State Sen. Kelly Merrick, running against a strong Republican challenger Jared Goecker, has had a string of campaign blunders and violations, and now she has yet another problem: Republicans have filed a complaint against her campaign with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.
According to the complaint, Merrick, who is an out-of-favor lawmaker, has admitted to taking donations from a business. That is illegal in Alaska. Businesses are not allowed to donate directly to candidates.
But the rules are sometimes different for the candidates backed by Big Labor.
The complaint also lists other violations by Merrick’s campaign involving in-kind donations that were not disclosed.
Merrick helped form a Democrat-majority caucus in the Alaska Senate, even though she represents one of the most conservative districts in Alaska — Chugiak-Eagle River. It’s become a campaign issue for her, although she has the strong support of the major labor unions of Alaska, due in no small part to her husband being the head of one of them.
She does not have the strong support of Republicans.
Earlier, Merrick’s union supporters violated the law by putting out a campaign mailer that used a police officer in uniform, with a badge, endorsing her. It is illegal for police officers to use their uniforms in partisan political ads.
Goecker, however, has the support of people like Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who endorsed him without even mentioning to voters that they could also vote for Merrick second in the ranked-choice ballot. Dunleavy completely ignored Merrick’s candidacy in his endorsement of Goecker.
District 24 Republicans endorsed Merrick after being pressured to do so by her husband, but Jared Goecker has the endorsement of both District 23, 24, and the Alaska Republican Party, which refused to endorse Merrick this year.
That is good. But, why isn’t there noise, also, from the parties about the growing number of democrats using public buildings for their campaigning?
Or the growing number of democrats using the Republican party as their platform?
Considering the “quality” of most AK Republicans, I’m not convinced there is much difference between the two groups.
Take some advice from John Wayne masked pretender, “Life is tuff, it is even tougher when you’re stupid”
You speak from experience? Or wishful thinking you could get that experience?
Im constantly amazed how many simple minded people still are all in on a failed, incompetent AK GOZ. I guess they like losing.
Like you.
Merrick will be in good company with Fletcher from Fairbanks. Maybe even cellmates? All night lady’s leg-wrestling matches is hard to beat by incarcerees.
Merrick, out-of-favor lawmaker? That’s funny considering her large following and large crowd of sign waivers near the polling place during election days. She definitely has buffaloed the people of Chugiak-Eagle River to remain in power as a Democrat yet dressed up as a Republican.
I live in Chugiak and there are few less signs for Merrick in individual yards and more for Goecker. I can tell you from the start I have never voted for her as she is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and her and her husband should move into Anchorage proper and GTH out of ER-Chugiak. This state should really look at becoming a Right to Work State and I would lay money on the odds of the Unions diminishing in the State. I will debate against anyone who thinks the Unions today are really needed as in the past and public service Unions should be completely done away with. If you work in the public sector you work for we the Taxpayer and should answer to us.
Steven, I second your observations on unions. In our neighborhood on the roads I drive, I have seen exactly 2 signs for Merrick in yards.
As for the flag wavers, I generally wonder when candidates have union support how many individuals are genuinely there because they believe in the candidate and how many are there because the union boss told them to. I don’t recall seeing any familiar faces of neighbors in that crowd back then..
*Political Popcorn: Just when you thought politics couldn’t get any more entertaining, here comes another episode of *As The Alaska Turns*. Grab your popcorn and hold onto your seats!
Where is our DOJ and the DA are they in hiding?
Good question. On top of that it seems our Division of Elections is either corrupt or negligent. Or both.
Ch-ER is not one of the most conservative districts in Alaska. It is a Peltola district.
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