District 8 Democrats’ Craigslist plea: Please run

Alaska’s House District 8 is so conservative.

How conservative? The Democrats’ district chair had to advertise on Craigslist to find a candidate to run for House.

The ad wasn’t enough to entice someone into running against Republicans in this deeply red part of Alaska.

As for truth in advertising, as usual there’s more to it. Legislative service not so much a job, but rather a form of public service for which you get scant praise and only modest compensation, considering the hours. And that per diem? You’re going to need it for maintaining two residences — one in Juneau and one in Big Lake. Then there’s family, schools for your children, and getting that security system in place for your Mat-Su Valley home. No wonder the party turned to Craigslist.

So in the end, who filed for the seat as a Democrat?

Jim Chesbro, the man who placed the ad. Pat Chesbro has been a two-time candidate for the Legislature, and apparently wasn’t ready for round three.

The last Democrat who ran for District 8 was Greg Jones, the devout Muslim who became the subject of various speculation about his ties to radical Islam groups. Jones won 18 percent of the vote in 2016, a remarkable result, considering his qualifications. He went on to challenge Don Young for Congress this year, but has since dropped his candidacy.

In District 8, it’s an uphill battle for Democrats, in the same way it is for Republicans in District 33 (downtown Juneau) or 20 (downtown Anchorage).