By LOREN LEMAN
During my 18 years in elected office in Alaska, 10 were spent representing Elmendorf Air Force Base, now part of JBER, in the Alaska Senate. Those were some of the best years of my life. My wife and I met some of the finest, most patriotic, and bravest people we know. Our children accompanied us to air shows and other events where they were welcome. Some of these friends went to church with us.
Perhaps it should not have been a surprise that after our son observed and interacted with these men and women, he decided he wanted to attend a military academy and serve our country. He is still living that dream.
You can imagine the shock and pain I felt last week when I heard a radio ad that totally misrepresents how our military and veterans are treated as voters. I more recently saw the same deceptive message in print. Maybe you too have seen or heard this false advertising.
I will respond as clearly as I know how. No political party nor the Division of Elections has ever required a voter to register with a political party to vote in Alaska’s primary—and that won’t change. If Ballot Measure 2 passes, Alaska’s voting will revert to what it was before. Voters will be able to choose their primary ballot. The disastrous and confusing Ranked Choice Voting for the general election will be repealed.
We Alaskans need to understand what is happening. Wealthy global elites are playing in Alaska’s political sandbox. They did it in 2020 with the deceitful initiative they sold with the false premise, “This will get rid of dark money.” It hasn’t. In fact, there’s more dark money flowing into Alaska elections than ever before. The three largest contributors to No on 2 are Unite America, Action Now Initiative, and Final Five Fund. Have you ever hear of them? Probably not. But their campaign has raised more than $7.8 million to do their dirty work.
With their money, the No on 2 campaign is using our active military, retired veterans, firefighters and other first responders, people we love and respect, and invents things about how they are treated that are just not true. It’s hurtful. It’s shameful. It’s also against the law. We have asked them to stop—but so far they just flaunt their money and keep telling their lies.
These groups and others like the 907 Initiative, Sixteen Thirty Fund, Arabella Advisors, and more are investing big money in Alaska to influence public opinion and work against our state’s best interests. They don’t really care about those of us who live and work here.
The motto engraved on the Honor Wall at the Air Force Academy says, “We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.” Other service academies do the same. The No on 2 campaign and its funders would do well to apply this principle.
If you want to know more about Ballot Measure 2, why I’m voting for it, and how you can support it, please visit www.Yeson2ak.com. Alaska elections are worth saving.
Loren Leman is an engineer, fisherman, and 18-year elected official in Alaska, including serving as lieutenant governor. He serves on several local, State and federal boards and commissions and is volunteering on the Yes on 2 campaign.
Why doesn’t the state AG make them stop?
In this day and age anybody who believes anything said by politicians and government should be buying bridges.
The fact is they lie all the time as it’s power and your money they want.
Wake up America as your rights are being taken away.
totally agree
sure is a lot of smoke and mirrors in politics these days, deception and lies cleverly worded. No wonder turnout is so low.
Thank you for this article!!
their efforts amount to outright lying to the public and taking our military for suckers.
Thank you for calling out these lies and false advertising. It is hard to see treacherous and deceitful people undaunted by calls to follow the law. It seems like they are desperately fighting a losing battle. We need elections to be taken back to the old way to ensure integrity.
If your cause is so righteous, why lie?
(Or in most of what the No on 2 crowd is doing, stretch the truth so far it is essentially an outright lie)
If open primaries and RCV are so great, why the deception? Were are the ads extolling its virtues?
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Not a single ad is talking about how great jungle primaries and RCV are, and how it benefits the public. They are all negative, about how repealing it is oppressing the average person. People want to make decisions weighing the benefits against the drawbacks, but the No on 2 folks cannot seem to name a single benefit.
I wonder how much the mechanic shop got paid to tell us to vote no? Probably not even in Alaska
The Governor, AG & State GOP need to step up & stop these very misleading, false adds.
The ad you mentioned is the worst or all of the propaganda ads we’ve been bombarded with. At first I couldn’t tell what the message was and what it was for, then I realized it was about not repealing RCV. Terrible to pull at heartstrings by using our vets as a tool. Democrats really are despicable. Sadly, there are low information voters that will believe this crap.
The ad you mentioned is the worst of all of the propaganda ads we’ve been bombarded with. At first I couldn’t tell what the message was and what it was for, then I realized it was about not repealing RCV. Terrible to pull at heartstrings by using our vets as a tool. Democrats really are despicable. Sadly, there are low information voters that will believe this crap.
As a Veteran, my wife and I consider these ads against ballot measure 2 disgusting. Using Veterans as political tools is even more disgusting. We have never had any problems voting in Alaska and using the former primary system. Vote YES on 2 and be a patriot.
Vote YES on Ballot Measure 2!!!!!
Being Retired Army when I first heard the ads I could not but wonder how wrong and illegal it was for them to be misrepresenting the truth behind the whole ad. As many of these people who like to falsely claim that individuals are breaking the law speaking out about certain items why they have not stepped forward with the same vigor on these false claims but DARK MONEY groups.
Scott Kendall More recently authored, litigated, and advised the successful ballot measure campaign to improve Alaska’s statewide election system. The new system—which features a Top 4 open primary election along with Ranked Choice Voting
Scott Kendall is a two-faced Liar and needs to be run out of Anchorage.
He is pushing the dark money into Alaksa
Alaska needs to wake up and stop doing any business with him.
Has anyone ever wondered just how much money S. Kendall is making off of RCV dark money to push the agenda?
It was clear from the beginning that the rich outsiders want us to have ranked choice voting and jungle primaries. My wife and I will be voting YES on 2.
Not just the ads about military. All the no on prop 2 ads are blatant lies. They talk about dark money? The vote no people ARE the dark money. The vote no people are disgusting liars and thats saying it politely. I emailed the repeal rcv guys a few weeks ago and asked them where their ads were for vote yes and he replied that they simply dont have the money as they are still paying the legal bills to get it on the ballot all the while the vote no people have 11 million from out of state to spread their lies.
Vote yes on prop 2
Great article, Loren.
The biggest lie of all? The original ballot measure was supposed to stop dark money.
The Demo’s believe they can take our military men and women for fools. Should be against the law.
Thank you Loren for your article and telling what it is all about.
I received their lies in the mail last night. The flyer is absolutely disgusting. We must get this word out to everyone in the state so that we can defeat these disgusting people.
Before you vote, be sure you know and understand what you’re voting for or against and don’t just go with the flow of political messaging you see on TV, hear on radio, or view in your mail. Yesterday I received in the mail a copy of a political flyer regarding measure 2, encouraging me to vote ‘No’. The short but bold message on the flyer offered “Don’t Let Political Party Bosses Exclude Alaska’s Active Duty Military, First Responders and Veterans from Voting In Our Elections.” No explanation or details were provided as to how that would happen. The flyer did, however cite ‘Veterans for Alaska Voters’ and ‘Alaska Professional Fire Fighters’ indicating that the two organizations “…urge a NO Vote on Measure 2”. Do the leaders of these two groups know what they’re encouraging? I, for one, would like to hear from such in this venue.
Other than Lesil McGuire, who some old time Alaskans may recall from years ago and is noted as the chair for the no on 2 movement, I find it fascinating that the three ‘top’ contributors are from Denver, Houston, and Chicago. Are these three cities who you want telling you how to vote?
Again, Alaska Voters, don’t be fooled into voting for something that you won’t/don’t want or understand.
They also say “political elites” are trying to dictate Alaska elections, which is also a lie since the repeal the rank signature gathering was 100% grassroots.
Thank you for this.
Are there any YES ON 2 ads on the radio? I see signs about town, but nothing in my mailbox or on the airwaves.
We need to hit back just as hard!
Watch out folks!!!! Today I got an email from some outfit wanting me to vote to keep RCV. I was able to reply and let them know JUST what my thoughts were. How many others out there got the same email? Just how far does $7.8 million go in an advertising campaign?
As a Alaskan native veteran, the ad being run by the Peltola campaign makes me angry. The democrats are desperate and are trying to use the military as a weapon. If the democrats cared about the Alaskan veterans they would have fully funded the VA and not attacked the native Vietnam veterans.