WHO’S FAKE AND WHO’S REAL ON SOCIAL? LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
The campaign season heats up when candidate trackers and fake Facebook accounts start showing up.
A fake Facebook profile popped up two weeks ago and started making “friends” with political types across the state. First he had a couple of takers. Then a couple more.
There is no Niel Fernandez in the State of Alaska voter database. Not in Anchorage, and not anywhere.
No Niel Fernandez applied for a Permanent Fund dividend this year. Or in any recent year.
Several politicos — 23 so far — fell for the con and friended Mr/Ms. Fernandez, who launched his/her fake account with only one thing to say for his first Facebook comment, and it was a slam against Mike Dunleavy, the candidate for governor.
Grammar and attention to factual information aside, it was clear this was going to be a political attack account:
Now, Fernandez is appearing as a letter writer in the Anchorage Daily News, with nearly the exact same message, slightly edited and likely cleaned up for publication by the newspaper:
Fernandez was called out for being fake several days ago, and he has been reported to Facebook as a fake. Facebook takes veracity seriously, but can be slow to act.
Fernandez has motored on, responding to critics with this explanation, which attacks both Dunleavy and Begich for having “Outside” money:
“Some people are calling me a fake and a “troll” so lets clear that up:
“I am not a registered Voter because whats the point? My 1 vote wont change anything but I still have an opinion.
“My name is spelled NIEL not Neal or Neil because its based on Grandma’s maiden name. Her parents imgrated from Denmark.”
LEARN THE ROPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
How do you spot a fake Facebook account?
Don’t accept “friend” requests without digging deeper. Even friends have their Facebook accounts hacked sometimes, and you may be getting a friend request from a con artist.
FINANCIAL REPORTS SHOW SOME HEAVY HITTERS CHANGING TEAMS
Among items of interest found in the 30-day campaign financial reports, which were due on Monday at midnight:
Former Walker Administration Attorney General Craig Richards (and former Walker business partner) has gone with Mike Dunleavy for governor, maxing out to his campaign with a $500 contribution.
Over the past two years (2017 and 2018), Richards had maxed out with $500 each to Walker and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott. Richards now serves on the Permanent Fund Board of Trustees. He’s playing it safe.
Mike Robbins, campaign manager for Mead Treadwell’s gubernatorial campaign, had already maxed out to Mike Dunleavy’s campaign in April, but when he took on the Treadwell campaign was a contract, he maxed out there too, with $500. He has a nice (ca-ching) contract, though, so he can afford it.
Michelle Toohey, who was chief of staff for former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, maxed out to Mike Dunleavy before Treadwell got in the race, but her husband, Cam Toohey, has evened it up, giving $250 to Treadwell.
Marcia Davis, the former deputy chief of staff for Gov. Bill Walker who ran an illegal campaign group for his last election and paid a hefty Alaska Public Offices Commission fine for it, isn’t giving to Walker’s campaign this time around, but instead has donated $250 to Mark Begich.
This must mean she won’t be putting together an independent expenditure group as she did in 2014 for Walker/Mallott — the one that cost her a hefty fine.
Robin Brena, who bought Gov. Walker’s law firm and has been a staunch supporter from the start, hasn’t donated to the governor’s campaign this year. Perhaps he is getting ready to launch an independent expenditure group?
Brena was the kingmaker in 2014 and 2016, spending a quarter million dollars on Democratic candidates, including for Rep. Zach Fansler and Rep. Dean Westlake, who shortly thereafter resigned in disgrace.
Brena pushed for higher oil taxes with his “Our Fair Share” campaign.
This year, he’s the top contributor to the Alaska Democratic Party, with $10,000 — the maximum allowed — given in March.
And who does the Alaska Democratic Party support for governor? Mark Begich.
Justin Walker, a former law clerk for Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Anthony Kennedy, will speak in Anchorage on Monday, July 30, from 6:30-8 pm at the Loussac Library’s Ann Stevens Room.
Walker will discuss his experiences working with Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Kavanaugh is going through the confirmation process with the U.S. Senate.
After graduating from Duke University and Harvard Law School, Walker practiced in Washington, D.C. He teaches at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, where he was born and raised.
