By SEN. MIKE SHOWER
“A canary in a coal mine?”
I spent 24 years wearing our nation’s uniform as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. I hold tightly to the belief the United States and the principles behind its creation are one of the greatest achievements in human history. Many Americans, myself included, are concerned about the direction our nation is headed.
If this election taught us anything, it’s that a majority of Americans still love this nation and want a return to normalcy. There is nothing wrong with loving your country. The winning candidate was brashly America first and won by a wide margin. Proof enough.
As a state senator in Alaska for 8 years, and a resident for most of my adult life, I have witnessed a host of special interest constantly push left wing ballot initiatives here. Why? We are a vast state by landmass, but small in population with around 730,000 citizens. Leftist can “buy” laws in Alaska on the cheap and out of sight, let me explain.
This last election cycle there was a citizen grass roots ballot initiative to repeal ranked-choice voting. The left-wing groups who spent millions to install RCV in Alaska in 2020, spent almost $15 million dollars to defend ranked-choice voting in 2024. According to the Alaska Public Offices Commission data, roughly $10,000 of that $15 million was generated from inside Alaska, the rest was “dark money” from those left-wing organizations from outside Alaska.
The Alaska citizens who rallied to repeal RCV raised about $155,000, with virtually all of it coming from inside our state. Do the math. We were outspent 100 to 1 by out of state billionaires and left-wing front groups like Arabella Advisors and the 1630 fund. Those are incredibly tough numbers to compete with. We don’t have the resources in our tiny state to defend ourselves against such an onslaught.
To put it another way, to buy a law in California based on the population size it would have costs them roughly $800 MILLION to run a similar ballot initiative compared to the “chump change” it costs in Alaska. They spent $93 dollars – PER VOTE – to save RCV. Alaskans for repealing it had only $.93 cents – PER VOTE. It then becomes clear why they pick on Alaska to run such initiatives. For much less money, the law gets passed, then they use Alaska as a springboard to other states to push the initiative pointing out how great it works up north where no one is paying attention. Alaska isn’t exactly on the national news with regularity.
For our part this year, even being vastly outspent, the effort to repeal RCV was defeated by just a few hundred votes out of about 350,000 votes cast. Imagine if Alaskans had even a few million to spend to counter the influence of dark money? Considering polling consistently showed a 60% or greater unfavorable view of RCV its clear the repeal would have easily won.
The pro RCV groups lied, used lawfare, had spies in the repeal campaign and inundated Alaskans with propaganda for a year! If it sounds like desperation on their part, it was. The reason is clear upon reflection. If they can install RCV across the nation then they can more quickly achieve their ultimate goal, a one-party system where the left has complete control of the political landscape and, therefore, the country.
But if Alaska repeals RCV it throws cold water on the RCV narrative. If it’s so great, why did Alaska repeal it? Hence, it’s an all-out, spare no expense, tell any lie, desperate campaign they must win for their long game to be successful.
For those who aren’t aware, RCV is a left wing created voting scheme designed to turn a red state blue. It’s touted to give voters more “choice” but in reality, has numerous faults. It is well documented that it is complicated, confusing and disenfranchises the elderly, minorities, English language learners and those with less than a high school graduation. It will, over time, actually suppress the voter turnout.
As reference, RCV allowed the first democrat to be elected to Alaska’s only US congressional seat for the first time in 50 years. That happened even though there are twice as many republicans in Alaska as democrats. RCV did that. Sen Murkowski was censored by the Alaska republican party in 2022 and would not have survived the primary, but the “jungle” primary with RCV in Alaska allowed her to stay on the ballot and defeat the more conservative challenger. RCV did that too.
Without spending an entire article on RCV, suffice it to say, after 4 years and 2 election cycles of it in Alaska, we are ready to “cancel” it for good.
However, fear not! Even though we lost this round, barely, Alaskans are tough. We’re sick and tired of being influenced by lower 48 special interests. We aren’t about to give up. The effort to repeal RCV has already begun anew for the next election cycle. We will gather our forces, build our war chest, and take the left head on. We will win, it’s just a matter of time.
For the rest of the nation? Let Alaska be your canary in the coal mine. Don’t be fooled into thinking ranked voting is good. It’s not. In fact, fight it with all your might. I can attest personally the future of our nation depends on it.
Sen. Mike Shower represents Wasilla in the Alaska Legislature, where he serves as Republican minority leader in the Senate. This column was published first at Patriot Post.
Correction Senator: RCV did get Sen Murkowski and Rep Petola elected; they each collected more votes than their competition. Your argument may be correctly directed at the Open Primary portion of 2020’s Ballot Measure 2.
So, as a good, card carrying member of the Red Team, I ask you this: Why does the State of Alaska and the Division of Elections have a care who a private, non-State entity such as either the Alaska Republican Party/Alaska Democrat Party (s)elects as their Party nominee?
The ARP need only to look in the mirror for the source of discontent for many non-Party voters such as myself. Indeed, I’m a Right Wing Nut Job and I do vote, but your Party has created this mess. And the sooner your Party Bosses figure out that a closed, self-funded Primary/Straw Poll (that you currently perform for US Presidential nomination!!!) the sooner you’ll have the candidate of your choice alone on the ONLY election called for in the Alaska Constitution: the General Election in November.
We’re waaaay past time for a Separation of Party and State
It’s too early in the morning for me to be posting!!
First line shoud read: RCV did *NOT* get Sen Murkowski and Rep Petola elected; they each collected more votes than their competition.
Shower puts his arrows in the bull’s eye, except: what about the Governor’s failure to intercept RCV as utterly illegal? His own att’y general did. Where does it say that a governor MUST obey unconstitutional judicial decisions? Where does it say that the judiciary can cancel out the superior branch — the legislature’s — statutes about single-topic initiatives?
My column of a few weeks ago, citing his power to do so in Article III, Sec. 16 apparently is not something he or the other conservatives in the Senate Minority coalition want to see utilized. It sure would be a lot easier than going through yet another grind of signature-gathering and Scott Kendall lawfare suits.
If the “Governor Option” was endorsed (as Terrence Shanigan also appears to do) by Showers, Hughes, Meyers, Kaufman, Cronk and Yundt, it (might) give the Governor the fortitude to DO IT. And, it would challenge the constitutional overthrows of the judiciary in other areas, such as Grand Jury rights and abortion funding. It would also halt the equally nefarious multi-topic Prop 1.
The state constitution GAVE these powers to the governor for a reason. Do we need to have the fast-fading mainstream media’s permission to use it?
Senator Shower: Is there a way to eliminate Outside money from spending in AlasKa? Remember Lisa was supported by $9 million of a US Senate campaign fund which I believe is in place to ensure incumbents are re-elected. This there a way that we can keep that Outside money out of our elections?