Fairbanks Rep. Steve Thompson, fresh off a win in his District 2 primary race, has come out in support of a Democrat running in District 29, Nikiski-Kenai.
Thompson’s name, along with Republican Rep. Louise Stutes, was included in a fundraising social media post this week for Democrat Paul Dale, who is challenging Republican Rep. Ben Carpenter of Nikiski.
Dale is actually registered as a nonpartisan, but his campaign disclosures show he has paid Ron Meehan, a regional chair for the Alaska Democrats, thousands of dollars to help run his campaign, and he has paid his required $2,500 fee to the Alaska Democratic Party for the use of their shared services.
The fact that Debra Bonito, who is married to Mark Begich, is also a co-host to the fundraiser is just one more tell that Dale is one of those Democrats-in-sheep’s-clothing candidates. Tom Begich, Sam Cotten, Bryce Edgmon, and Republican-turned-anti-Republican Louise Stutes are also cohosts of the online fundraiser.
In 2019, Thompson and Stutes both crossed over to support the Democrat-led majority and install Speaker Bryce Edgmon. That organization blocked the governor’s cost-cutting agenda and ultimately installed a far-left radical on the Redistricting Board, which is in charge of drawing new political districts after the 2020 Census.
Thompson had been a reliable Republican until 2018, but was offered the prestigious post of majority leader with the Democrat-led caucus, and he abandoned the Republican majority to form a new majority.
In the 2020 Primary Election, other Republicans who installed Democrat leadership didn’t fare as well — Reps. Jennifer Johnston and Chuck Kopp both lost their primaries, while Bart LeBon of Fairbanks and Louise Stutes of Kodiak were unopposed. Gary Knopp of Kenai, who also led the revolt against his fellow Republicans, died in a plane crash in July.
But now that the primary is over, it appears Thompson may join Stutes in trying to form yet another Democrat-led caucus.
Paul Dale did not appear in the Primary Election, choosing to go directly to the General Election, as many other pretend nonpartisans have been doing. It’s clear the Democrats have identified Rep. Carpenter as someone they can knock off in the General Election in this deeply conservative part of the state.
Not a surprise and probably just a hint of the dirty tricks to come in the upcoming election. Is there a way that the Republican party can deny access to funds for Thompson in the General?
We are adamant supporters of Ben Carpenter and will use our voices to make sure he remains in the house.
Jeeze how many of these guys are there? It never stops!
If Paul Dale gets elected it will be very bad for the hundreds of thousand Alaskans who benefit from the Personal Use and recreational fisheries on the Kenai Peninsula. He has attended many Board of Fisheries meetings and always aligned himself with the Commercial sector. He would like nothing more than to stack the BOF with members who would vote to either dramatically curtail the dip net fisheries or, indeed, eliminate them. Rep Stutes from Kodiak is even worse. She will use all unethical methods to eliminate BOF appointees if they show any balance or fairness occasionally favoring reasonable opportunity for regular Alaskans to harvest fish resources for for their freezers and tables.
So all the Alaskans that commercial fish in Cook Inlet that have been slowly cut at the knees to make any sort of living to appease every sport and dipnet fisherman do not deserve any representation? I don’t support any Democrats because I know it only leads to more state spending which will lead to more taxes. So do only democrats support alaskans making a living of fish? I thought Republicans are supposed to be for business’s, because small boat commercial fisherman are business’s that pay a tax to run this state.
There should be a law against this.
Fairbanks you had a chance to blast this corrupt weasel out of there…now we are all stuck with him.
Correct, Lawrence. I’m voting for his opponent. Thompson is a senile old man these days. An 80-year old dude, who looks 90, married to a 40 something woman, and has a child about 10. Doesn’t he have a lawn to mow, or flowers to plant up at Birch Hill?
Yes the Democrats could never play straight that’s what’s wrong with their party and them they’re lying conniving non-truthful do anything to get elected bunch of scum
I’m in Thompson’s Fairbanks district. I’m a Republican. Guess my family and I will vote against Thompson in the general, since he conducts his political business as a Democrat.
Hey folks! It is time to wise up! Recruit an honest Republican to run a write-in against him in the general. Even if it assures the election of the Democrat, we are plainly better off to get rid of the likes of Thompson. I would rather have 10 outright known enemies than even 1 turncoat.
Outstanding suggestion. Any Conservatives in Fairbanks want a shot at this old fossil. Write-ins welcome. Jerry Cleworth? You listening?
Jerry can’t. He’s in Bart LeBon’s district. Someone else?
It’s just disgraceful when people show some independence.
I agree, we all need to get in line with the No Math politicians.
This is why the democrat symbol is a jackass.
This is what happens when the State Republican Party is more focused on spends more money failing to defeat David Eastman and Chris Kurka rather than take out the real RINO’s like Steve Thompson and Louise Stutes.
Mr. Carpenter:
Please provide your campaign address so that we can send you $$$. MRAK readers across the state helped knock-off Giessel and Coghill. Now, we can assist you.
.
Representative Thompson has been a liberal spender as co-chair of the House Finance Committee for years. I agree with others–get a conservative to run a write-in campaign. He needs to go.
Thompson was a auto parts salesman. No academic progress, and apparently, no loyalty to the Republican Party that was lotsl to him. Yes, I would gladly support a write-in candidate this fall. And I would gladly support Jerry Cleworth if he chose to run.
Very disappointing to see Steve Thompson supporting Mr. Dale.
Seriously, after all these years with him in politics, you can’t possibly be surprised…
If you are, you haven’t been paying attention.
Both Stutes and Thompson need to be held accountable for this. It makes me embarrassed for my commercial fishing friends in Kodiak that they keep re-electing Stutes – she failed to stand up for anything conservative as the so-called co-chair of Labor and Commerce last session and never made any effort to even disagree with radical leftist co-chair “Poison” Ivy Sponholz. Rep. Carpenter is a straight-shooter conservative who deserves our support.
Politicians are elected to represent their constituents, not the party. Stutes stands up for her constituents. Dunleavy proposals, like ending of the state sharing the fish tax with the communities of landing and ending the ferries are policies that will hurt her district. It would be irresponsible for her to support this. She realizes some of the governor’s ideas and urban legislators pandering will adversely affect her district. I do not know Paul Dale’s politics. I would imagine they are not far left as to law and order and the economy. Paul Dale is a successful business man running for election in a community he has helped economically I think Kodiak fisherman understand this.
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