Among his scholarly writings, he has covered topics that include:
FBI Independence as a Threat to Civil Liberties: An Analogy to Civilian Control of the Military.
What Will Guard the Guardians? Combating Threats to an Independent Judiciary Through Lessons Learned from Theories of Inherent Executive Power.
Chilled Chambers: Constitutional Implications of Requiring Federal Judges to Disclose Their Papers Upon Retirement.
Photo: House District 4 candidate Jim Sackett speaks to supporters at Compeau’s in Fairbanks at a fundraising event attended by about 100 people.
REPUBLICANS LIKE SEN. KELLY WINNING THE MEET-AND-GREETS
The 30-day financial reports to the Alaska Public Offices Commission were due July 23, and tell much of the strength of the support for candidates as they head into the last month before the Aug. 21 primary election.
Fairbanks Republicans in competitive races raised significantly more cash to get out their message to potential voters.
It takes both cash and creativity in Fairbanks, where you have to get the yard signs in the ground in summer, before freezing weather takes over. Walking door-to-door in October is difficult in this spread-out community.
Right now, observers say the campaign signs in Fairbanks already have a heavy Republican presence. That’s reflected in the cash reports, too.
Between the House and Senate candidates in Fairbanks, more than $274,000 was raised for their Republican effort.
The Democrats and petition candidates in the Golden Heart City have raised $147,489; the lion’s share of that was raised by Rep. Scott Kawasaki, now running for Senate Seat A.
Pete Kelly
SENATE SEAT A
Sen. Pete Kelly, the incumbent who had over $71,000 in the year-start report, added another $48,000 for a total of $119,474.
Kelly has no primary competition, good name recognition and stellar reputation as Senate President as the one who said early on said the Senate would never yield on an income tax.
Rep. Scott Kawasaki, a Democrat who favored an income tax, is challenging the Senate seat; he had $48,540 in his year-start report, and put $41,253 more in the bank, for a strong showing of $89,793.
“This is the marquee race for the State Senate and it’s where the Democrats are putting their effort. Pete Kelly is their prime target,” said Tuckerman Babcock, chairman of the Alaska Republican Party. “Without Sen. Kelly, we would probably have an income tax in Alaska right now.”
SENATE SEAT C
Sen. Click Bishop, the incumbent, added $3,000 to his campaign, and brings his total to $22,375. He is unopposed this cycle in both the Primary and General Election.
HOUSE DISTRICT 1
Bart LeBon, running for District 1 with weak primary competition from Wolfgang Falke, raised $45,479 since the year-start report for a total campaign purse of $70,854.
The District 1 seat is being vacated by Democrat Scott Kawasaki.
Democrat challenger Kathryn Dodge and liberal petition candidate PJ Simon are also in the race. The district leans Republican, but the voters sometimes elect Democrats. Dodge had raised $27,569 in the year-start report, added $39,080 in the 30-day report for a total of $66,649. However, many of her contributions are from herself. Simon reported no funds raised at all.
HOUSE DISTRICT 2
Rep. Steve Thompson, the incumbent running for reelection, raised $4,300, for a total of $14,452 since his year-start report. He has no primary challenger and is in a favored Republican seat.
Van Lawrence is the Democrat challenger who has raised $7,967, and spent $5,800.
HOUSE DISTRICT 3
Rep. Tammie Wilson, the Republican running unopposed for her North Pole seat, raised a conservative $251 in her 30-day report, for a total of $1,353 since the year-start report.
HOUSE DISTRICT 4
Jim Sackett, a Republican running for the first time, raised $43,196.
Sackett has no primary opponent and had not filed for office in time for a year-start report, so this represents his entire fundraising effort.
The District 4 seat is being vacated by Democrat Rep. David Guttenberg.
Grier Hopkins, a well-known Democrat and son of former Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins, is running for the District 4 seat and has raised $32,812, with 200 donors listed. Petition candidate Tim Lamkin reported raising $250.
HOUSE DISTRICT 5
Kevin McKinley, running as a newcomer, raised $6,834 but has spent $4,122. The moderate Republican faces no primary opponent. McKinley owns several tattoo businesses.
