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Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Third Republican candidate, Bernadette Wilson, enters Alaska governor's race
Republican governor candidate Bernadette Wilson is seen on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in front of the Alaska State Capitol. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) An Anchorage business owner, Republican campaigner and former talk radio host is running to be Alaska's next governor. Bernadette Wilson announced her campaign on Tuesday with a video broadcast from the steps of the Alaska Capitol and has filed a letter of intent with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. She joins Republican former state Sen. Click Bishop and Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, both of whom announced their campaigns last week. In a Juneau interview, Wilson said she's disappointed with the condition of the state and worried about what it has to offer her children. 'I see the opportunity that Alaska has here, but I also see the lack of leadership, the lack of vision. And I feel I share the frustration of Alaskans. You know, we have people who get down here and they're more concerned about keeping a job than they are about doing a job,' she said. Wilson, a former competitive figure skater, was born on the Kenai Peninsula and raised in Anchorage. A parent to three children, she is the great-niece of former Gov. Wally Hickel. She owns Denali Disposal, a private trash collection service in Anchorage. Wilson has extensive experience in Alaska politics, having worked on more than a dozen political campaigns, including the effort to elect Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and a 2010 ballot measure that would have required parents to be notified if a child is seeking an abortion. Alaskans voted for that measure, but it was later ruled unconstitutional. She hosted a talk radio show with Democrat Ethan Berkowitz until 2015 and organized protests in 2020 to oppose Anchorage's anti-COVID-19 precautions. In addition to her governor's race, Wilson is campaigning for the ballot measure that is again attempting to repeal ranked choice voting in Alaska. Wilson advised Nick Begich's successful congressional campaign last year and previously worked as the Alaska director for Americans for Prosperity and for the Alaska Policy Forum, two limited-government groups that have opposed the revival of the state's pension plan, among other issues. She has never held elected office before, but said that isn't an issue. 'Republicans love President Ronald Reagan. When Ronald Reagan ran for governor of California, it was the same thing. He didn't come up through a bureaucratic system,' she said. When asked whether she would continue Gov. Mike Dunleavy's policies, she said she hasn't been impressed with Dunleavy's performance. The incumbent governor is term-limited and unable to run for reelection. 'I'll be honest with you, I haven't seen a whole lot of what the state has done in the last few years, not just under this administration, but under multiple administrations,' she said. 'You know, name me the major infrastructure projects, name me the big things we've got going. We're at the bottom of education, the same place we were years ago. We are in no better spot financially. We're in no better spot with our education. Our PFD is spiraling, with people now trying to turn it into a welfare program. You know, I don't think there is a whole lot there to continue.' Wilson said she intends to actively campaign this year and listen to Alaskans' concerns about the state. 'We are going to be out talking to Alaskans from now, clear on until — hopefully for the next several years,' she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans Nancy Dahlstrom and Click Bishop are first to file for 2026 Alaska governor's race
Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, at left, and former state Sen. Click Bishop, at right, have each filed letters of intent signaling they will run for governor in 2026. (Alaska Beacon file photos) Former Republican state Sen. Click Bishop of Fairbanks and Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom are running for governor. On Monday, Bishop filed a letter of intent with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, an act that signals his readiness to begin raising money for the 2026 election. Hours later, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom filed a similar letter of intent. Incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and unable to run for reelection in 2026. Bishop was the first person to formally launch a campaign in next year's governor's race. 'I got bib No. 1 coming out of the starting chute,' Bishop said. 'I just hope that we can maintain that through to the election.' Dahlstrom did not answer a call on her listed number or immediately respond to a voicemail message seeking comment. Dahlstrom, 67, has been Alaska's lieutenant governor since replacing Kevin Meyer in 2022. A resident of Eagle River, she ran for Alaska's lone U.S. House seat in 2024 but withdrew from that race after finishing third in the primary election. That decision helped consolidate Republican support behind the eventual winner, Republican Nick Begich. Bishop, who served 11 years in the Alaska Senate, often as a member of a bipartisan coalition, declined to run for reelection in 2024. At the time, he said he was not done with public service, a comment that was widely interpreted to mean that Bishop was taking a break before running for statewide office. 