The popular mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough is resigning from that position so he can travel the state and continue campaigning for governor. Charlie Pierce broke the news on the Must Read Alaska Show with John Quick, host and producer.
He said if he made the top four for the November ballot, he plan always had been to resign.
He has been a mayor who has not raised taxes, but lowered them, and the borough has more reserves now than when he took office. Schools have been funded to the cap for the last three years without raising taxes or the mil rate. Pierce first came into office in 2017, and was six years on the Assembly.
As a Republican running for governor in the primary, he got 6.70% of the vote on the Aug. 16 ballot, enough to place him in the final four for the ranked choice election in November.
This story is being updated. Check back.
I heard Mr. Pierce speak at a conference, He is a no nonsense person who will listen and fight for We The People of Alaska. I also would like Edie Grunwald to be our Lieutenant Governor. As a retired Colonel, she will be a great leader, not only for our beloved military and the elderly of this state, but for all Alaskans.
Want your permanent fund? He will get it for you. Don’t want to wear masks again? You have a choice with this man.
I would love to have Charlie Pierce for governor!
And yay! So happy to have MRAK back in my inbox! ??
Don’t see this guy making up the ground. I just hope the Pierce voters pick a second and don’t hand this to Walker.
Charlie cannot win. He just doesn’t have the numbers or the statewide name recognition. He’s got to know that. However, disgraced Bill Walker doesn’t have the numbers either, and his name recognition is in the trash can. Expect Walker and Gara to team-up within two weeks. It will be similar to the Unity Ticket produced in 2014 between Walker and child molester Byron Mallott.
That ticket worked.
.
For the sake of saving Alaska from a Joe Biden-like Administration, Governor Dunleavy should be prepared to do something similar…….that is, unifying a conservative ticket with Charlie Pierce.
They can’t do that. It is not possible under the new voting system of RCV.
Governor and Lt. Governor run as a ticket together and had to declare such ticket prior to the filing deadline with the Division of Elections.
In the end, it looks like we have 4 pairs to choose between. Dunleavy & Dahlstrom, Pierce & Grunwald, Walker & Drygas, and Gara & Cook
You are absolutely correct.
But guess what? It is very very illegal to offer something to a candidate to induce them to quit a race. If Walker offers Gara the #2 he will be fine.
If Dunleavy does the same for Pierce the ADN, KTUU, and leftist judges will crucify him.
Not correct! Each team has until September 6th to make changes, through their respective political parties, by dropping a candidate and adding another.
And don’t forget, in 1990 Joe Vogler dropped John Lindauer from his Alaska Independent Party and replaced him with the new ticket of Wally Hickel and Jack Coghill, who went on to win.
That was all before RCV became our election system.
The current rules are people can drop out, but not substitute candidates. If someone drops out prior to September 5th, then the 5th place ticket moves into the top 4.
64 days prior to the election is the requirement, that is why Tara Sweeney was not allowed on the special election ballot. Al Gross dropped out with less than 64 days to the special election thus only 3 candidates on the ballot.
Even if someone dies, they are still part of the ticket and would be replaced after the election.
RCV got rid of the party’s ability to substitute candidates
There would be court challenges by conservatives and whoever tried this scheme would lose.
Charlie Pierce deserves to be our Governor. His sound leadership and experience have proven it. Dunleavy had his chance, and we see how that turned out. It takes money to run a campaign everyone. Get involved in helping his campaign any way you can, and chip in money today. Signs and travel cost money folks. Any small amount helps. Help Charlie win!
As a resident of KPB, I’m sad to lose him as mayor. He’ll be my #1 pick for governor, but right now I’d bet on Dunleavy (who will be ranked #2 on my ballot) winning.
Probably an election too soon. He has my vote, but too many continue to apologize for the eunuch currently in office.
Charlie, maybe you should keep focusing on your job as Kenai borough mayor and run for governor in 2026. 6.7% will not get you to Juneau, but it will get Walker or Gara elected.
This not a good move. This will split the Republican votes handing the win to the Democrats. If Democrats take the governorship, this state is done. We will look just like CA, OR, WA. One thing about Democratic states, the home prices seem to stay high. Would be time to move.
Anchorage is already californicated……
Speaking to all Trump supporters! The majority of DJT picks are very good people but Dunleavy is not one of them. Dunleavy continues to ignore the rampant voter fraud in his State through mail-in and overseas ballots. He also is ignoring all the data that has already been collected on how the machines are hacked and election results altered. Your elections Alaska, are rigged. Now, saying this does not mean we shouldn’t vote. Arizona has already shown that if voters turn out on game day at their polling places in large numbers, their fraud system can be overcome. Things to remember, do not mail-in your ballots, vote on election day in large numbers within the last couple hours of voting. Do not rank the communist candidates that are in the race like Murkowski, Pelota and Gara. Let them be crushed by lack of votes, period! I was supporting Kurka who would have addressed our voting issues here but the RINO Republicans did all they could to stop him and he’s out of the race. I like Pierce, he could be a good alternative if he will root out corruption and push for securing our votes. One thing is obvious, Dunleavy and Walker are not the answer. People need to understand the obvious danger the country is in with a government that has abandoned constitutional principles and is sold out to China and globalism. If you continue to vote for the lesser of 2 evils, the America First movement dies and you become slaves to a corrupt system. You have to understand that many politicians have been installed in their positions, not by the voter, but by their system that has been put together over the last 3 decades. It is complex and comprehensive. Any Alaskan that loves freedom must be engaged in this fight or lose the freedom so many have died to protect. Stay frosty!