Rep. Adam Wool, the incumbent Democrat and bar owner, started the year with $12,579, and has raised another $9,894. But he has spent all but $4,775.
HOUSE DISTRICT 6
Rep. Dave Talerico, the Republican incumbent, raised $6,200 in his 30-day report. He had no year-start report because he had not filed for reelection in time.
His challenger in the General Election, Ed Alexander, a Democrat, has raised more than twice that: $13,548.
FUNDRAISING IN FAIRBANKS
Fairbanks is a generous community but usually not in the $500 max-out level for races, as set by Alaska law. Kelly’s strong showing in fundraising is impressive, but so is the purse of Rep. Kawasaki.
Although he has a playboy reputation in Juneau, Kawasaki is an avid campaigner and is well-liked by his District 1 constituents.
Rep. Scott Kawasaki poses with a statue of William Seward, upon which women’s protestors had placed a pink hat and shawl, in January, 2018, in Juneau. (From social media.)
In Sen. Pete Kelly’s race against Sen. Joe Paskvan in 2012, he raised nearly $80,000 by election night. This year, he’s surpassed that by nearly $40,000 in July.
The issue will come down to taxes: In this community, the income tax favored by Rep. Kawasaki struck home with voters.
House Democrats went so far as to pass an income tax bill, HB 115, on April 15, 2017 — the day that Alaskans had to file their federal taxes. It was a bill that created an almost mirror agency of the IRS, with complicated formulas and severe penalties for errors and omissions.
Sen. Pete Kelly explains his fiscal thinking in his office at the Capitol, in 2017.
The state was in the midst of a serious recession with the highest unemployment in the nation. The previous year the state had lost 9,000 jobs, with more to come, and Fairbanks had been hit hard.
Fairbanks may be especially sensitive to taxation because it’s an expensive place to live, with a high cost of heating fuel.
But for Democrats to flip the Senate as they flipped the House to Democrat control, they’ll need to get Kawasaki to beat Kelly, which is why this race is shaping up to be a “real knuckle-duster,” as one Fairbanks observer put it.
BEGICH SURPRISES WITH CASH: Mark Begich, the Democrat running for governor, may have gotten in the race at the last hour of filing on June 2, but he has raised significant cash on a per-day basis, more per-day than the sitting governor, for a total of $133,373.
That’s the amount Begich has had to work with these past few weeks for his campaign sprint to the Primary election, where he faces a vacant opponent: Gov. Bill Walker fled the Democrats’ ticket when Begich jumped in; Walker will appear on the November ballot as a petition candidate.
Begich has been careful with his cash, spending only $38,000 so far on signs and a campaign headquarters, as well as all the set up and coffee needed to run a campaign. He’s working with about $95,000, although as a Democrat he will get Democratic Governors Committee funds after the primary.
WALKER HAS THE MOST MONEY: Gov. Walker has been campaigning and raising money at least since formally announcing his candidacy last summer, and his campaign is a well-oiled machine that has raised $220,558 since his year-start report.
He brought forward $100,000 from his 2014 campaign, and he’s had close to $500,000 in donations at his disposal during this campaign cycle.
But his expenditures — including a major purchase of a poll — have drained it significantly and much of his money has been spent raising more money, which he will need for the General Election. Walker is working with $337,155 cash on hand, according to APOC, significantly more cash on hand than Begich.
DUNLEAVY’S STANDING TALL ARMY: Mike Dunleavy’s campaign has raised close to $270,000 from over 1,000 donors, and he notes his average contribution is about $200, coming from everyday Alaskans.
Some $163,000 was raised since the start of his campaign, which had been put on hold for several months due to a health issue last fall. He entered 2018 with a clean bill of health but also a cash shortage on the campaign front.
The only one running for governor who has not held statewide elected office, he has had lower name recognition, and much of his effort has been to build that.
Dunleavy is also the only candidate that has a significant independent expenditure group working for his candidacy. Dunleavy for Alaska, separate from his campaign, has more than $700,000, it reported today, with $61,000 raised in the last 10 days.
