In the Anchorage mayoral election, Forrest Dunbar has conceded to Dave Bronson, but he went out swinging in a classic Friday night news dump.
In a Facebook Post on May 21, Dunbar said that with the most recent results, and the official canvass nearly complete, it is “clear that Dave Bronson will be Anchorage’s next Mayor.”
He thanked his team of supporters and was pleased to know that more than 49 percent of the votes cast went for him.
“In any other year, this would have been enough votes to win; however, this year the Municipal Election saw record turnout, driven largely by intense feelings about the COVID-19 pandemic. For the last two weeks we have had observers down at the Election Center and have been reaching out to a number of voters who need to “cure” their ballots,” Dunbar wrote.
Then, rather than accept that the Bronson campaign had been effective and that in the competition of ideas, Bronson had prevailed, he criticized the Bronson volunteers for being too aggressive.
“During that time, we have witnessed aggressive, confrontational, and frankly bizarre behavior from Bronson supporters and staff toward Election Center workers. Their actions have caused the Election Center to revoke observer access to members of the general public, ban at least one Bronson campaign observer from entering the Center, and needlessly consumed Election Center staff time responding to baseless challenges. Coupled with their allies on the Assembly and in the far-right media, the Bronson campaign is strangely casting doubt on the election that they themselves are winning,” he wrote, driving a wedge between the differing accounts of what occurred at the Election Office.
He then went on to predict that activists would use the various mistakes in the election to launch “a concerted attempt to repeal the Anchorage Vote By Mail system, despite the demonstrable success of that same system as seen in this year’s record turnout.”
Dunbar went further. He called Bronson a liar.
“During the campaign, Mr. Bronson did not tell the truth about the COVID-19 pandemic, did not tell the truth regarding the Municipal response to that pandemic, and did not tell the truth about my record,” Dunbar said.
“Nevertheless, in the coming months and years he will have the opportunity to govern in a different fashion from how he campaigned. He has an Assembly that is deeply committed to the public good of Anchorage. If he does indeed govern from the ‘center right,’ as he has claimed he would, and avoid extremism, he will likely find many issues on which he can ‘count to six’ on the Assembly.
“He will also have the benefit of a huge amount of Federal aid flowing into our community, much of which is now dedicated to programs to help small businesses, critical non-profit partners, efforts to retrain and provide new opportunities to our workforce, and more,” he wrote of Bronson.
Must Read Alaska declared Bronson the victor on Wednesday, May 19.
Read: MRAK declares Bronson winner
In his Facebook concession on Friday, Dunbar challenged Bronson on various issues where he feels Bronson has shortcomings:
“Mr. Bronson will have several early tests: will he retain a number of the professional, nonpartisan heads of Departments that deliver core services to the people of Anchorage? Or will he appoint ideologically extreme political allies in their place? Will he tackle our looming homelessness challenge at the Sullivan Arena as our FEMA funds come to an end, or will he pursue the approach he espoused on the campaign trail, which we know to be unconstitutional? Will he compromise and work with the Assembly to pass ordinances and budget measures? Or will he continue to refer to those elected officials as ‘idiots’ and ‘trash,’ and perpetuate the divisions in Anchorage that he and his allies stoked so eagerly this past year? We shall see,” Dunbar wrote, refraining from engaging in any effort to bridge the divide, and not offering to work with Bronson to move the city forward.
His words echoed the editorial written by the Anchorage Daily News, which also said Bronson would have to bend to the will of the liberal assembly.
Read: ADN tells Bronson to go along, get along with leftist Assembly
“One thing is certain: for the next year I will continue to serve on the Anchorage Assembly, alongside my dedicated and experienced colleagues. There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. My colleagues and I will not stop doing the detailed, nonpartisan, community-centric work that constitutes the bulk of what we do at the Municipality. We will seek always to deliver core public services to the people of Anchorage, with an eye towards quality of life, public safety, and the future of Anchorage. So too will the Municipality’s many hardworking, service-oriented employees within the departments, utilities, and enterprises. Mr. Bronson now has a unique opportunity to join in that work, entrusted with one of the most important positions in all of Alaska. Most of Anchorage will be hoping that unity can be found, extremism can be rejected, and facts and truth will guide our decision making,” Dunbar wrote, once again labeling Bronson’s voters as extremists.
Mr. Dunbar has demonstrated a severe lack of manners, veracity, and professionalism. While quite disappointing I guess it should come as no surprise. I hope Mr. Bronson continues to take the high road and can hang in there until you folks can replace more of the misguided individuals on the assembly. You have a long row to hoe. Good luck.
Of course he said all of those things, that’s what the far left do. He could just say congratulations. Instead he told Mayor Bronson to GFYS and good luck getting the lame — assembly to oblige. This sir, is why you lost. Good riddance.
