Democrat State Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson is dropping her run for U.S. Senate in Alaska after just one month, and instead will seek reelection to the state Senate.
Gray-Jackson told sources that fundraising hasn’t gone well. The first quarter fundraising period ends next week and she can’t raise funds while she is a sitting senator in the Legislature, due to state law that intends to prevent corruption.
The Alaska Democratic Party had courted Gray-Jackson for well over eight months, begging the public to send the Anchorage Democrat a note of support to run. She had always appeared to be somewhat reluctant. At 68, she is also a bit on the old side to start a six-year Senate career.
A factor is also that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the sitting Republican, has a $6 million war chest. The Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka is thought to have raised about $2 million.
Gray-Jackson is the only Democrat who has filed to run for the U.S. Senate seat, which has been held by Murkowski since 2002, when she was appointed to the seat by Gov. Frank Murkowski.