TREADWELL: Mead Treadwell’s independent expenditure group has raised $31,550 and spent $22,149. Treadwell, a Republican, former lieutenant governor and former U.S. Senate candidate, joined the race on the last day possible, June 2. He has yet to report his campaign donations as of 5:30 pm.
MALLOTT: In the lieutenant governor’s race, Byron Mallott raised $102,238 since his year-start report. He raised a total of $256,822 and spent $198,548, leaving him with just $58,274 as he heads toward the November ballot, where he will be a petition candidate.
MEYER: Kevin Meyer’s campaign for lieutenant governor has amassed $106,803 total, with $23,498 of that coming in the 30-day report.
GATTIS: Lieutenant governor candidate Lynn Gattis raised $4,630 and brought her campaign total to $46,885 for the crowded Republican primary. She has spent $34,800.
GRUNWALD: Edie Grunwald’s lieutenant governor campaign treasury has grown to $103,476, with the addition of over $61,598 since the year-start report.
HAWKINS: Scott Hawkins reported raising $25,000, although he has now dropped from the race. His total war chest was $242,208 before he exited, but he spent $144,600 and change. The independent group working to elect Hawkins reports raising a total of $17,000.
SHELDON: Michael Sheldon of Petersburg is reporting $1,713 raised since the year-start report. He has raised a total of $2,038 in his campaign.
Gerald Heikes, a candidate for governor, reported just two cents to the Alaska Public Offices Commission. It was for interest earned on a $300 campaign bank account.
Candidates across the state must file their 30-day reports by today, and many have been appearing in the Alaska Public Offices Commission database over the past week. But all the gubernatorial candidates and lieutenant governor candidates held off reporting until the deadline day.
CBJ FINANCE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS BALLOT PROPS THIS WEEK
By WIN GRUENING SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
For any organization, goalsetting is important. Thus, every year during its annual retreat, our City and Borough of Juneau Assembly sets community goals. Last December, the Assembly finalized these priorities for 2018. The 24 adopted goals were grouped into four subject areas: Housing, Economic Development, Sustainable Budget and Public Safety.
Goalsetting fosters thoughtful discussion and consensus and lays the groundwork for the Assembly’s workplan. City staff then formulates ideas and thoroughly vets proposals that further these goals before any formal action is taken.
So, what happened between December and July?
We are more than halfway through 2018. Rather than focus on the majority of agreed-upon priorities, some members of the Assembly, and perhaps city staff, seem fixated on two new proposals being promoted by single-interest groups.
Under consideration for inclusion on the October ballot, these two items will dramatically impact CBJ’s “sustainable budget” goal by spending $12 million toward construction of a new Juneau Arts & Cultural Center — named the “New JACC” — and up to $2.8 million annually to operate a child care/kindergarten readiness program called “Best Starts.”
As I’ve written in past columns, the New JACC proposal is problematic on several fronts. Juneau’s current demographics (shrinking population, job losses, and stagnant economy) don’t support a $32 million cultural facility (plus unspecified millions of dollars for a parking structure).
When initially proposed, supporters stated public funding wouldn’t be required, and the sponsoring organization, the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council (JAHC), would be responsible for operational expenses. As it became clear that wouldn’t be possible, JACC promoters now want taxpayers to shoulder almost half the construction cost and take financial responsibility for operating shortfalls.
The New JACC request is accompanied by a slick, emotional campaign about the importance of the arts but is missing an updated in-depth study of potential revenues and expenses. The objective seems to be to get it on the ballot quickly before anyone can question the project’s feasibility.
There’s been no serious effort to verify supporters’ economic argument that the New JACC would be self-supporting — raising the specter the city would be saddled with another operational subsidy adding to the existing $600,000 loss incurred each year by Centennial Hall.
How is it that this project magically appeared as a pressing priority when it’s not mentioned in any of the Assembly’s goals? Does it really deserve $12 million in bond funding to be repaid through sales tax, property tax, and increased hotel/motel tax?
The Best Starts proposal does fall under an Assembly goal of improving Juneau’s Next Generation Workforce by supporting continued education funding, and child care with an emphasis on kindergarten readiness.