Bronson needs to clean house and clear all of the liberal cronies out any and all offices he is able.
Dunbar calling himself and his colleagues “nonpartisan” is the lyingest liar lie in this most epic year of lying liar lies. I have been a registered nonpartisan my entire adult life and Dunbar et al are so fringe left that I can’t even see them from here. Congratulations, Mayor Bronson, we welcome the opportunity to repair what this lunatic Assembly has fascistically foisted upon our formerly functional community. Finally, Anchorage has rejected extremism!
Well perhaps we won’t notice all his foreign financial aid we don’t like. Having swiss financiers to AK public servants is pretty ” extreme ” in case Dunbar sensitivities are no longer functioning.
Classic Dunbar! No class. Run Forrest, run, back to the Assembly fold that couldn’t get you elected despite their attempts to appease the voters at the last minute.
Just makes me like “Mr. Bronson” even more. Thanks, Forrest. Nonpartison my *ss.
Pathetically poor performance, Forrest. Man up and try to salvage some scrap of human dignity. Hatred corrodes any vessel that contains it. You are leaking pretty badly.
Wow. Dunbar is a —. If you want to get along, one does not go out as a sore loser. Something is not quite on with that boy. I suspect if this continues, we’ll see a right change as the next city council goes up for election.
Goes out whining, pouting and crying. As expected. Maybe now we can get the roads fixed, stuff like that.
If he considers most of the voters of Anchorage extremists, perhaps Mr. Dunbar should take a longer look in the mirror.
If 1000 lies fall in a Forrest, do they make a sound?
Apparently, yes.
Really? Mr Dunbar has quite an imagination.
Fire all deep staters and start anew. Get rid of CRT BS and the affirmative hires at APD before they come around and deep did you.
He mentioned “far right” media, is there such a thing? Usual Liberal whining, they can never look themselves in the mirror and realize their problems are staring right back at them.
Excuse Mr Dunbar, I have lived in Anchorage since 1977 and voted in every election. I worked until I was 81. I have paid my taxes and previously enjoyed a safe city. When you point your finger at me calling me extremist because I voted for Mr. Bronson, you have 3 fingers pointing back at you. Also I have never seen an election be slow counted like this one. I can assure you if I were in charge, the director of elections would be out of a job.
Dunbar’s statements should come as no surprise. Leftist are incapable of introspection since their ideological belief’s and their complete lack of respect for the will of the electorate combined make them insulated from reality. Dunbar has thrown down the Gauntlet here. This fight to clear out the rats has only just begun. Voters for Bronson should remember that. This is a long protracted struggle.
Record ballot returns….YES.
Record voter turnout…. A big heck NO.
End forever mail in voting.
Printing ballots like like it’s Biden’s treasury department.
Let’s all remember Dunbar’s performance when he tries to continue on in his political career. The fact that he is in the National Guard confounds me. He was so proud of his Mother and Sister when they were part of the riots that destroyed Portland. He said he wished he was there so he could be “arm and arm” with them. In fact he has been literally doing the same thing to Anchorage…..he just didn’t use the same technique.
Mr. Dunbar … someone put a fork in him … he’s done!
Good riddance!
Now on to work Mr. Bronson. Please, please … get rid of all who would thwart you in your job to get done what you’ve promised. Clean the streets of those who have taken advantage of the previous administration’s misguided and politically motivated policies towards vagrancy and criminal activity.
Maybe now, when my wife and I travel to your city, we’ll feel somewhat safe, and we can once again call Anchorage a beautiful place to visit.
Dunbar showed the expected lack of class. Crass is more his style, obviously.
Forrest, the least you could do is have some circumspection. You admit you did not do things perfectly. As you stated, “we saw through the glass darkly.” However, I remember writing to my Assembly members at the very start of the Pandemic. I told them that the modeling that projected hundreds of thousands of deaths was bogus. I showed them exactly WHY. I have a background in environmental modeling. The theory behind it and public health models is not different. Garbage in, garbage out. Refining and verifying your inputs requires YEARS of real world measurements. They had nothing but speculation going into those models.
You ignored me.
So…. you took the politically advantageous route, you gained all political brownie points you could, and you usurped the balance of powers to your benefit. You’d have CERTAINLY stolen the election if you could have. You have no integrity. All kinds of brilliance, but no integrity. The citizens see you now for who you really are. Enjoy your last two years in politics, Forrest. ‘Cause your next gig won’t be on the public dole.
Typical left ploy to accuse others of what they themselves are guilty of, we see this repeat over and over across the nation. Bronson should take Forrest Gumps advice and replace ALL mayoral appointees with his own loyalists.
Poor baby! This punk is about as mature as a 9th grader in drag. Anchorage should be so GLAD that he won’t be in the Big Chair. He’s better suited for the highchair.
