The Republican Party base in House Districts 13 and 14 are sending three names to Gov. Mike Dunleavy to fill the empty seat for House District 13.
This advancing to the governor’s desk are Craig Christianson, Clayton Trotter, and Sharon Jackson.
Not receiving enough votes to make the top three were Ken McCarty and Bill Cook. McCarty was disadvantaged by being in Costa Rica recovering from hip surgery.
The District 13 seat was formerly held by Rep. Dan Saddler. He didn’t run for it, but instead ran for Senate and lost to Sen.-elect Lora Reinbold.
Nancy Dahlstrom won District 13, but then was tapped by Gov. Dunleavy to be the commissioner of the Department of Corrections.
Five people offered their names for consideration.
The two districts have long operated jointly, and after discussion about whether District 14 should be allowed to vote on a District 13 appointment, they proceeded as a joint body. About 18 were present from House District 14, but only about 7 from House District 13.
THE CANDIDATES
Craig Christianson – Christianson was a candidate for this seat earlier this year, but lost to Dahlstrom. He is a retired colonel and is a veteran of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. He is a retired physician and was deputy commissioner of the Department of Health and Social Services under Gov. Sean Parnell.
Clayton Trotter – Professor of accounting and finance at University of Alaska Anchorage, and former general counsel for the Justice Foundation, he once ran for Congress for Texas District 20, San Antonio.
Sharon Jackson – Jackson ran for lieutenant governor this year. She is a U.S. Army veteran who recently served as a constituent relations staff member for U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. Before that, she was the Alaska point person for National Write Your Congressman, the National Legislative Research Organization. She is the chair of a new Republican club in the Anchorage area.
Gov. Dunleavy can choose from the names offered by the district leaders or he can choose someone another Republican to fill the seat for the next two years.
NO UNION MARCH
Although Union Boss Vince Beltrami put out an action alert for people to attend the Republican District 13 and 14 meeting to protest some resolutions the district is discussion, not a single union member attended. Not even the boss himself.
