Begich to the rescue for the Democrats

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The Alaska Democratic Party is jettisoning Gov. Bill Walker to rally around Mark Begich as the true-blue Democrat who can help them rebuild their party.

Begich re-enters the arena today as a Democratic candidate for governor; Walker has indicated he will retreat from the Democrats’ primary and run as a petition candidate in November. He will return to gathering the signatures he needs.

Debra Call, a left-leaning member of Knik Village and Cook Inlet Tribal Councils, showed up at the Division of Elections today and began her paperwork for lieutenant governor, telling news reporters that Begich had called her at 9 pm Thursday and asked her to be his running mate.

In a three-way race, Begich has a tough time beating both Walker and the Republican nominee, so his goal will be to destroy Walker between now and Sept. 2. That’s the last day that Walker can withdraw from the November ballot. Voters can expect a bruising campaign from Begich, who will pound on Walker’s failings and publish damaging information about him.

Begich will then emerge as the head of the Alaska Democratic Party, and even if he comes in second will be ready for a run for Senate in 2020 against U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.

A former mayor of Anchorage, Begich defeated Sen. Ted Stevens in 2008, and served one term in the Senate before being defeated by Sen. Dan Sullivan.

DEBRA CALL TRUMPS BYRON MALLOTT BY AN X CHROMOSOME 

For a running mate, Begich has gone to a Native matriarch to match against Tlingit Byron Mallott, the current lieutenant governor. At 63, she is 12 years younger than Mallott.

Debra Call, from her Facebook page.

Mallott had run as the Democrats’ pick for governor in 2014, but after the primary, the Alaska Democratic Party’s state central committee kicked him to the second slot on the ballot and installed Walker, who was still a Republican at the time of the negotiations, at the top of the ticket. Walker then registered as an undeclared, and the two went on to victory, pulling from the left and the middle of the electorate.

Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, screen grab from YouTube.

But Begich has drawn on the new technique of Democratic “intersectionality” in his pick of Call. He’ll have a Native running mate and a woman running mate all in one.

Plus, she doesn’t come from a Southeast tribe. And with Mallott’s famously fiery temper, Call has a lot to work with to oppose him.

Call is deeply immersed in grievance politics and appears anti-Second Amendment, if her Facebook feed is any indication.

Bloomberg’s profile of Call says: “Ms. Debra L. Call, also known as Deb, served as Corporate Director of Health Information at Centere Healthcare Corporation. Ms. Call served as Vice President of Operations of Alaska Native Heritage Center, Incorporated. Ms. Call served as a Director of Operations and Human Resources of Alaska Native Heritage Center, Incorporated. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) with over 25 years of experience in health information services. She specialized in inpatient rehabilitation coding for prospective payment system reimbursement, and also has expertise in acute care and long-term care PPS coding. She provides oversight and training for coding and reimbursement systems as well as assuring all HIPPA requirements are met in all partnership locations. She serves as Director of Alaska Travel Industry Association.”

A PARTY IN SHAMBLES?

Alaska Democrats took the State House over when they convinced three Republicans to join them in 2016 in a coup.

But now, one third of House Democrats are either not running for reelection or have resigned, and the party has Bill Walker as its current standard-bearer; he is not even a Democrat. If he won a second term, they could not count on his support for their party platform.

This is a Democratic Party in need of rescue and Begich is the man to do it. Today at 5 pm is the filing deadline for candidates. This story will be updated. Check back for more.

10 COMMENTS

  1. May be wrong, but I’m thinking this is a good thing for the Republicans. Split the D vote.

  2. So Last night at 9:30 Begich calls someone that he does not personally know nor has he likely vetted, and asks that person to be his Lt Gov running mate. That is truly unbelievable! I guess all he needs to know is that the person is a Native American, not from SEAK, and is a women. Maybe it will be a good thing, maybe not. But if this is the type of judgement he will exercise as Governor, then we might be in trouble.
    In the meantime I think I saw Dunleavy at the flower shop ordering flowers to be sent to Begich.

  3. Its a fact. The problem is young “White American Citizens.” Why does the left get away with racist statements?

  4. O.M.G!! Didn’t Alaska see enough of Begich as he did nothing worthwhile in the Senate?

  5. This is great news. Begich will be tied up destroying Walker. He will split the vote and Walker will get what he deserves. He has driven our state into a ditch and destroyed all of Gov. Parnell’s good work. Anyone further left than Walker doesn’t have a chance in November but this makes for great theatre on the road to the election. Begich just proved what a snake he is but Walker needed to be outdone by his own kind.

  6. Anyone who is anti-gun and anti 2nd amendment should not get into office. Especially in Alaska. What are we? The 2nd California?

  7. I’d vote for her, but not for him. Not ever. His past history is unremarkable at best and having been in the same room with him on multiple occasions I can tell you he’s a snake. No, No, No.

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