014 campaign event in Juneau so far; Operating Engineers 302, Laborer’s 942, Plumbers & Pipefitters 262, Public Employees 71, AFSCME/ASEA, MEBA, ILWU 200, Masters-Mates & Pilots, Teamsters 959, Carpenters Local 1281, and the Inland Boatman’s Union are putting on a re-election event for Rep. Munoz. There is at least one large capital project under way this summer for every square mile in Juneau, the city has full employment and then some, and Rep. Munoz is the only legislator on either finance committee from Southeast. She also has the support of the miners, the tourism businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, the fishing industry, and the gun clubs. It’s a curious place for the opposition to tuck his energy.
Sorry, Kreiss-Tonkins. Can’t seem to edit my original comment.
And, probably overlooked by many politicos over the weekend, Sorry, Kreiss-Tomkins. ran a smoking Crow Pass Crossing and came in 11th overall. From a long time observer of the race it was a stellar effort.
Abraham Lincoln described those who appeared in the Parnell commercial in his observation that; “You can fool some of the people all of the time”.
Sean Parnell’s problem with being re-elected is the rest of the people who Lincoln described. We are those people who can be fooled “some of the time” but not “all of the time”.
Election of the Palin/Parnell administration seven years ago empowered a bald-face opportunist who quit and gave name recognition to her running mate who, for the last five years, has demonstrated absolutely no ability as a leader and has jeopardized the fiscal stability of this state for future generations.
Sean fooled me once so shame on me. Now after watching his performance as Governor – shame on him.
The Governor’s ad certainly isn’t the best commercial I have ever seen. It’s not real creative, it doesn’t hit many demographics and the statements given by those on the video are well, let’s say, less than compelling. But hey, does the soundtrack music get you groovin or what. It is totally Taz.