More than 60 people attended the Soldotna campaign kickoff event for Gov. Mike Dunleavy at a residence on the Kenai River on Monday. As the sun set on the 40-degree evening, people stayed for over two hours to enjoy the company of others and to support the governor, who faces reelection next year.
Spotted in the crowd were Rep. Ron Gillham, Jim Udelhoven, John Hendrix, Cameron Hunt, Casey Sullivan, Assemblymen Richard Derkevorkian and Bill Elam, Marilyn Hueper, Britny and Jared Bradshaw, well known senior advocate Nona Safra and Fred Agree, Charlene Tautfest, Mark and Cindy Glassmaker, Richard and Kristi Acuff, former School Board member Marty Anderson, Soldotna City Council candidate Micha Shields, Mark and Sandi Larson, Tuckerman and Kristie Babcock, and a few commissioners.
The Kenai Peninsula Republican Women’s Club sponsored the event.
Kenai Peninsula Republican Women Vice President Cindy Glassmaker introduced Gov. Dunleavy and told him, “We are behind you 100 percent – even though there may be things you’ve done we don’t agree with – we still are 100 percent supportive of you and your reelection.”
Dunleavy and the crowd laughed at the remark, and when he took the mic, Dunleavy was interrupted by applause several times – especially when he talked about repealing Senate Bill 91.
His speech was upbeat and all about opportunity and the future. He acknowledged the trials of earthquakes, fires and pandemics but focused on the future and the tremendous opportunity in Alaska. He remarked that we all love the beauty of Alaska but we stay for the people, which is why he is running again – because of the people.
Man has been a nearly total failure in office. Yet they are behind him “100%”.
Explains why the Alaska GOP is so useless.
I could not agree with you more.
.
Dunleavy is just a sheep in a wolf’s clothing.
The Alaska GOP is just theater put on by the socialists to placate the masses. They do nothing, stop nothing, and help no one (except the Democrats)
I don’t understand why people think this way. If we had a democrat gov. we would still be locked down STATEWIDE, and forced to wear masks and also get the vaccination just to travel within the state. He is letting individual municipalities make these decsions, which is correct.
He’s also called 4 special sessions and forced the legislature to up the PFD. No, it was a full statutory amount, but compromise is what keeps things moving. This isn’t as bad as Walker, who originally stole the PFD.
Well written and interesting article. We think the people of Alaska are amazing! We 100% support Bradshaw for School Board position . . she is doing it for the ‘people’ too . . . especially for the children.
The anti-Dunleavy crowd have fallen prey to a basic misunderstanding of American government…the false belief that we have an all powerful chief executive who can force change all by himself.
Without a legislature that is willing to support the governor’s agenda he can do nothing.
And with a judiciary that supports the legislature over the governor there’s very little hope for any positive change.
So…the solution is to change the membership of the legislature and to vote out the leftist members sitting on the Supreme Court.
Railing against a governor who has good intentions isn’t smart or productive.
Double down on your support for Dunleavy and force real change in our legislature…they are the actual problem here.
The governor of Alaska has far more power than most governors do.
At the least Dunleavy can express a conservative opinion instead of just saying, “It’s not my authority”. He promised to stand tall, instead he bent over.
Are those all singles? Or did their children be left home with a babysitter? I think our poor children are treated to much like little kid, that they grow up unsure how to act and talk around adults 10-30 years their senior. I think that is what has happened to the Oldest Democratic Party, in attempt getting their millennials feeling accepted to encourage involvment they given them too much freedom and the millennials have thrown their elders aside cause they don’t know how to act around the older and more traditional members.
I like to see the teenagers helping their parents elect a Governor representing more Republican interests. If the teenagers attitude needs work, then have to go younger to the elementary children who still want the attention from their parents and want to participate with same activities their parents are involved.
I agree with the comment “even though there may be things you’ve done we don’t agree with – we still are 100 percent supportive of you and your reelection.”
