Gov. Michael Dunleavy, whose first nominee did not pass muster with Senate Republicans, has offered the name of Rep. Josh Revak for Senate Seat M, to fill a vacancy that occurred upon the death of Sen. Chris Birch.
Revak serves House District 25, one half of the Senate Seat M district.
Earlier, Dunleavy had named Rep. Laddie Shaw, District 26, a two-time Vietnam veteran and retired Navy SEAL. Six Republicans in the Senate blocked his confirmation.
Revak is also a war veteran, having served in Iraq and been seriously wounded in battle; he has a permanent brace on one of his legs, which was blown up in Iraq. He worked for Congressman Don Young and Sen. Dan Sullivan, specializing in veterans issues.
Revak was born in Minnesota. Revak served in the U.S. Army from 2002 to 2008 as a battle tank crew member, earning the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received in combat.
Revak served as the treasurer for the Abbott Loop Community Council, and the director of the Wounded Warriors on Safari Program for the Safari Club International Alaska Chapter.
“I’m hopeful they will take it up quickly and hope he will be confirmed,” Dunleavy said today.
The amount of the Permanent Fund dividend appears to be the sticking point with six Republicans in the Senate, including Sen. President Cathy Giessel, Rules Chair John Coghill, Click Bishop, Gary Stevens, Bert Stedman, and Natasha Von Imhof.
Shaw supporter a full statutory Permanent Fund dividend, and Revak does too, which may make his confirmation a problem with the six in the Senate who want a smaller PFD.
If Revak is confirmed by the Senate, the governor will have to go through a process to replace him in the House. That will require a vote of House Republicans, who are also divided on the Permanent Fund dividend issue.
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And if he’s pro-PFD, he’ll get the thumbs-down.
I wonder if Giessel will ask whether his military service makes him better than everybody else or not.
He is, he went to Wasilla per statute for the special session.
Good guy. Solid conservative.
In response to an email I sent about the Laddie Shaw vote I was told by a senator who voted no to Shaw that when reviewing the vote counts for senate seat M Senator Birch had several hundred more votes than Representative Josh Revak in House District 25, several hundred more votes than Governor Dunleavy in both Districts 25 and 26, and only three votes separated Senator Birch and Representative Shaw in District 26. I asked why then would you vote against Laddie Shaw since that three vote separation between Senator Birch and Representative Shaw would be hard to beat and obviously the people in his district support Shaw as much as they did Birch, I have yet to receive a response. The PFD was the overarching theme in the response to my initial email as to why this senator voted against the confirmation of Laddie Shaw.
Good luck to Representative Revak.
Whomever you sent your e-mail to got their info from Natasha. Somehow trashing the interests of half the voters in a House district are more important than anything else as long as you can get your hot little hands on the Earnings Reserve.
Should be a LOT of fun to see if Senate Republicans tell District M Republicans that BOTH their Reps are unacceptable. Cheers –
Josh is a good choice, solid conservative, and obeyed the law regarding the special session.
He supports Dunleavy’s agenda to cut costs and curb the growth of gov’t.
I doubt Giessel will support this choice, like Shaw, Revak will not be voting with Giessel’s gang of 5.
Dan Sullivan tweeted the following yesterday
Congrats to my former staffer and friend @JoshRevak–a dedicated public servant and combat vet who loves his state and country.
Giessel is going to look like a witch if she shuts down another vet. Especially a wounded warrior vet. Oh wait. She already looks like a witch.
Best thing for Josh to do is to go into the Interview and tell the Giessel Gang exactly what they want to hear…
I love Unions…
I do not think UAA is overstaffed and overpaid….
I think garnished PFD’s are fine for funding bloated government….
I love special sessions…
then come next winter he can vote however he wants to.
I wouldn’t say it’s the best thing he could do, it is something he could do if he were willing to lie to further his career. From what I know of Representative Revak he has integrity and would never do such a thing. It’s unfortunate, in a way, that those with principles are shunned by those without.
Steve-O…
I was trying to be Facetious, but it appears no sense of humor remains among Alaskans…at least not Republicans these days.
Steve,. Josh has too much personal integrity to play that game. That’s a game the Democrats play.
Pols do change their minds, when the facts change, and they should be commended for this in many cases. However what you are suggesting is something different and would not be considered by most candidates IMO.
Imagine lots of vehicles with custom-made bumper stickers saying Giessel’s Gotta Go.
.
Seems easy enough to design and make one’s own, illustrated with a donkey running away or something equally symbolic of Giessel…
He is too principled for that kind of game, Steve. Just say it like it is and let Giessel keep squirming when she lets a wounded veteran go. Geissel’s end days are around the corner.
Word on the street is that Bert Stedman is trying to cut a deal with the governor’s office. In exchange for a “Yes” vote on Josh Revak the governor’s office will have to agree to fund operations for a Stedman legacy project; the Mt. Edgecumbe High School Aquatics Center. Certainly could be just a rumor but politicians will be politicians.
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