But it should be noted when this proposal was brought before the Assembly during budget hearings, it was declined due to lack of a funding source. Its supporters then proposed putting it on the ballot for a vote to be paid through an increase in property taxes.
Both the New JACC proposal and Best Starts, if passed by voters, will likely divert funding and attention from public safety — such as additional police officers or paramedics – and other more important goals on the Assembly’s priority list.
Increasing property taxes will make housing less affordable and economic development less viable.
Raising the hotel/motel tax (making Juneau’s visitor tax burden among the highest in the state) will make Juneau a less attractive destination for conventions and independent tourism.
Using limited sales tax dollars to support either of these projects will arguably reduce available funding for necessary infrastructure projects like the Juneau Airport remodel and water/sewer utility upgrades. This would hobble improvements in the city’s deferred maintenance/asset management long term plan — another higher priority goal of the Assembly.
The New JACC and Best Starts projects, regardless of how public-spirited they may be, cannot be considered in a vacuum.
It is the Assembly’s responsibility to act in a non-emotional, measured way that honors adopted goals and the basic purpose of municipal government — which is not to satisfy everyone’s “wants” but to provide true needs.
Without all the facts, along with independent and credible feasibility analyses of these projects, acceding to pleas that these tough decisions be shifted to the ballot is an abdication of that responsibility.
Win Gruening retired as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in 2012. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is active in community affairs as a 30-plus year member of Juneau Downtown Rotary Club and has been involved in various local and statewide organizations.
False flag. Flag of convenience. The terms are from an old maritime vocabulary.
In the days of pirates, privateers, letters of marque and reprisal, and commerce raiding, ships often carried a flag, national ensign is the correct term, of a country other than the one they were registered in or their owners resided in.
If the British and Spanish were at war, it was a lot safer to be flying an American or Dutch flag than a British or Spanish flag.
Confederate commerce raiders during the Civil War all but drove the US flag off the seas; US flagged ships either remained in port or flew the flag of some other nation, usually Britain.
Admiral Raphael Semmes, captain of the CSS Alabama and a lawyer as well, and the biggest contributor to driving US flagged commerce off the high seas, would intercept ships that “looked American” but were flying some other flag and at gun point convene an admiralty court to determine the true nationality of the ship.
Even if it was obviously an American built ship, if the master could credibly show that it was really a neutral-owned ship, he shook the master’s hand and sent him on his way; if not, he captured the crew and passengers , claimed the ship as a prize, or burned it, usually the latter.
Flags of convenience long ago were a standard ploy for ships in dangerous places; they just flew the ensign of the nation less likely to cause them trouble as they sailed dangerous waters.
The only real rule was when they entered a port, they were supposed to fly their flag of registration; some did, some didn’t.
In modern times that has morphed into registering a ship in the country that has the easiest regulations and lowest taxes; just look at all the ships registered in Liberia, Panama, or the Bahamas, most of which have never seen those places.
OF RINOS AND POLITICS
The term RINO has no relationship to ships. RINO is the term invented by quasi-libertarians and self-styled “true conservatives” to describe Republicans with whom they disagree; Republican In Name Only.
I suppose there are some, but I prefer to describe them as wearing that “R” as a flag of convenience. Since the early 1980s there have only been a handful of districts in Alaska that you could get elected from with a “D” behind your name.
I’ve known and worked with a lot of elected and appointed officials from whom you couldn’t buy an intelligent conversation about policy and who had no real political foundation but flew that “R” flag because they could get through dangerous political waters flying that flag rather than another.
We can now try to relate this to today’s politics in Alaska. There are some figures in Republican politics whose fidelity to Republican Party principles I would question. The Democrats did us the favor of making some of them an attractive offer to strike their color of convenience and come to their true allegiance. We know who they are.
Then there is the union/Democrat plan to field candidates flying false flags. These are people who are rock-ribbed Democrats, but because of the political composition of the district couldn’t possibly win an election as a Democrat. There have been several of them, and a couple have been elected. The unions and Democrats have actively recruited them, financed them, and provided them with their organization and muscle – mostly illegally, but nothing is illegal if nobody enforces the law.
