Heads and tails: Who is running for office? Don Etheridge of Juneau

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May is a busy month for filing for office. Be sure to keep up with who is jumping in the deep end of the pool by opening your Must Read Alaska Monday Newsletter and Wednesday and Friday News Flashes. Subscribe on the right side of this page.

The June 1 filing deadline fast approaches. Here are the recent additions to the political season:

Don Etheridge: For the District Q seat representing the capital city, union favorite Don Etheridge of Juneau has filed for Dennis Egan’s Senate position, which will put Egan’s aide Jessie Kiehl in a tough spot.

Kiehl, a Democrat who also serves on the Assembly, wants that Senate job, but Etheridge has union support.

Etheridge is undeclared with any party and is pro-Juneau Access Project. Kiehl is Democrat and anti-road. This will end up being a referendum on the road.

A 1971 graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School, Etheridge has decided to not run in the Democrats’ primary, but go on the ballot via petition.

Etheridge was once described by Must Read Alaska columnist Art Chance this way: “I like Don Etheridge; he’s a big, avuncular working-class hero kind of guy who had the distinction of once being the most expensive employee in State government. Etheridge is the Alaska State District Council of Laborers’ lobbyist in Juneau; he is a fixture in the halls of the Capitol and can get an appointment with anybody who is anybody in State government, whether the Administration is Democrat or Republican. He also has a cool tugboat.”

That is handy because he has also been chairman of the Docks and Harbors Committee for the City and Borough of Juneau. Read Art’s column from 2016 here.

Previously, Larry Cotter has filed for the District Q seat. He is a nonpartisan and will also file as a petition candidate.
Must Read Alaska is told Jessie Kiehl is planning to get in by June 22.
Tiffany Zulkosky
Tiffany Zulkosky: Rep. Zulkosky was appointed to replace the slap-happy Zach Fansler of Kotzebue, who was forced to retire after some dating violence allegations. She has filed to run for the seat.

1 COMMENT

  1. Juneau, and all of Alaska would be extremely fortunate if Etheridge prevailed in this race. He is just as well liked as Senator Egan is. Etheridge actually gets things done for Alaska, and he brings no personal problems to the arena. Each of the other two has some very strong enemies but Etheridge has none – really, none. The Alaska Democrat Party machine will put lots of money into the Kiehl campaign.

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