Business entrepreneur and political activist Scott Hawkins filed a letter of intent to run for governor, becoming the fourth well-known Republican to do so.
Hawkins founded and has operated a supply chain management company for 18 years, with business in Alaska, the Lower 48, the Caribbean, and South America. Advanced Supply Chain International (ASCI) has approximately 200 employees.
Hawkins has been active in politics with The Accountability Project and AlaskaWins.org, which helps produce the annual Alaska Business Report Card, a project that scores legislators on how pro-business and pro-jobs their actions are in Juneau using a detailed and rigorous scoring criteria.
Hawkins is an economist by training and said his candidacy will focus on Alaska’s economy and growing jobs, as well as on closing the fiscal gap and public safety issues.
“In talking with people across Alaska, it is clear to me that voters are very dissatisfied. They overwhelmingly feel that Alaska is on the wrong track, and they hold our current leaders responsible. They are ready for a change of direction. They are ready for a governor who will bring new solutions and fresh ideas to Juneau,” Hawkins said.
The letter of intent allows Hawkins to raise funds and talk with Alaskans across the state about the future.
Hawkins said:
“I’ve spent a good amount of time in the Interior in the past few months just listening to people, and I’ve heard that we need to get our economy moving again.
“I’m upbeat about our future. More oil has been discovered in the past three years than at any time since the Prudhoe Bay discovery, and mining companies have more new projects in the pipeline than ever,” he said.
Hawkins said politicizing the Permanent Fund is the wrong direction.
“Governor Walker made a grave error when he vetoed the Permanent Fund dividend amount by half. Rather than being driven by a formula, it is now whatever the governor thinks it should be,” he said.
Hawkins is also hearing from Alaskans about crime:
“When Governor Walker signed criminal justice reform, Senate Bill 91, he touched off a crime wave. Our communities are much more dangerous than they were just two years ago. Public safety has deteriorated very quickly. Better approaches are needed. Simply failing to prosecute first and second time offenders is not the answer, nor is a return to high incarceration rates,” he said.
Hawkins launched his campaign website and will start his campaign in Ketchikan, Sitka, and Juneau in the coming days.
Hawkins is a senior contributor to Must Read Alaska, and through his organization, Alaska Wins, he is an advertiser on this web site.
Other Republicans who have filed include Michael Sheldon of Petersburg, Sen. Mike Dunleavy of Wasilla, former Sen. Charlie Huggins of Wasilla and Rep. Mike Chenault of Kenai.