At least AFL-CIO’s Vince Beltrami, when he ran for the State Senate, made himself into some sort of Independent, Bill Walker style. Now they’ve increased the audacity; they’re running union/Democrat made-assets claiming to be “conservative Republicans.”
Kelly Merrick, candidate for House District 14.
In Eagle River we have the wife of union man Joe Merrick, whose entire family income comes from the union, running in the Republican primary claiming to be a “conservative Republican.”
I’m sorry, but you cannot be the wife of a Laborers’ union business manager and be a “conservative Republican.”
Trade unionists have hating Republicans in their genes. Two drinks and a few minutes’ conversation with any old union hand about the Taft-Hartley Amendments to the National Labor Relations Act will have tears in the union guy’s eyes and a rant about the evil Republicans – and that grudge goes back to 1948.
Unions, like law firms, will designate some of their staff to be Democrats and some Republicans. You didn’t see it much in the rest of the state, but in Juneau you knew the designated Republicans in a union just as you knew the designated Republicans and Democrats in a law firm.
Kelly Merrick is flying a false flag; she’s no more a “conservative Republican” than I’m a Bernie Sanders-supporting millennial. She is one of Vince Beltrami’s false flag Republicans recruited to run in Republican districts and then caucus with the Democrats.
The people of Eagle River deserve better than this exercise in cynical politics.
Art Chance is a retired Director of Labor Relations for the State of Alaska, formerly of Juneau and now living in Anchorage. He is the author of the book, “Red on Blue, Establishing a Republican Governance,” available at Amazon. Chance coined the phrase “hermaphrodite administration” to describe a governor who is simultaneously a Republican and a Democrat. This was a grave insult to hermaphrodites, but he has not apologized.
GROUP RUN BY MERRICK WANTS JIM COLVER BACK IN OFFICE IN DISTRICT 9
The “Musk Ox Coalition” could rise again, as it has a big backer in Big Labor, which is funding campaign messaging on behalf of all but one of its original members.
The Laborer Local 341 group “Working Families for Alaska” is pouring significant support into candidates who are aligned with House Democrats but register as Republicans or nonpartisans.
In the latest filing with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, the group shows it is spending big bucks to get Jim Colver back in office in District 9, and is also supporting the other members of the self-described Musk Ox Coalition.
Colver was the one who coined the term “Musk Ox Coalition” back in 2015.
The candidates the labor group is supporting through its recent media spending include:
Jim Colver, District 9 Republican: $22,000, radio and digital ads
Gabrielle LeDoux, District 15 Republican: $3,000, digital ads
Daniel Ortiz, District 36 undeclared: $11,500, radio and digital ads
Louise Stutes, District 32 Republican: $8,000, radio and digital ads
Jason Grenn, District 22 nonpartisan: $10,000, radio ads
Of the $68,500 reported on the group’s most recent report, some $54,500, — nearly 80 percent — is being spent on Musk Ox Republicans and the indie-Democrat sympathizers whose campaigns seem at risk.
It is a partisan play by the Laborers union to keep the House under Democrat control.
The only member of the original Musk Ox Coalition not receiving the Laborers’ support is Paul Seaton of Homer. He has left the Republican Party at its invitation and is running in the Democrats’ primary. Support for him from the Laborers could occur after Aug. 21.
MERRICK PICKS HIS POISON
Working Families for Alaska’s chairman is Joey Merrick, a young man with a good nature, but who is an old-style labor Democrat heading Laborers Local 341.
The pillow talk in his house must be curious: Merrick’s wife, Kelly Merrick, is running as a Republican in Eagle River for the House District 14 seat being vacated by Rep. Lora Reinbold.
Reinbold is one of the most far-right members of the House and Kelly might be one of the farthest-left Republicans, if elected. And she has a good shot at it. Ms. Merrick has by far the most campaign signage in Eagle River, with candidates Eugene Harnett and Jamie Allard being outspent and outworked by the experienced union support that the Merrick family has. Ms. Merrick appears to have an easy ride through the Aug. 21 primary.