Why did he really resign? Clearly this campaign is just cover.
Trolls have arrived. Just what Alaskans need, the trolls are alive in the state. Let the fun begin.
Follow the documents…..reality is a tough pill for some.
Until a case is filed in court, it’s gossip. Whatever clown attorney is advising this employee is just looking to cash in the big in deep pocket of money that Mr Pierce has been instrumental in accumulating for the people of the Borough. Let a jury decide.
It’s a perfect time for this to happen…A lot of snakes in the woodpiles.
Hopefully the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Members adhere to their fiduciary duties and don’t settle out of court. We will see what they are made of as leaders here!
Charlie can, and will win. He and Grunwald are the best and only option, now is the time to get the word out. The other candidates may have money, but he has moxie. Just reflect on how the Covid was handled by both candidates, because it is far from over.
Be honest to yourself and don’t believe for a second that Charlie’s going to win. It’s just not going to happen!
I am certainly with you, but I’m afraid he probably won’t win. But with this ranked choice I and everyone else gets to vote for him regardless of his predicted chances without it being a vote for the Democrat because we get to vote for Dunleavy second. But I sure hope that everyone understands that a vote for Dunleavy or Pierce first without picking the other second is like keeping the “red” sea split too long and allowing the enemy across.
So for me this a slam dunk. Charlie first, Mike second. It would be nice to see both Mike and Charlie work with each other a little bit and advise their supporters to vote for the other guy second.
Gawd, another quitter.
I knew it was here. Resignation to run a campaign becomes “quitter”, even if the position is handed off to another good conservative with excellent chances of re-election.
And this is from yet another supposed “conservative”, since it’s a stretch to imagine liberal Demonrats reading and commenting on MRA……..unless it’s purposeful political sabotage.
Makes me wonder if there is any hope at all for humanity. Depressing.
Charlie is the only candidate that can clean up the mess the State is in thanks to Dunleavy & Walker! Go get ’em!
Perhaps Charlie should leave the
Governor’s race and ensure we don’t end with Walker or Gara.
He most certainly wont win.nothing against Charlie, just the fact
Not a politically savvy move at all, especially in an election cycle with a well known quitter.
I voted for Charlie in the primary to help ensure the liberal and democrat friendly Kurka would not advance. Charlie will be my second choice in the general, I’d be happy with him as governor but he will have his chance next cycle. Charlie wants the same things Mike wants, they will both accomplish the same things with the legislature we give them. If we give them a liberal legislature we will see more of the same.
Anyone who says that having multiple choice with rank voting will split the vote simply does not understand what is happening. There is no splitting of votes. It’s a stupid way to vote, but willfully choosing to not understand such a simply system is beyond stupid. Rank your choices or don’t, if you don’t rank someone who you think would be better than the next person on the ballot then it’s on you when you get a liberal or socialist or communist.
Sorry Charlie………but your starkist candidacy won’t make it to the governor’s mansion.
Clearly the winning strategy for the R’s is to rank the red. My larger concern is for Walker and Gara to team up with Gara going off ballot. Walker did it before. History repeats.
This election is getting more interesting all the time. But please don’t mention Dunleavy and Walker together. Walker did his best, through Scott Kendall to completely derail Mike’s first term. And right now, Senator Natasha von Imhof is trying to connect Dunleavy to the firing of Angela Rodell, former Executive Director of the Alaska Permanent Fund. Von Imhof has promised a final report in October, just before the General Election. Also remember that von Imhof is one of Walker’s co-chairs. Shades of the Sea Parnell Trooper scandal that disappeared right after Walker was elected. Remember that Parnell also had a big lead over Walker. The Walker people are pulling out the sleaze and everything goes. Consider them and Gara to be two peas out of the same pod, with Walker’s Law firm donating to both campaigns. Rank red or Alaska is finished.
Dunleavy hasn’t said or done anything to refine the election system and restore trust, which isn’t a minor issue. Even if ballot measure 2 passed with all legitimacy, it takes way too long for Alaska to count votes and mail in ballots in Anchorage need to go and the Dominion system needs to be tossed or be heavily tested and audited before, during, and after every election with complete transparency. Charlie is the only candidate talking about this. And I was envious of Kenai Borough during covid and Charlie actually had a backbone unlike Dunleavy. I will unquestionably vote for Charlie first and probably see that vote tossed, so I’ll vote for Mike second.
and CP leaves the borough, in addition to more than a quarter of a million ???? in lawsuits and settlements, having to have a special election AND he still had 6.6% of the vote. RCV cannot bring him back from that edge. I’m a taxpayer and I definitely do NOT approve. Conservative values mean what to him???
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