'People have mentioned it over — about the last eight years, 'Man, we think you'd make a great governor.' And of course, your friends are going to tell you that, and they're sincere. I don't mean that in a flippant way. And, I got to thinking … (I'm) going to be 68 in July, and I think that if I'm going to do it, now is the time to do it,' he said. Alaska's next governor is likely to face immense challenges. The state's budget is expected to be in deficit, and lawmakers are predicting that they will seek to tap the state's main savings account next year, possibly leaving the incoming governor with few financial levers. The state's public schools are performing poorly by national testing standards, its population has plateaued for more than a decade, its violent crime rate is among the worst in the nation, and it has a large problem with homelessness. In the Senate, Bishop governed as a moderate, willing to work across party lines while representing his district. Asked if he governs like U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, he said, 'I think that's it. I don't get mad and take all my toys home because I don't get my way. I mean, you have to continue to work with people. … If somebody's wanting an incendiary bomb-thrower, I'm not that person.' While in the Senate, he proposed a per-person tax to benefit schools and an increase in the state's lowest-in-the-nation gas tax. Neither proposal became law. He was able to create a statewide education lottery system based around the Permanent Fund dividend. Monday's filings are unusually early by historical standards. When Dunleavy applied for the 2018 governor's race, he filed a letter of intent in July 2017. Ahead of the 2022 election, the three leading candidates all filed letters of intent in August 2021. The 2026 governor's race is expected to feature a crowded field of candidates. It will be the first time since 2002 that an incumbent governor is not on the ballot. 'I don't know — you might see a dozen (candidates),' Bishop said when asked how many people he expects to enter the race. Under Alaska's election system, governor and lieutenant governor candidates run together, on a single ticket. Bishop said he's thought about some names for his lieutenant governor, but he isn't ready to make a decision. 'I will not commit to anything as far as lieutenant governor at this point; we're a long ways off, but we'll see how it goes,' he said. He added that a bellwether for his campaign will be his ability to raise money. Alaska currently has no limit on the amount of money that an individual can donate to a political campaign. In the 2022 governor's race, the top two candidates each reported raising more than $2 million. The third raised more than $1.5 million. 'I know a lot of little people and big people, but we'll see,' he said. 'We'll give 'er our best shot. Now we're going to see who was serious about me running or not serious about me running.' Bishop owns a small gold mine in Interior Alaska and when reached on Monday said he plans to spend the next week working there before fully launching his campaign. 'We're going to mine this summer, but we've got strategic events — listening sessions — over the course of the summer, but they will ramp up after freezeup,' he said. 'I'm just looking forward to seeing and meeting with the people of Alaska to hear them.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Building and zoning reforms emerge as wedge in unusually competitive Anchorage Assembly race
Mar. 20—Six of the 12 seats on the Anchorage Assembly will be determined by this spring's municipal election, which ends on April 1. Unlike recent cycles, few of the races are particularly competitive. Four of the contests have just a single candidate running a traditional campaign, against challengers with little to no organized support or public messaging. One area where that is not the case is District 1, which covers downtown Anchorage, as well as neighborhoods like Fairview, Government Hill and Mountain View. Assembly seats are nonpartisan, but residents in the district tend to consistently elect liberal officials, often by wide margins. In this cycle, though, the progressive incumbent, Daniel Volland, is facing a robust challenge from a Realtor with a background in Republican politics and community-level public service. The challenger, Daniel George, has backing from an unusual coalition that runs the political gamut, from conservative stalwarts and former Republican politicians to progressive elected officials and left-leaning community activists. He also raised close to the same amount of money as Volland in the most recent round of campaign finance reports filed with the state, $8,824 to Volland's $10,540, although Volland had already raised substantially more prior to that, and upcoming reports to the Alaska Public Offices Commission may look quite different. One of the animating issues in the race is housing, and how members of the Assembly, including Volland, have pushed for reforms to get more homes and residential units added to Anchorage's inadequate supply. "Our worldviews are very similar," former South Anchorage Assembly member