Original Musk Ox Coalition member Jim Colver was removed from office by voters in 2016, replaced with Rep. George Rauscher.
Now, Rauscher is having to defend against a heavy union media buy for Colver, who the Alaska Republican Party has technically banished, along with Reps. Stutes and LeDoux. Their offense was running as Republicans in 2016, but immediately — within 24 hours of the election — forming a political alliance with Democrats in exchange for key leadership spots. They gave the House leadership to the Democrats for the first time in 22 years. The party voting officers found that deceptive and has withdrawn support from them.
For Stutes and LeDoux, there were rewards to be dissidents. Stutes, although she had served for just two years, was awarded the role of Majority Whip by the Democrat-led House. LeDoux became Rules Chair.
Ortiz told voters he would organize with the Republicans, even while running as an undeclared candidate. He immediately organized with Democrats.
Grenn is less of a Musk Ox because he accepted so much union and Democratic support as a candidate that it was hard to miss his allegiances.
He won in a reliably Republican district because the incumbent Rep. Liz Vazquez didn’t run an effective campaign in 2016, and was outspent by union-backed Grenn. This year he skipped the primary and will go to the General Election as a petition candidate, with Democrat and Big Labor backing once again.
Working Families of Alaska is also supporting former House Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom as she tries to win back a seat she vacated several years ago. The union group has awarded $8,000 to support her campaign. She is a Republican making a play for the House District 13 seat being vacated by Rep. Dan Saddler. The other Republicans running for the District 13 seat are Craig Christenson and Bill Cook.
Merrick’s group also spent $4,000 in an Anchorage Assembly special race to replace West Anchorage Assembly member Tim Steele.
Austin Quinn-Davidson, who is the hard-leftist in the three-way race, will get support with digital advertising from Working Families for Alaska.
Quinn-Davidson is an environmental lawyer with the Great Alaska Land Trust. She is married to Stephanie Quinn-Davidson, and both are actively supporting the “Yes on 1” ballot initiative to shut down most projects that Laborers would hope to work on by making it impossible to get building permits in the any area that can be considered salmon or other anadromous fish habitat.
Although the Quinn-Davidson family backs the “Yes on 1” initiative, Joey Merrick serves on the board of the governor’s Alaska Gasline Development Authority. The governor has said that Yes on 1 would halt many needed projects around the state and it is clear that building a gasline to tidewater would face enormous hurdles if the initiative passes.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SLAMS FELLOW DEMOCRAT IN FUNDRAISING LETTER
The dueling between the Alaska Democratic Party and Gov. Bill Walker has intensified.
Alaska Democratic Party Chairwoman Casey Steinau read a sharp-tongued fundraising letter sent by Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott on Friday, and took him to task for it. This was the state party leader scolding the highest-elected Democrat in the state.
Mallott is a lifelong Democrat who was the Democrats’ nominee for governor in 2014, but who, at the instruction of the Democrats, stepped aside so that Bill Walker could win for governor. Mallott took the back seat as the lieutenant governor candidate. He was allowed by a judge in 2014 to become a petition candidate on the General Election ballot without ever having to gather a single signature.
This time as a Democrat incumbent with an undeclared Walker as governor, Mallott has chosen to run as a petition candidate on the General Election ballot along with Walker. Speculation has been rampant that he could jump ship and form a ticket with Mark Begich.
On Friday morning, Mallott’s harsh-toned letter dispelled rumors that he might join a Begich ticket.
Mallott, Begich, Walker
The two have not had a good relationship this year. Begich visited the governor and lieutenant governor in the spring and told them he didn’t plan to run for governor but had a few words of wisdom for them.
Mallott is said to have bristled at Begich’s impudence, and shot back at Begich that they didn’t need advice from a guy who had lost a statewide election as an incumbent U.S. senator.
After that encounter, Begich formed up his campaign strategy to take on the two.
Mallott’s letter on Friday was gasoline on the fire of that relationship, sending a clear message that no post-primary switcharoo would be in the works, as it was in 2014. At least not now.
Mallott also used the opportunity to call Republican Mike Dunleavy a “cotton candy candidate.”
