By RANDY RUEDRICH
The 2020 Ballot Measure 2 eliminated Alaska’s Republican primary. The 2022 General Election with ranked choice voting requires:
- Conservatives must rank the red (vote Republican) in races with a Democrat.
- Conservatives should never rank a Democrat in any race.
- In Republican vs. Republican challenges, conservatives have what can be considered a delayed primary election, which is decided on Nov. 8.
First, let’s look at the races on the November ballot that have no active Democrat campaigns. Conservatives must select their candidate and vote. Rather than review all of them here, let’s elect a representative or senator who will work with other conservatives to enact worthwhile legislation.
Endless debates do not advance our agenda. Arguing and grandstanding don’t get results. Don’t let the ranked-choice jargon prevent us from sending our best candidates to Juneau to advance our agenda.
One campaign requires special attention. Sen. Mike Shower was appointed the Alaska Senate in 2017 by Gov. Bill Walker and elected in 2018. In five years, Sen. Shower has not succeeded in passing a single piece of legislation he originated.
Whilst Senator Shower talks about election reform, he delivered none. As chair of the State Affairs Committee, Sen. Shower failed to pass a single piece of election reform legislation in four years. Of particular note, his 2022 attempt at election reform legislation did not address any change to the problematic automatic Permanent Fund dividend voter registration initiative language.
Sen. Shower’s committee work product sent to Senate Finance resembled a left-wing end-run. It provided for same day voter registration; four-year absentee ballot requests to maximize loose ballots on campuses, military installations, and retirement facilities; and prohibited organizations like the Republican Party from partially completing absentee ballot applications for distribution to voters. These Democrat election reform jewels were passed out of Sen. Shower’s State Affairs committee.
For the first time in my 37 years as an Alaska Republican, I testified against a bill from a committee chaired by a Republican. ARP Chair Ann Brown also testified against this Shower committee bill in the Senate Finance hearing. Shower’s Democrat Election Reform bill was not adopted by the 2022 Legislature.
Let’s elect effective Senators and House Representatives in 2022.
Randy Ruedrich served as Alaska Republican Party chairman from 2000 to 2013, served on the Republican National Committee for 13 years, and as an Alaska member of the Electoral College in 2020.
