THROW OUT SOME VOTES? ALASKANS SAY ‘NO THANKS’

Defend Alaska Elections—Vote No on 2 announced 25 co-chairs to lead the campaign to defeat Ballot Measure 2.

The community leaders who have lent their names to the defeat of the rigging of Alaska’s elections include Chairman John Sturgeon.

“Alaskans already know how to vote; they have been doing it since statehood!” said Tim Navarre, a Democrat, lifelong Alaskan, Kenai City Council member, and former president of the Alaska Municipal League.

“I believe outside interests are trying to change Alaska’s voting laws to suit their own interest. Presently my vote counts today, and that is the way it should be,” said Bob Sivertsen, a Republican and lifelong resident of Southeast Alaska, mayor of Ketchikan, and advocate for seniors.

The group has the backing of Libertarian Dick Randolph, who said, “The billionaires supporting Ballot Measure 2 say it will give voters ‘more choice and more voice. This is utter nonsense. It will actually take away voters’ choices, by discriminating against small political parties.”

“Erecting new barriers to voting by increasing ballot complexity and throwing out votes is a recipe for disaster,” said Susie Linford (Non Partisan), award-winning chef and longtime community pillar in Anchorage. “Our current system is fair and simple, and most importantly, every vote counts!”

Dark money is fueling Ballot Measure 2, and it’s from out of state. Defend Alaska Elections reports its top three contributors are Alaskans John Sturgeon, former Governor Sean Parnell (R), and former Senator Mark Begich (D).

The full current list of co-chairs includes:

• Bernie Karl, business owner, entrepreneur, and lifelong Fairbanksan
• Anna MacKinnon, former state senator, former Executive Director of STAR
• Bob Candopoulos, captain and president of the Saltwater Safari Company 
• Carol Fraser, Alaska Chamber board member, businesswoman, and travel industry advocate
• Johnny Ellis, former state senator of some 30 years
• Mead Treadwell, former lieutenant governor and current Arctic advocate
• Kristin Mellinger, businesswoman and former executive VP of the Arctic Slope Regional Corp
• Dick Randolph, statesman and lifelong Alaskan
• Lei Tupou, Alaska Parole Board member and longtime public servant
• Cheryl Markwood, owner of Markwood Realty and local political activist
• Tim Navarre, Kenai City Council member, and lifelong Alaskan
• Stanley Wright, veteran, father, and longtime Alaskan
• Leslie Becker, former E.D. of Ketchikan Chamber, candidate for Alaska Legislature
• David Pruhs, Fairbanks City Council member, small business owner, and lifelong Alaskan
• Pete Zuyus, former chief information officer for the State of Alaska and advocate for seniors
• Brittani Clancey, mother of four, Advisory Board member for Northern Lights ABC School
• Thomas Baker, City of Kotzebue Vice-Mayor, candidate for the Alaska Legislature
• Bob Sivertsen, lifelong resident of Ketchikan, mayor, and advocate for seniors
• Portia Noble, lifelong Alaskan and political activist
• Mark Chryson, former chair, Alaskan Independence Party; sponsor of original ranked choice ballot initiative
• Mike Prax, Alaska state representative
• Susie Linford, award-winning chef and community volunteer in Anchorage
• Steve Colligan, businessman, former member Mat-Su Borough Assembly
• Paulette Simpson, longtime Juneauite and community volunteer
• Dave Talerico, Alaska state representative, former coal miner
• Cynthia Erickson, Athabaskan from Tanana, business leader and rural advocate

The Alaskans for Better Elections group trying to pass Ballot Measure 2 is led by Scott Kendall, the former chief of staff to Gov. Bill Walker and a leader in the Recall Dunleavy Committee.

Candidate Al Gross has a new communication director who has “been there, done that” for New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio.

Julia Savel cut her teeth with the Bill DeBlasio for Mayor campaign in New York City, where she was a communications operative.

Savel, who was briefly the communication director for Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia, joins another out-of-stater — Campaign Manager David Keith, who brought baggage with him to Alaska when he signed on with the Gross campaign last year.

Keith had come to the Gross campaign after working for, and getting in trouble at, the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

[Read: Progressive Caucus hires first director]

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Keith frequently used crude language and derogatory terms to describe women and gay people.

[Read: Progressive Caucus staffer accused]

Clearly it was time to bring on a different communications professional for Gross, especially after his remarks on a recent ad, in which he said he has the testicles to do the job in Washington (using the Spanish word “cojones.” Gross has since been counseled by his supporters about his toxic masculinity.

Gross has embraced East Coast leftists in his quest to unseat U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. But with East Coast fundraising from Swing Left, he also has plans to hire 60 rural Native Alaska coordinators to work his rural get-out-the-vote strategy this fall. Rural Alaska is the key to his strategy, as it was for Sen. Mark Begich, who lost to Dan Sullivan in 2014.

Gross has strong East Coast ties, having completed high school at the fashionable Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts (tuition $57,000 per year) before attending Amherst College in Massachusetts for his undergraduate degree (tuition $58,000 per year).

The public unions have published their list of endorsement. Unsurprisingly, they are mostly Democrats or that new breed of Democrat that is registered as not aligned with a party. Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak also got an endorsement, even though she is a registered Republican.

But the Alaska Public Employees Association (AFL-CIO) disrespected one of their endorsees. While referring to candidate Jamin Burton as “Dr.” in respect of his PhD, the union ignored the PhD in soil science that gives candidate Liz Snyder the right to the “Dr.” honorific.

That likely didn’t go unnoticed by Snyder, who several weeks began referring to herself as Dr. Liz Snyder on campaign literature, a change noted by critics who say she is trying to appear to be a medical doctor at a time when people are looking for leadership in health decisions. Like Burton, she is an educator in the University of Alaska system.

Snyder is running for House District 27 against incumbent Republican Rep. Lance Pruitt in what is considered to be a “must win” for both the Democratic Party and Republican Party.

One of the charges made by the Recall Dunleavy Committee is that the governor used state funds for partisan political purposes. That matter has now been put to rest.

The complaint concerned social media posts and mailed flyers by the Governor’s Office to get the public engaged to push to put the Permanent Fund dividend in the Alaska Constitution.

Seven categories of problematic communications were alleged in the one complaint made. But only one category of communication was found to be possibly problematic by the special counsel to the Personnel Board, who thought it crossed the line to partisan political purpose: A mailer.

Some of the language in the mailer landed in the districts of two legislators who had filed their notices that they intended to run for reelection. Because in the communications, the Governor’s Office had referred to those legislators, this could be seen as partisan politicking.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy had no role in the drafting, design, publishing, or approving the communications that went out from his office, and did not intend for State resources to be used for partisan purposes. The media campaign was done by staff at the broad direction of the governor to do outreach to the public, according to the settlement.

However, rather than fight it, the governor has decided to resolve it by reimbursing the State $2,800 for the communications. He has not admitted guilt and expresses concern that governors in the future may be held financially liable for the actions of their staffs.

“I don’t believe I violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act. Nevertheless, I believe it is in the best interests of the State to resolve these complaints, and, for this reason, I am reimbursing the State for the cost of these advertisements and ensuring that my staff undergoes all appropriate ethics training. I am also taking this opportunity to remind the devoted public servants in my office of the very high ethical standards that Alaskans rightly demand,” Dunleavy wrote.

The matter never was heard by The Alaska Personnel Board but was resolved by Dunleavy and the Board’s special counsel John J. Tiemessen.

Read the settlement statement here: