Notes from the trail: Parades and more parades

Parade notes: At the Juneau Fourth of July parade we spotted Les Gara for governor, and Heidi Drygas for lieutenant governor (running with Bill Walker at head of ticket), as well as Shoshana Gungurstein, who is running for U.S. Senate.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski had a float, as did her challenger Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, and Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy had a float, but none of the three was present. They were in different places around the state.

In Wasilla, we spotted Kelly Tshibaka for Senate and Nick Begich for Congress in the parade. And lots of other politicos.

Alaska State Sen. Shelley Hughes was perhaps the most admired entry with the Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty theme. Also spotted were Sen. Mike Shower, Rep. Cathy Tilton, Rep. David Eastman, Rep. Kevin McCabe, and Rep. Chris Kurka, who had a large bus decorated with his Kurka for Governor signs.

There was no sign at all of Sarah Palin in her own hometown parade in Wasilla, or any other for that matter. Gov. Mike Dunleavy was in the judging stand in Seward, and Mayor Dave Bronson was also spotted in Seward.

The Anchorage parade forbade all candidates but allowed a chanting group of pro-abortion women to have an entry.

In Kenai we spotted Republican Women of the Kenai, decked out with Kelly Tshibaka for U.S. Senate and Tuckerman Babcock for State Senate signs. Also a number of people walking for Charlie Pierce for Governor; Rep. Ron Gillham, State Senate candidate Jesse Bjorkman and House candidate Justin Ruffridge, were all in the Kenai parade. The Sons of Thunder motorcycle club in support of Kelly Tshibaka was a Kenai crowd favorite.

Fundraisers:

Endorsements: Mary Peltola for Congress has been endorsed by the “Socialist Santa” of North Pole. “At this time, I am pleased to endorse Mary Peltola to represent Alaska in the US House, since she shares many of my progressive views :-)},” Claus wrote. Democrat Adam Wool, who was an unsuccessful Democrat aspirant for Congress, also endorsed Peltola.

Tuckerman Babcock for Alaska Senate (Kenai) has been endorsed by the Alaska Outdoor Council, and District 7 and District 8 Republicans.

The Alaska Center (for the Environment), which is a surrogate for the Alaska Democratic Party, has endorsed Les Gara for governor and Bill Walker is ranked as the group’s second choice. That’s as far as the group wants to go with its endorsement. The ranked choice election isn’t until November.

Spotted at the Forest Fair in Girdwood: Tara Sweeney, who is a candidate for Congress in the regular election (not the special) operating the pasta booth for the “Pasta La Vista,” an enterprise owned by Verne Martell, husband of Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Also spotted at the Forest Fair, Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka and her daughter and aide-de-camp Denali Tshibaka.

Spotted In Utqiagvik: Bill Walker and Heidi Drygas made the rounds at the whaling festival.