Governor Dunleavy needs to take a harder stand against “vaccine passports” & mandatory vaccination for employment in AK before this culling of our experienced workers gets out of hand.
As stated in the article, I don’t agree with everything the Governor has done or failed to accomplish (some because that’s the nature of politics, some by his own decisions & some because he does not have a strong supportive legislature). But if you oppose Governor Dunleavy”s re-election, who would replace him? Bill Walker? We’ll see who, if anyone, surfaces in the coming months. But if I had a ranked choice ballot in front of me today there is no way I could cast a 2nd choice ballot for Bill Walker. No way. It would be like the choice between Trump & Hillary Clinton. No way would I have ever ranked her a 2nd choice. Based on the available facts on the ground The Kenai Peninsula Republican Women’s Club is getting behind their candidate early & effectively. That is what is necessary to support a candidate.
No spine, no huevos.
Not if there is a stronger horse in the race because Dunlevy just doesn’t have what it takes.
Perhaps before holding campaign fundraising events, our illustrious governor could hold one to solicit funds for a spine donor.
I know about a third of the people in that picture and like them a lot. Not so Dunleavy. I feel totally betrayed and abandoned by the man who promised he would “stand tall for Alaska”. he has instead caved to the left at nearly every turn. My respect is gone and he will not get my vote.
Walker is dishonest and crooked. Gara is exactly like Bernie Sanders, which is much like Stalin. But I cannot explain how Dunleavy lost his courage. We don’t want a huge and unsustainable amount coming out of the Permanent Fund! We simply want the budget cuts Dunleavy promised, and that would leave more for the PFD. Less government, more PFD; that is what he said during the 2018 campaign. If his Arduin budget had been enacted we would now be exactly where we want to be so far as a balanced budget and an even split between the people and government. But instead the budget is actually bigger than what it would be had Begich been elected! Auduin was sent packing, and budget cuts and changes were forgotten. Can anyone explain what happened? What do voters do now?
(struggling to get comments posted…we’ll see if this one makes it)
Given that Dunleavy has had a recalcitrant legislature, several RINOs leading that charge, and limited fellow travelers in local government….who would be a better choice for the “conservative” side of Alaska? Gara? Walker?
P J Olson is absolutely correct. In reading “Alaska Politics and Public Policy” I have been reminded of what a myth it is that the Governor of Alaska has such broad powers. Your comment as to the real problems are to the point. To add to your comment, the power centers in the legislature also are an impediment, in that they usually appear to be more protective of their turf than getting real work done. Note that Bryce Edgmon is very powerful and has already declared for Walker as one of his “chairs.” Also note that Walker was so dedicated to Alaska that his minions headed the recall effort from the git-go. In short, he just wanted his old job back, instead of letting his successor do his job.
I hate to say that Alaska may need term limits, but it might prevent some of the power problems that we see here. In addition there is the problem with the press. As an example, when the governor wanted a second list of names on the last judicial appointment, he was assailed for repeating an earlier “infraction” instead of noting that he had wished to get a judge from the rural-bush area to round out the representation on the court instead of just Anchorage and Fairbanks judges. So let’s face it, it will take a lot of work to right the ship – no pun intended. As for wimping out, Dunleavy continues to operate within the law to still try to get the job done – witness the call for session 4 this year. Do Alaskans need to break ion a new governor? No, Alaskans need to support the one elected by making those calls and letters he requests to pressure the legislature. In this day and time, active citizenship is needed more than ever!
Speaking of minions
Miracle Mike, the cool hipster, really?
Wasn’t hip or cool. 3rd string.
If you want a bigger PFD the Governor needs to quit spending State money on personal objectives. Those many (not few) Commissioners were in Soldotna on State money. Creating a cabinet meeting to pay the travel is not good for the State budget.
All the Anti-Dunleavy people are very selfish not to think about where our state would be if Walker or Begich were our governor. They seem to forget politics is a team sport and not many GOPers in the legislature are not on Dunleavy’s side. All indoctrinated by the Dan Fagan hate! You idiots are going to make Walker governor again!
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