A political independent expenditure group is forming that is said to have substantial funds already committed to help Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s efforts to improve educational outcomes in Alaska, Must Read Alaska has learned.
The move for a political change comes at a time when Americans are up in arms about substandard education, radical curriculums, the pushing of gender ideology, and continued dropping educational outcomes in public schools, which are controlled by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott recently raised $6.5 million overnight to support his educational initiatives in a similar effort, aimed at getting a supportive Legislature.
The independent expenditure group, which will launch next week, will assist candidates who share the same vision about what education should aim for in Alaska. The group will have the support of those who initially supported the campaign of Dunleavy, including major supporters from around the country. When he ran in 2022, Dunleavy had a national fundraiser thrown for him by former President Donald Trump. National groups are watching this debate and education reform is a hot topic in other states; major donors are starting to see that Alaska needs support to make change.
On Thursday, Dunleavy vetoed a massive spending bill that he rejected because his priority reform initiatives had been stripped out by the legislative majority. Word quickly spread that a number of Republicans who are worried about reelection have decided to vote to override his veto so they don’t lose in November. That vote could come as early as a joint session on Monday.
Judy Eledge, president of the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club, has put out the word to her membership to support the governor. She encouraged conservatives to phone the soft Republicans who are considering overriding the governor’s veto; the names she broadcasted as needing phone calls from conservatives included Representatives Julie Coulombe, Craig Johnson, Stanley Wright, Jesse Sumner, Dan Saddler, DeLena Johnson, David Eastman, Justin Ruffridge, Will Stapp, Thomas Baker, Mike Cronk, and Tom McKay. Also, Sen. James Kaufman, who is up for reelection this year.
“It is appalling Republicans would override a sitting Republican Governor, and vote with Democrats,” Eledge said. “It will be difficult [for her Republican club] to support any Republican who would override a veto of massive spending and listen to NEA, and not the people who elected them.”
Dunleavy wanted teacher retention bonuses and charter school support; these are opposed by the NTA and AFT. Deals were made by some legislators that stripped those items out. All they left in was the $680 per student that districts would get as part of the base student allocation formula.
The new independent expenditure group may also seek out Republicans to challenge those Republicans who do not support Dunleavy, who was reelected in 2022 with over 50.3% of the vote in a four-way race.
Studies have placed Alaska as the second most adequately funded K-12 education system in the country. In the last 20 years, the state increased per-student spending 91%, while inflation was 65%, and test scores went down significantly to the point where Alaska is the second-worst for education in the nation.
