“Let’s get this party started!” could have been the theme on Saturday in the MatSu Valley, as Sen. Dan Sullivan and the two Republican women’s clubs in the Mat-Su Valley hosted a celebration recognizing newly elected Alaska Republican Party Chairwoman Carmela Warfield.
About 100 people attended the “Unity Celebration” at MatSu Family Restaurant.
“This was opportunity for the party to do a little kick off with a pledge of unity and to really make statement, to come together, and what better place to do that than in the valley. Carmela is family as far as we’re concerned,” said Pam Melin, president of Valley Republican Women of Alaska.
Sullivan may have been the star guest for the event. But then came the unmistakable voice of Donald Trump: Sullivan had brought with him a recorded message from former President Trump, voicing support for Alaska and for Sen. Sullivan himself.
Sullivan in his remarks noted that President Joe Biden has now taken 63 executive actions against Alaska in three years — three more than he had when Sullivan developed the initial inventory of Biden’s adverse decisions back in January.
At this rate, the number of anti-Alaska actions by the Biden Administration is accelerating faster than Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s stock portfolio, someone in the room muttered.
The two clubs, MatSu Republican Women and Valley Republican Women of Alaska, raise money and volunteer for conservative candidates, and both have been supportive of Warfield in her campaign for party chair.
Kathy McCollum is the president of MatSu Republican Women and president of the MatSu School Board; she and Melin, who is elected to the Palmer City Council, have been working together build unity with conservatives in the Valley for many months.
“It was a fantastic continuation of the enthusiasm from the Republican convention. We are all so thrilled to be a part of helping our new chair, Carmela in her drive to bring unity to our party,” McCollum said.
“People are hungry for change and want to be part of it,” Melin said. “We have a job to do and that is to get our conservative candidates in. That’s what today was about, hoping others will follow along. We know the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club members feel the same way and I venture to say Fairbanks and Juneau do too.”
Sullivan repeated the comments of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, renown for the quip, “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.” He noted the strong grassroots reputation that the Republican women’s clubs have in Alaska.
Sullivan also presented the Alaska Republican Party with a check for $5,000 as a show of support and unity.
Warfield spoke about how she has “hit the ground running this first week, going through leadership transition, putting together our committee chairs, putting plans in place for local pipelines of succession & preparing to train our grassroots activists, and how we are stronger, together.”
“I’m a proud and active member of both clubs, and they both came out for me very early and very strong,” Warfield said, of her landslide victory the week prior, when she was elected the new chairwoman in the final hours of the Alaska Republican Party state convention in Anchorage.
“I introduced Alaska’s good friend, Senator Sullivan, and mentioned the work he’s doing to push back on the Biden Administration and how Sen. Sullivan came out early to endorse President Trump,” Warfield said, who said she is proud to be a member of both valley Republican women’s clubs.
Spotted at the celebration were party officers:
• Carmela Warfield, State Chairwoman
• Ron Johnson, Region 2 Representative
• Casey Campbell, D29 Chair
• Carol Carman D29 Secretary
• Ryan Sheldon, D30 Chair
• Linn McCabe, D30 Bonus Vote
• Executive board members of both women’s clubs
Also attending were other political activists and leaders:
- • Nick Begich, candidate for U.S House
• Edna DeVries, Mayor MatSu Borough
• Ole Larson, MatSu School Board member
• Rob Yundt, MatSu Assemblyman & candidate for State Senate
• Kathy McCollum, President MatSu Women’s Club and MatSu School Board member
• Pam Melin, VRWAK President and Palmer City Council
• Jubilee Underwood, MatSu School Board President and State House candidate
• Stu Graham, Wasilla City Council
• Bill Kendig, board member and candidate, Matanuska Electric Association
• Tom Bergey, MatSu school board member, former board president
Numerous members of community councils were also in attendance. The youngest Republicans present were Nick Begich IV and John Warfield.
Look at you Dan trying to lose the Swamp look by trying to look like a local! You’ve really pushed back against The Biden Administration by voting for every give away program He wanted! What about our Borders Dan!!!
I agree, Ken. Sullivan is all talk and stern letters and no action — or negative, pro-Biden administration action, which is even worse.
WHY is just about every Republican in office so cuckolded and neutered?
Dan has made some terrible choices with this regime. Two that piss me off were the attorney General and interior secretary votes.