The letter from Byron Mallott, in full:
The head of the Alaska Democratic Party didn’t take that letter lightly. Casey Steinau blasted out a missive of her own, defending Begich against Mallott’s charges and calling the lieutenant governor’s letter a “disappointing attack.”
Steinau’s letter, in full:
“As you may have seen, the Lt. Governor sent out a disappointing attack Fridaymorning on Mark Begich as part of a fundraising plea. The Lt. Governor’s email wasn’t about a policy difference or a comparison of records, but rather the kind of inaccurate and unnecessary character attack that so many of us had hoped we would avoid this campaign season.
“Specifically, the Lt. Governor claimed that Mark Begich was “nowhere to be found” during the last three and a half years of the Governor’s term. Anyone who knows Mark (as the Lt. Governor has for decades), knows that simply isn’t true.
“The Lt. Governor wrote, “I say to Mark Begich: If you wanted to help, we were waiting for you for three and a half years …” What?
“Mark has been a regular fixture back home in Alaska – spending time with family, friends, and regularly spotted at Home Depot or Fred Meyer. But he was also busy starting a successful business and engaging on important issues across the state. He has been out campaigning and supporting our friends – Democrats – running for office all across the state. He has been a leader and spoken out on important issues – from Fair Anchorage to the PFD to women’s rights and more. And yes, Mark has also reached out and met with the Governor and Lt. Governor – on more than one occasion – to talk about the challenges facing our state and his willingness to be a partner in finding solutions. One of the reasons so many Alaskans support and respect Mark Begich is because whether he is in office or not, he is always working hard for Alaskans.
“Campaigns are competitive and Mark Begich is a tough, proven campaigner, but we hope all the candidates will follow Mark’s lead and focus on laying out a positive vision for how we move Alaska forward rather than trying to engage in misleading, negative, attacks.
“If you haven’t checked out Mark’s updated website yet, please visit: www.begich.comand read more about his detailed positions and plans to get Alaska back on track. We always encourage a healthy debate on the issues and hope voters will take the time to compare the candidate’s positions on their websites – though you might have a tough time finding Mark’s level of detail anywhere else.
“We couldn’t be happier to support Mark’s positive, energetic campaign about Alaska’s future – and from the looks of his growing support and increasing momentum, Alaskans are sharing in our excitement.
Rise of the fakes: Letters to the editor, Facebook
WHO’S FAKE AND WHO’S REAL ON SOCIAL? LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
The campaign season heats up when candidate trackers and fake Facebook accounts start showing up.
A fake Facebook profile popped up two weeks ago and started making “friends” with political types across the state. First he had a couple of takers. Then a couple more.
There is no Niel Fernandez in the State of Alaska voter database. Not in Anchorage, and not anywhere.
No Niel Fernandez applied for a Permanent Fund dividend this year. Or in any recent year.
Several politicos — 23 so far — fell for the con and friended Mr/Ms. Fernandez, who launched his/her fake account with only one thing to say for his first Facebook comment, and it was a slam against Mike Dunleavy, the candidate for governor.
Grammar and attention to factual information aside, it was clear this was going to be a political attack account:
Now, Fernandez is appearing as a letter writer in the Anchorage Daily News, with nearly the exact same message, slightly edited and likely cleaned up for publication by the newspaper:
Fernandez was called out for being fake several days ago, and he has been reported to Facebook as a fake. Facebook takes veracity seriously, but can be slow to act.
Fernandez has motored on, responding to critics with this explanation, which attacks both Dunleavy and Begich for having “Outside” money:
“Some people are calling me a fake and a “troll” so lets clear that up:
“I am not a registered Voter because whats the point? My 1 vote wont change anything but I still have an opinion.
“My name is spelled NIEL not Neal or Neil because its based on Grandma’s maiden name. Her parents imgrated from Denmark.”
LEARN THE ROPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
How do you spot a fake Facebook account?
Don’t accept “friend” requests without digging deeper. Even friends have their Facebook accounts hacked sometimes, and you may be getting a friend request from a con artist.
To learn more, check out these pointers from WikiHow, and learn how to report face Facebooks account to Facebook.