The No on 2 group has nearly $12.3 million in the bank to try to convince Alaskans to vote no on Ballot Measure 2, and thus keep ranked-choice voting in Alaska.
Voting yes would return voting to its previous, normal procedures.
The advertising is relentless in Alaska in the weeks leading up to the election, in part because the polling shows that Alaskans want to go back to regular voting. The “No on 2” campaign has more money than any candidate running for office in Alaska. Who is actually funding all these “No on 2: ads?
Here are some of the biggest contributors to No on 2:
$4,400,000: Article IV, a secretive group out of Arlington, Virginia that has associates of John Arnold (Enron) on its board. Arnold is the Texas billionaire who was one of the biggest funders of the original ballot measure that brought ranked-choice voting to Alaska in 2020. This group’s funding sources are secretive. This campaign donation was made in October.
Article IV has made ranked-choice voting one of its priorities, as it is a mission of Arnold Ventures. In 2022, it gave a $400,000 grant to Utah Ranked Choice Voting Action and $342,000 to Oregon Ranked Choice Voting Advocates, as well as others.
What is known is that some of its money comes through the Arabella Advisors network, including the Hopewell Fund, which has funded liberal causes in Alaska.
The executive director of Article IV is George Wellde, who was the vice chairman of the Securities Division at Goldman, Sachs & Co. from 2005-2008. Sam Mar, employed by Arnold Ventures, is a director and secretary of the board of Article IV.
Article IV in 2022 made a grant to the Alaska League of Women Voters in Anchorage. The League of Women Voters produces official voter guides for the Municipality of Anchorage and a $7,500 grant is a large grant for the organization. The group also does election monitoring. The Alaska League of Women Voters opposes Ballot Measure 2 in its official statement on its website.
$2,000,000: Act Now Initiative, of Houston. The Act Now Initiative is another spoke of the John and Laura Arnold network. Arnold was a hedge fund trader with Enron who now funds ranked-choice voting. Key word: Arnold Ventures.
$20,000: A4, the same group as Article IV above out of Arlington, Virginia. This donation was a non-monetary contribution of work by subcontractor Objective First Communications LLC, of Atlanta, Ga. Donation reported in September.
$2,000,000: Unite America PAC: Another one of the promoters of ranked-choice voting. Unite America is associated with Kathryn Murdoch, one of the funders of ranked-choice voting in Alaska in 2020. Reported in August.
$28,250: Unite America PAC, another one of the promoters of ranked-choice voting. Unite America is associated with Kathryn Murdoch, another one of the funders of ranked-choice voting in Alaska in 2020. Here’s where it gets its money. Donation reported in September.
$10,000: Unite America PAC non-monetary. Reported in August.
$2,000,000: Unite America PAC, see above. Reported in August.
$220,000: Peter Kelly, of Mill Valley, Calif. Donation was reported in September.
$220,000: Robert Small, of Berkshire Partners in Boston. Reported in August.
220,000: Jennifer Sandall, no employment but same address as Robert Small in Boston. Reported in August.
$200,000: William Thorndike, Cromwell Harbor Partnership, Boston. Reported in August.
$220,000: Robin Richards Donohoe, investments, Carrollton, Georgia. Reported in August.
$150,000: Final Five Fund, Chicago. Founded by Katherine Gehl, who helped finance the 2020 campaign in Alaska to enact ranked-choice voting. Read about Gehl and this group here. She is formerly on the board of Unite America, listed above as a funder of the No on 2 campaign. The Final Five Fund funnels donations. Read more about how they funded the ballot initiative to start ranked-choice voting in Nevada here.
$200,000: John Carroll, Summit Partners, Hingham, Mass.
$220,000: Dan Markovitz, Corte Madera, Calif. Reported in August.
$65,108: Unite America PAC, non-monetary, for polling. Reported in June.
$11,881: Alaskans for Better Elections, non-monetary, for email list purchase. Reported in June.
$100,000: Final Five Fund, see above for description. Reported in June.
There are other donors who top off the entire campaign fund, which had $12.3 million on its 30-day report required by Alaska Public Offices Commission.
Where has the money been spent by No on 2?
Here are some of the vendors who have been paid by the No on 2 group:
Juli Lucky, Anchorage, campaign management
Alliana Salanguit, Anchorage, deputy campaign management
Solstice Social Media Management, Fairbanks
Reeves Amodio LLC, legal counsel, Anchorage
Portland Highbaugh, events coordination, Anchorage
Jeff Carson, voter outreach, Anchorage
Northern State Media, video work, Juneau
Matthew Lastimoso, office work, Anchorage
The Mobilization Center, LLC, Anchorage
Alaska Survey Research, Inc, polling, Anchorage
NPG Van, data and lists, associated with national Democratic Party
Ship Creek Group, campaign company for Democrats, Anchorage
Sena Kozar Strategies, Washington, D.C., associated with Nancy Pelosi https://www.senakozar.com
Grace Jang Solutions, outreach and engagement, former comms director for Gov. Bill Walker
Alaska Federation of Natives, major event sponsorship for annual convention
Patinkin Research Strategies, polling, Gig Harbor, Wash.
Six-7 Strategies, owned by Kevin Sweeney, campaign support, Girdwood, Alaska
Bailey’s Strategies LLC, associated with Trina Bailey, assistant to Sen. Lisa Murkowski
True Blue Strategies, LLC, AFN materials, Seattle, Washington
Related: See where all the ad money is going and why the airwaves are being bombarded:
