Former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell filed for the office of governor on Friday. He’s joining a Republican primary ballot that already has Mike Dunleavy, Scott Hawkins, Michael Sheldon, Darin Colbry and Gordon Thomas.
Treadwell ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, rather than remain on the ticket with Gov. Sean Parnell for reelection. Both men lost — Treadwell in the Primary to Dan Sullivan and Joe Miller, while Parnell went on to the General Election, where he was overtaken by Undeclared Democrat Bill Walker.
Since then, Treadwell has worked as president for PT Capital, a firm launched by Hugh Short and Joe Sanberg, with Alice Rogoff, former publisher of the Alaska Dispatch News, as a senior adviser. He left that role on Friday.
He’s also stayed active on the speaking circuit and with circumpolar conferences and panels. He has long been in investing and business startup, and is speaking at the Wilson Center at Yale University on June 11 on the topic of space technology and the Arctic. Watch the panel, which includes Tina Pigeon of GCI, here.
Treadwell is Catholic and pro-life, and in other ways is viewed by many as a moderate Republican and Anchorage businessman. In a Republican primary, he occupies the same general profile as Scott Hawkins — a successful business entrepreneur — although Hawkins has not served in elected office and has operated a political action committee focused on pro-private-sector issues for several years. Both are well known in the business community, but Treadwell has name recognition beyond the Alaska business community due to his four years as lieutenant governor and run for Senate.
Born in New Haven, Conn., he attended both Yale (BA) and Harvard (MBA) universities. Treadwell moved to Alaska to take an internship with Walter Hickel’s campaign for governor. Hickel lost to Gov. Jay Hammond in the primary. Treadwell worked as a political reporter for the Anchorage Times, and later as Hickel’s treasurer and vice president at the Yukon Pacific Corporation. Treadwell was also the Cordova’s director of spill response after the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Hickel later won the governorship under the Alaska Independence Party banner, Treadwell became deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, from 1991-94.
Although it is late for Treadwell to jump in the race, his first task will be to see if there’s enough support for his candidacy, and the proof of that will be in fundraising and polling.
He has until July 2 to see if an independent political action committee will stand up support for him in a primary battle that is millions of dollars in the making. One of the problems for the short calendar he faces is that he has committed to speaking engagements on the East Coast for the next several days.
Suzanne, does Meade have a web site yet?
Take a look at PT Capital’s website and their “Key Team” biographies.
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Nothing wrong with them or what they they’re doing, but it seems reasonable to ask what might happen when Governor Treadwell faces policy decisions that affect what the “Key Team” or their clients want.
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The PT Capital group don’t appear by that name in Alaska’s 2018 Lobbyist Directory. Some of their clients do.
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So, a question might be: if PT’s clients want something from Governor Treadwell, should the rest of us get ready for an income tax to pay for it.
The interesting thing will be that Alice’s boy, PT pres Hugh Short was appointed to the Gas Line Bd by Gov Walker – even though he has no experience in such matters. Now Mead is running against Walker . Should be interesting.
Nice catch!
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Can’t wait to hear what Mr. Treadwell has planned for Alaska…
It doesn’t seem to be up right now.
http://www.treadwellalaska.com/
treadwellalaska.com
First problem is the Alice Rogoff connection. Everything that woman has done has been squarely against Alaska’s best interests. Being BFF with her is a huge liability.
I’m leary if Treadwell. He’s late to the party and his campaign has the feel of being a spoiler and splitting the Republicans into factions who sit on the side during the general election after their guy lost a fractious primary.
At least Chenault recognized the way to beat Begich is to unify Republicans and dropped out.
Alice will be firmly in Treadwell”s corner. Will likely be one of the principal contributors to his PAC. Thank goodness she no longer is publisher of ADN. She is responsible for Parnell’s loss because of the daily front page articles criticizing him for the Nat Guard scandal. Those articles stopped the day after the election. Mission accomplished!
But she has lots of $ to help him. Dunleavy should take nothing for granted.
Does Mead Treadwell plan on returning to Alaska before the election?
There’s no I in team, but you can’t spell Mead without ‘Me’
My endorsement is critical to the Treadwell campaign. I’m also 62, graduate of University of Colorado. If you go to Yale and Harvard then you have severe developmental problems. Let’s Rock This!
Mead is one of the finest persons one could ever meet. The problem here is that he’s way too late in getting into the race. Rule #1 in electoral politics is to “secure your base.” But Mike Dunleavy has already secured more than enough of the base Mead will need to win the Republican primary. Likewise, those individuals and organizations who may have supported him nine or ten months ago have, in large part, already publicly endorsed Dunleavy. Is Mead now going to ask them to abandon one of the best candidates for governor Alaska has had in decades just because he took too long…far too long…to enter this race? I would hope not.
He’d make less money as governor then his job at PT capital. your accusation doesn’t even make sense.
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