John Weddleton said about Volland. "But he's not turned out well," he added. Weddleton has been lending his support to George, donating money to his campaign and co-sponsoring a fundraiser for the first-time Assembly candidate earlier this month. [Anchorage election guide: Q&As with candidates for Assembly and school board] 'A critical inflection point' Volland was elected in a 2022 special election after the Assembly voted to add a 12th seat. Prior to that, the downtown district was represented by just one member. Turnout in that election was poor, even by the standards of District 1, which tends to have some of the lowest voter participation in the municipality. And because it was a special election among six candidates, Volland won by receiving the biggest share of votes — close to 39% — but not a majority. The second-highest vote getter received about 31%. Since joining the body, Volland, an optometrist with a business downtown, has a track record of advocating for changes to housing and zoning rules, improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and more resources for behavioral health in the public safety system, among other issues. He connects the support for his rival from traditional backers of progressive candidates to his work on housing policy, and a "change-averse" attitude among some when it comes to building and development. "I think a lot of it comes from the work we've done on housing to make it more possible to build more multifamily duplexes and threeplexes and fourplexes," said Volland, who has backed several initiatives — some successful, others not — to make it easier to build multifamily structures through code changes to land-use and permitting. Housing is a touchy subject in Anchorage politics, and one that doesn't always break across traditional political fault lines. Volland said some people have criticized Assembly members like himself for being "too bold on housing," but he also hears from constituents who don't think measures enacted in the last few years go far enough to address the scale of the affordability crisis and shortage in new units. "I think Anchorage is at a critical inflection point right now. In some ways we are in decline. But I also feel like there's a lot of folks who are embracing a positive view," Volland said. Volland pointed out that many of the people backing his opponent do not actually live in the district. Because housing and zoning policy tend to affect residents all over the city, he said, some people who oppose denser developments in neighborhoods that have long barred anything but single-family homes have been drawn to the downtown race. Daniel George grew up in Anchorage, and though a chunk of his professional career was spent working for state and congressional politicians, he's remained engaged in the city's neighborhood-level political system, both as leader of the Mountain View Community Council and Federation of Community Councils, as well as serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission. That perspective, along with his work selling homes, he said, has given him a level of technical insight into policies that are and are not working in the municipality. "Our housing stock is aged, and it's aged poorly," he said. "I'm a Realtor, I've sold a lot of houses in the Mat-Su in recent years." His campaign has drawn support from people who don't usually donate to the same candidates or socialize at fundraisers. An event on March 3 included some unlikely bedfellows. The list of co-sponsors included conservatives like former Eagle River state Sen. Anna MacKinnon, former Anchorage first lady Deb Bronson, and Mayor Dave Bronson's former Chief of Staff Sami Graham. And there were solidly liberal co-sponsors, as well, including former Assembly member Sheila Selkregg, entrepreneur and activist Eleanor Andrews, and outgoing Assembly member Karen Bronga, who represents the east side. George said the breadth of that coalition reflects relationships he's built through volunteering and public service. Part of his problem with the Assembly's approach to housing policy, he said, is less about specific policies it has pursued than the way it has tackled them. At times, he said, members have speedily advanced reform ordinances that he thinks have run roughshod over the public process. In other instances, he thinks the body's priorities have been off, like pursuing denser housing options in neighborhoods rather than finding ways to incentivize development of unused lots. "Density is not the only solution, it only nips around the edge of the solution," George said. "How do we unlock stranded parcels?" [Here are the bonds and levies on the ballot in Anchorage's city election] 'It's about the process' Not everyone's support for George over the incumbent Volland comes down to policy preferences. "He's very combative. And he draws lines and he alienates people," Weddleton said of Volland. During his two terms on the Assembly, Weddleton earned a reputation as a moderate with an interest in technical details. He said that while he supported Volland in his first bid for office, the approach to housing policy from him and some other members of the Assembly has repeatedly bypassed opportunities for public engagement, and in so doing damaged public trust among constituents. "If they don't toe his line, they're a 'NIMBY,'" said Weddleton. The acronym stands