Dan , Dan the photo op man
Dan is weak, I voted for him thinking he was a freedom fighter patriot.
I know that this is a long shot, but would Carmela let me back into the Republican Woman’s Club? I sure miss all you great ladies.
Oh Nancy, just show up. I don’t think they’d have the guts to escort you out…especially if you threaten that you will tell Lisa about how they treated you. You know that they are afraid of Lisa and do what she wishes.
Getting Nick Begich into Congress will really improve the conservative makeup of are delegation. We need Mary gone.
Sullivan is a good guy but he supported the wrong candidate for senate last time. I hope he makes up for it this time!
I bet the Republican party has lost more support in the last two years than they have in the previous 20+. I’ll always be conservative but my days of supporting that party are over.
The only unity coming out of the Republicans (minus the real conservatives) lately is unity with the democraps and the uni-party. They will keep giving joe what he wants nationally and the akgop will keep bending over for the Dems here.
I just still cannot believe that she got the seat. Look at her squeezing her fingers until they are turning red. Sullivan has a guts to show up and pretend like he hasn’t been giving away our money. The republican parties have guts for pretending like the world is all hunky dory and not much is going on. They support Sullivan with open arms. The republican parties are going to make the valley loose its foothold against the evil.
The RINO herd gathers
Birds of a feather
… feast on the carcass of the USA together.
The republican party in Alaska is almost dead. If you look at what is happening in Juneau, you’ll see that the party is infested with democrats. For example the two from Kodiak are basically democrats. Yet the republican party does nothing about it. If you run as a republican, you better vote as a republican.
If Swampy Dan is “Alaska’s good friend”, imagine if he hated us.
Dan your not getting my vote or anybody I know as you sold out to the rinos and sewer rats.
A couple of observations:
… Where’s Lisa and why isn’t she in attendance at this event? Did she not get an invite or, does she not feel comfortable – safe within this Conservative Women’s Group?
… Hopefully, a commitment to the AKGOP Platform was of paramount importance to the Leadership?
… Maybe(?), in future events of such, a Key Speaker such as Charlie Kirk might be beneficial and worthwhile, especially in pulling in younger participants. Most impressive would be an in-person visit but, even if he could attend virtually (certainly we have the technology and capability!). Maybe(?), even a selection National Conservative Women Speakers would help with current endeavors (but, definitely not Palin!).
…A heavy emphasis on ‘unity’ is very promising. Hopefully, the Leadership has a good plan to implement with a high propensity of success.
If Carmela lets Nancy back into the Republican Woman’s Club, I’d love to visit and apologize to all of the great ladies for appointing Lisa. Worst mistake of my life. She’s turned into a country club communist.
Why would you even Want to be there? Other than to rip them off again I hope they don’t let you anywhere near there.! Better would be a meeting with tar,feathers and a rail,With your nasty offspring included
Like daddy , like daughter
Sullivan is fooling everyone.
– “Sullivan also presented the Alaska Republican Party with a check for $5,000 as a show of support and unity.”
Buying support.
– “But then came the unmistakable voice of Donald Trump: Sullivan had brought with him a recorded message from former President Trump, voicing support for Alaska and for Sen. Sullivan himself.”
Seriously People? Are you going to believe this one? My kids can use AI to reproduce President Trump’s voice and it sounds believable.
Hmm. Begich III goes out bear hunting and is showing that he is a regular Alaskan that likes to hunt and fish. Sullivan shows up at a public republican event wearing ill-fitting jeans and looking like a local. Is there a pattern here? A little bit of psychological manipulation going on here in our local party?
The image consultants hard at work applying lipstick to the barnyard critters in the mud pit
Dan is basically holding hands with Lisa. He has zero backbone!
Dan is just a Murkowski in training. The swamp has their hooks in him as well. He has not stopped a single taxpayer give away and our border is still wide open. I see the party didn’t elect President Trump’s Chair pick, Jerry Ward. But tell you they support Trump. Liars and deceivers in my book. For every swamp creature in the GOP, I hope you choke on your appetizers.
Many commenters criticize Sullivan for his votes. I’ve spent time with him on several ocassions. His conservative perspective never changes. We need to view things in full context. If he votes for a leftist issue its never decisive; rather, he is trading it for something else valuable for Alaska. Now Murkowski is something else altogether. She gives leftist Dems decisive votes on key issues (Obamacare for one) which makes her a true traitor to Republicans.