I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If the only thing Alaskans were voting on in the Senate race were television ads, Democrats and Mark Begich would win hands down. Below is the latest attack ad against GOP Senate candidate Dan Sullivan from Put Alaska First, the pro-Begich super-PAC, featuring Dillingham fisherman and lawyer Joe Faith. Once again, the ad goes after Sullivan for his role in HB 77, a controversial bill that gave unprecedented powers to the DNR commissioner to issue permits. At the time of its drafting, Sullivan was the DNR commissioner. Those who helped draft the bill, including Sullivan, said that it cut through red-tape that was impeding development. The public came out in droves to testify against it and the bill died in the Senate. This is the fourth ad Put Alaska First has made featuring HB 77. The first featured a moose hunter—the claims of which were a ‘stretch’—and the second featured well-known former Democratic lawmaker Sam Cotten. Beth Northlund, the executive director of Anchorage Park Foundation, played a lead role in the third ad. The issue is custom-made for good attack ads. If Sullivan or any anti-Begich super-PAC has found a similiar issue to use against Begich, they’re keeping it a secret.