for "Not In My Backyard," and is often used to criticize people who might support development in general, but not when it happens near their homes or neighborhoods. Weddleton said his support for George comes partly out of his shared background on the Planning and Zoning Commission and as a fellow "community council guy," who in spite of his own political positions, prioritizes civility and pragmatism. That was likewise what drew Karen Bronga to back George. "We don't agree on a hell of a lot of things, but we agree on engaging with people, being civil," said Bronga, who opted not to run for re-election. In 2023, Bronga beat another first-time candidate who was aligned with the conservative Bronson administration. Though generally she votes with the Assembly majority, she has often split with it. And she's critical of political orthodoxy she believes has put the body out of step with many residents, even those who support a more liberal-leaning agenda for the city. "We have an Assembly that has swung too far left in some areas," she said. "I'm hearing more and more from people that contributed to my campaign that are considered very progressive ... And they are like, 'What the hell is going on with this Assembly? It's gone too far to the left.'" One resident who typifies some of the trends at play in the District 1 race is Dianne Holmes. A retiree who lives on the south side, Holmes regularly testifies before the Assembly and is highly engaged with land use and zoning issues across the city. Typically, when she donates to local political campaigns, it is to more liberal-leaning candidates. But this cycle she has contributed to George. "We had great hopes for Volland. And I think it has to do a lot with the housing situation. No one will say 'we're against more housing,' because we need it. But it's about the process," Holmes said. She ticked off a number of housing and zoning measures from the last two years that have gone before the Assembly. Some, she said, were decent proposals. But what bothered her were the ways she believes Volland and others steered them away from public input or diminished oversight and review from city planners. Holmes and others do not expect George to win. It is hard to unseat an Assembly incumbent. And though George has raised a respectable amount of money, he filed to run for the seat at the very last minute and has raced to stand up a visible campaign. But, she said, this may get him some name recognition for next year, when Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, who is barred by term limits from running again, is not on the ballot. Other races this cycle are drastically more lopsided, with many local politicos treating them as foregone conclusions, either because of an incumbency advantage, or because one candidate has a monopoly on resources over the challengers. Or both. The Eagle River contest includes two candidates both running for Assembly for the first time who are closely matched on fundraising. Municipal ballots were mailed out earlier this month and have to be postmarked or cast in person by April 1.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fundraising in Anchorage Assembly campaigns has dropped off a cliff
Mar. 6—With less than a month until voting closes in Anchorage's municipal elections, the competitive frenzy and lavish spending surrounding district-level races in recent years are mostly absent. Donors are spending a fraction of what they did in the 2022 and 2023 cycles. And in several cases, candidates are functionally running unopposed. Election packets will be mailed to voters on March 11, and ballots must be cast in person or postmarked by April 1. Half of the Assembly's 12 seats will be decided, and with just two incumbents running, at least four members elected this spring will be new to the body. In spite of the stakes, the most recent round of campaign finance reports published by the Alaska Public Offices Commission paints a very different picture from those of recent years. Campaign money in the 2022 and 2023 election cycles was, by local standards, off the charts. That was in part because of a uniquely contentious political phase coming out of the pandemic lockdowns, the election of Mayor Dave Bronson and clashes between the Assembly and Bronson administration during unruly, packed public meetings. The other factor at play was a 2021 federal court decision striking down the state's individual campaign contributions, undamming a reservoir of political spending. In 2024, there was a mayor's race and subsequent runoff between Bronson and Mayor Suzanne LaFrance that replicated many of the same dynamics, but no Assembly seats were on the ballot. This year, just a fraction of the money raised in many district-level races has been brought in. What's more, several races are significantly lopsided in terms of campaign resources and operations, with one candidate doing all the fundraising while their rivals are — in some cases — mounting no visible campaign at all. One example of this year's trend is in West Anchorage. By this point in the 2023 campaign, eventual winner Anna Brawley had raised nearly $69,000 against her main rival's $64,552 in what was one of that year's most competitive races. This year, incumbent Kameron Perez-Verdia, seeking a third term, has raised $52,468, according to his latest APOC disclosure. Neither of the two