Make no mistake that after Nov. 3, it was all hands on deck at Anchorage Election Central. Otherwise the mail in fraud system would have delivered us Litel Forrest.
Now that Lawyer Litel has revealed himself to all, his TRUE self, we can be reassured this election is a turning point.
Listen closely Litel, to that giant flushing sound of the replacement of the uber liberal politicos that have been ruining our beloved community for way too long.
Wow!!! Forrest, all of this complaining!!! I know where it’s coming from, go look in a mirror. If your are what we have to depend upon from the Army National Guard, the country is in trouble !!!
Bronson needs to clean house.
Dunbar is a cry baby loser.
Mail-in voting has to go, it’s cheating.
Why do you think this was a close election? Because of mail in voting.
If you had to go to the polls, and have an ID to vote, it would of been a landslide for Bronson.
Nice piece of science fiction, Forrest. Here’s a head scratcher: “Coupled with their allies on the Assembly and in the far-right media.” What? I believe that Mayor Bronson has ONE ally on the Assembly and, Dunbar’s definition of “far right media” is what 51% of Anchorage refers to as “honest journalism.” I don’t see Chrissy, Forrest, AD-Q or Felix working with Mayor Dunbar on a single thing. Remember how Ms. Reviera acted towards Jamie Allard after his district voted down the recall? And he was victorious! Buckle up.
Just imagine how many more votes Mr. Bronson would have gotten in a real election instead of this mail in bull. Forrest, I say bugger off! Yes please fire the clerk somehow, maybe incompetence.. No reason for an election to take this long to see the results. Unions start helping our city and country not destroying it. Look at how well your choice for prez is working out.
Poor Forrest, dang the ‘system’ failed him this time. Yes Mr. Dunbar we will do everything to rid Anchorage of the disaster that is the mail-in voting system. It is corrupt, and that is why it is so important and lucrative to you. Your party no longer have scruples nor ethical boundaries, hence all and any means justify the end. What’s a little voter fraud if it gets you what you want? Mail-in voting is so ripe for voter fraud one could make a mean batch of banana bread.
Now about the DARK money………
The left finds terms and latches on to them, one such term that has been used and abused as of late is the term gaslighting. What Mr. Dunbar has said here is a prime example of gaslighting.
Was Forrest talking about himself? Yup, pretty sure.
Haha! Dunbar proves himself to be not just a loser but a sore loser and a delusional one at that.
Our current assembly members except for one or two act like spoiled kids. I would like to know what jobs they have held. Mr. Bronson has served our country and held a very meaningful job. This assembly is a disgrace to the community and probably consists of quite a few chechakoes .
Hey Mr. Dunbar I have a quote from Mark Twain for you, ” It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”.
Poor Dunbar, Anchorage voters gave him and the Assembly the middle finger and did what was right. Congrats to Dave Bronson. The assembly better begin working on how to cover their backsides for their actions during the Wuhan scare. Elections are coming for them, Allard is the only one who is safe.
I raise my broom in honor of YOU deeply unjust assembly members (except for two). Clean sweep next time. Hurray US Constitution!
Finally….Dunbar speaks the truth….vindictive, unrepenting, vicious, and as partisan as Moses and the Red Sea. He has finally shown his true self and ruined his statewide ambitions. Blaming a majority of the voters of Anchorage for his loss by accusing his adversary of acting like the “left.” This concession letter, if you want to characterize it as such, just canceled his dreams and career in politics…Half of Anchorage, a majority of Fairbanks , the Mat Valley , and the Kenai/Soldotna Penninsula will not stand for this language…Dunbar…you are canceled!
Not that I needed further validation for my Bronson vote, but thank you Dumbar for proving to be the whiny little liberal snowflake you are. Shame your commie Democrat friends already had their cheating hand exposed leaving you high and dry without the magical last minute ballot dump. As for the liberal Assembly, in the words of LeBron James, “You’re next!”
Well………….bye.
We really dodged the bullet here. Dunbar could have been gracious and then moved on. He couldn’t help himself. He had to throw a fit just like the rest of the liberal Anchorage oligarchy. We’re just scratching the surface here. AQD already demonstrated this behavior and complete lack of respect for anyone with opinions that differ from hers. Same with Dunbar. Thank goodness voters decided to kick him to the mayoral curb. Wake up, Anchorage, people like Forrest and AQD really do think you are too dumb to have a voice in how this city is run. Fix this while you can.
This guy is a Captain in the Army National Guard. Clearly his “professionalism” stops when he takes the uniform off.
Dunbar isn’t worthy to be city dog catcher, never mind mayor. His childish rants and behavior are an embarrassment to all those that serve this country in uniform.
Well he definitely had to write all those comments down, because there is no way he could say say those comments with a straight face!
Two-faced Dunbar!!
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