By FRITZ PETTYJOHN
Thanks to the extended time to count all the ballots, Republican David Nelson beat the incumbent Democrat by 23 votes in House District 18, (Government Hill, JBER in East Anchorage.)
The same thing happened about 40 years ago, allowing my friend Rep. Terry Martin to squeak out a reelection victory.
The margin of victory in both cases was due to overseas absentees, most of them military. The Division of Elections allows extra time in order to allow all these late arriving ballots to be counted. For Republicans, it’s worth the wait.
These are mostly men and women who established Alaska residency while they were stationed here. When they’re transferred overseas, they maintain their Alaska residency. Many of them do this in order to continue their eligibility for Permanent Fund dividends. They all vote in order to bolster their claim to Alaska residency.
Their main issue, unsurprisingly, is the Permanent Fund. Since Republicans have always been the champions of the PFD (initiated by Republican Gov. Jay Hammond in 1980), and Democrats largely hostile, they all vote Republican.
Representative-elect Nelson should send them all a thank you card.
So, let’s stop with all the carping about the long wait. It’s only a problem if the good people at the Division of Elections need the extra time to steal an election. I don’t believe this has ever happened.
Some old-timers claim Gov. Hammond stole the Republican primary election from Wally Hickel in 1978. He only won by 98 votes. His Attorney General, Avrum Gross, was a little slippery, but I don’t believe the election was stolen.
All of us who worked on Hammond’s campaign (including me – I was Chairman of “Hands for Hammond”) like to think that our efforts were responsible for his victory.
And the PFD.
Fritz Pettyjohn’s first venture in politics was working for Barry Goldwater for president in 1964. He served in the Alaska Legislature in the 1980s and writes the blog ReaganProject.com.
So it’s sorta broke but went in our favor this time?
This attitude is why Alaska can’t have nice things.
Be honest, for once. The Democrats want the Perm Fund. Not the PFD.
And republicans are gonna do their best to give it to them.
Disagree. Get your ballot in by election day. Have the count done 24 hours after election day.
Plan ahead. Be proactive. Get it done if it is important to you. Enough excuses.
Keen observations here, about present and past.
Thanks Fritz.
Yes, but it’s become ridiculous. There are better options.