other candidates who filed for that seat, Jonathan Duckworth and Amie Steen, reported any fundraising to APOC, nor do either of them have campaign websites set up. The dynamic is the same in East Anchorage and South Anchorage, the two most expensive district races in 2022 and 2023, respectively, as well as in the Midtown district. In 2022, the contest between incumbent Forrest Dunbar and Bronson-aligned challenger Stephanie Taylor racked up close to a half-million dollars, a record for an Assembly race. This year in East Anchorage, though there are still weeks to go, first-time candidate Yarrow Silvers reported $33,405 in donations to her campaign. Neither of her challengers, Angela Frank or John Stiegele, filed campaign reports. South Anchorage saw the most expensive race in the 2023 cycle between Zac Johnson and Rachel Ries. This year, just one candidate, Keith McCormick, has mounted a visible campaign, raising $21,048 according to his latest APOC filing. His challenger, Darin Colbry, reported no fundraising and doesn't have a campaign website. And in Midtown, where there is no incumbent candidate, first-time candidate Erin Baldwin Day, a community organizer and policy advocate, has raised close to $40,000 from a mix of liberal-leaning politicos, union political action groups, and current Assembly members. Running against her is Don Smith, who represented South Anchorage on the Assembly between 1975 and 1985, but has no evident campaign fundraising or spending so far this year. Money does not necessarily win local political races. But particularly in low turnout municipal races lacking an incumbent who has name recognition, it can play a big role drawing votes. At this point the most competitive Assembly seat is shaping up to be in downtown Anchorage, between the Daniels: Daniel Volland, the incumbent, and Daniel George, a Realtor with a background in Republican state and congressional politics. By Feb. 28, Volland raised $37,405 from a mix of elected officials, small donors, family members, and sizable contributions from organized labor groups. George raised about half of that, $18,131. However, his donors represent an unusual coalition to support the more conservative candidate in what is typically Anchorage's most liberal voting district. George's most recent fundraiser on March 3 was hosted by prior elected officials spanning the political spectrum, from previous Assembly members like Sheila Selkregg and John Weddleton to prominent local conservatives such as recent Anchorage first lady Deb Bronson and former Republican state Sen. Anna MacKinnon. Among George's donors are several vocal neighborhood and zoning advocates, as well. A third candidate, Nicolas Danger, has not reported any fundraising. In Eagle River, Jared Goecker, who ran unsuccessfully to replace Republican state Sen. Kelly Merrick, reported raising $6,264, including a contribution from the Alaska Republican Party. Challenger Kyle Walker reported raising $1,490 during February from four donations. A third candidate, David Littleton, reported nothing to APOC. Campaign strategy has shifted in recent years, as Anchorage voters and candidates have grown accustomed to ballots arriving to them in the mail weeks before they have to be returned. In recent cycles, candidates have sat on their war-chests until roughly when ballots begin arriving in peoples' mailboxes, then blitzed potential voters' with direct mail and digital ads during the small window when many people have newly started tuning into the looming election.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ranked choice repealers face more fines for campaign finance violations
The door to the Juneau offices of the Alaska Public Offices Commission is seen on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) State political campaign regulators issued another heavy penalty this week against the organizers of a failed campaign that sought to repeal Alaska's ranked choice voting system. On Monday, the Alaska Public Offices Commission fined Alaskans for Honest Elections, Alaskans for Honest Government, the Ranked Choice Education Association and Arthur Matthias a combined total of almost $157,000. That comes after a prior fine of more than $94,000. The prior fine has been appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, but in this week's order, the Alaska Public Offices Commission ruled that the failed petitioners still have not filed financial disclosure forms mandated under the previous citation. 'We agree that the respondents are violating the prior order and the law, conclude that their appeal of some issues in prior order does not excuse their lack of compliance, and impose civil penalties for the ongoing and new violations,' the commission's order states in part. The three groups and one individual cited by the commission were instrumental in the signature gathering before last year's Ballot Measure 2, which sought to repeal Alaska's system of open primary elections and a ranked choice general election. In November, Alaska voters voted down the repeal by about 0.2% of 320,985 votes cast. The organizers of the failed measure had said they intended to launch another repeal campaign for the 2026 election but canceled those plans in favor of a campaign run by the Alaska Republican Party, which continues to pursue repeal. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
