Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz was not only busy raising funds and running for reelection in 2017.
He was busy engaged in a sexting relationship with a news anchor, Maria Athens, who was covering the goings-on at City Hall in Alaska’s largest city for the local Fox News and CBS affiliate.
Athens is a talented news anchor, with sparkle in her eyes and an aggressive style of reportage. The camera loves her, but, as she was heard on voicemail, she once loved the mayor.
Berkowitz is a mild-mannered social justice warrior who recently spoke at a Black Lives Matter rally and complimented the crowd for being “a sea of revolutionaries.” A San Francisco transplant, he was the Democrats’ best chance for governor in 2022.
The two were an unlikely match.
Once Athens decided to pull the pin out of the grenade on Berkowitz, by posting a naked picture of him (a selfie she had from him in her camera) on Facebook, his career quickly tanked. The photo showed his entire backside, head to floor, not a stitch of clothing in sight. She showed some of the other photos she had of him to friends — including many said to be him from the front view, again, without clothes.
Berkowitz quickly became Alaska’s Anthony Weiner.
Within four days he had resigned from office as mayor and after a long and storied political career that included being a state representative, he said he would return to private life. He was not going to answer any other questions about the relationship; instead, he would try to repair the damage done to his family.
The entire incident leaves the Alaska Democratic Party in a lurch. Berkowitz was the top of their party — their highest elected official in the state. He was also the glue that was holding the powerful Anchorage Democratic Party machine together. He was their best shot at taking out Gov. Mike Dunleavy, the incumbent Republican governor from conservative Wasilla.
The sad, sordid decline of Berkowitz is, in a nutshell, the tale of the Alaska Democratic Party, up and down the ticket. They’ve blown it, big time.
For the national seats of U.S. Senate and U.S. House, the Democrats didn’t even run candidates under their own party flag this year.
Instead, they backed two candidates who pretend to be nonpartisans — Al Gross for Senate and Alyse Galvin for House. The Democratic Party has poured its time and treasure into these two, blocking and tackling any Democrat who dared to get in the way of the non-party candidates the Alaska Democratic Party now embraces.
In the State Senate, there are 11 seats up for election in 2020; three are occupied by incumbent Democrats (Tom Begich, Donny Olsen, Bill Wielechowski). Of the eight that are at play, the Democrats do not have candidates for six of the seats: No Democrats ran against Sen. Bert Stedman, Rob Myers, Shelley Hughes, Gary Stevens, or Josh Revak.
The reputation of the party is so low that only in three races could the Democratic Party find candidates to run against Republicans for Senate — against David Wilson, Natasha Von Imhof, and Roger Holland.
The Democrats have gone nearly 30 years without winning a majority in either the State House or Senate. They’ve gone 22 years since they had a Democrat as governor. And at this point, Democrats only comprise 13 percent of the electorate in Alaska.
Now, with their main guy — Mayor Berkowitz — sidelined by his own naked selfies, the Alaska Democratic Party is rudderless, looking for a new standard-bearer at a time when it’s been investing heavily into the non-party alternatives, rather than building a bench for the future.
It’s time for the Democrats to come to Jesus and stop towing the Globalist agenda. They should try doing what is right for Alaskans, instead of working tirelessly to reshape Alaska in the image of failed California.
Thank you for that insight. I applaud you Suzanne. ???
Keep it coming.
The Democrats are all about control and socialism for all
Think Alaskan Alaskans quit supporting Californians cloaking as Alaskans.
They want their agenda, not ours.
I was a “Young Democrat” back in the 70’s. I stayed long enough to see that it was “what’s good for the party is good for America”.
I believe that the “Globalism” issue is what tanked them all across the country though. They seem to have given up on trying to run America, and are building their own caliphate, hoping to control America by controlling the world.
Well… I hasten to point out that Berky is hardly a Statewide Candidate. Didn’t he run against Don once upon a time? I loved his ads where he was wearing a plaid shirt and new blue jeans, down on the docks… how Alaskan.
Yes, I remember when Berkowitz was running against Don Young. I was living in a liberal enclave in downtown Juneau, a lone conservative in a sea of so-called progressives. Berkowitz knocked on my door with a fistful of pamphlets, asking for my vote. I said, “no thanks,” and he asked me why I was voting for Don. He was wearing the ubiquitous plaid shirt politicians who aren’t Alaskans always wear, cuz he thinks we’re so stupid we would actually vote for a short guy from San Francisco in “manly” clothes. Give me a unshaven guy wearing Helly Hansons after a 2 week halibut trip anytime!
I’m sitting back and watching the implosion of the Democratic Party in the United States. Nov 4th we will see a surprise. I think all conservatives will love. Democrat Party is up for a rude awaking.
ALASKA is a victim of political missionaries from the left coast – four pothead states,SFO, PDX, SAN, SEA, LAX, HON. I cringe whenever another out-of-state plate is seen.
Well done MRA.
Congratulations on your writing s being elevated to the National Platform. Well deserved Suzanne.
You are Alaska s Voice of Truth, and we are very Proud that you are ours.
Yes, MustReadAK has brought not only balance but honesty to the Alaska political landscape, particularly as so much of the media is so lopsided. Absent MustReadAK we would not have Kyle Hopkins writing of Fansler, Westlake and Mallott right now in the context of the pink hat movement. (Hopkins overlooked Parish, Grussendorf, Edgmon and a few other Democrats however.) And remember, it was MustReadAK that broke the AG email story, and therefore it is indeed balance and fairness we find on these pages. Absent MustReadAK we would not have finally learned more as to why the Lt. Governor abruptly resigned at the 2018 AFN event. Not only the print media but radio and television have now found objectivity, as well as balance and honesty thanks to Suzanne Downing.
Still hoping the rest of the little fella’s story comes out. Shirley, there is more.
Has the statute of limitations passed on the quick/hide investigation of his wife’s vehicular homicide incident?
It is really odd that right wingers, like the ones who leave comments here, think the Dems are Socialists. As a Socialist I can assure you they are not. Not even close. I guess Republicans only want a country of republicans and uber right wingers. No need for naysaying in this country right?
Not all Dems are socialists but all socialists (almost all) are Dems.
Whatever happened to the information packet that you receive as a new employee
In it is your benefit packet and a standard of conduct manual.?
In the standard of conduct manual there would an explanation that sexual misconduct would not be tolerated and you would be reprimanded up to firing.
Curious how former Mayor Burkowitz got away with his perverse actions, and lies and then got to dictate what day he would resign.
Who’s in charge of that sh– show?
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