Former Rep. Chuck Kopp sent out the press release for former Gov. Bill Walker for his announcement that he is running for governor.
Kopp did not actually send the release to Must Read Alaska, but others did, and it has Walker’s full statement in it:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2021
Bill Walker and Heidi Drygas file to run for Governor and Lieutenant Governor “Restoring Trust, Rebuilding Alaska”
Anchorage, Alaska – Today, former Governor Bill Walker and former Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Heidi Drygas announced they are running as a joint ticket for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in the 2022 election. Both were born in Fairbanks and are lifelong Alaskans. Bill currently lives in Anchorage with his wife Donna of forty-four years, and Heidi resides in Juneau with her husband Kevin and three-year-old daughter Olive. “The last few years have driven divisiveness and caused economic alarm and instability at a time when our state’s future is at stake,” said Bill Walker. ‘‘I will work with the legislature to bring an end to this fiscal uncertainty that continues to threaten our future. Time is of the essence. We must rebuild hope, trust, and Alaska. Our opportunities are endless when we work together.”
“Alaskans need leadership. They want leaders who will reach across the partisan divide and are willing to work hard to solve our biggest challenges,” said Heidi Drygas. “Alaska is a vast and majestic state with immense resources and unlimited potential, but those opportunities are being squandered. We can’t let national politics rise above our state’s interests. Alaskans deserve better.”
‘‘I’m pleased that Heidi is on our ticket,” said Walker. “Given Heidi’s experience in job creation and workforce development and our combined passion for responsible resource development in Alaska, she is the right person at the right time.”
The Walker-Drygas campaign is committed to bringing together a team of Alaskans from across
the political spectrum to work together to save Alaska’s future. In the coming weeks, the campaign will announce members of their team, endorsements, and events. More information will be available at walkerdrygas2022.com.
Kopp, who lost his reelection bid in 2020 to Rep. Tom McKay, formed a consulting company and is its chief executive officer. Kopp had significant support in his campaign from Big Labor, but his work to save Senate Bill 91, the catch-and-release crime bill, cost him his reelection.
WINfluence Strategies, LLC’s other principal is Cherie Curry, former Southeast Alaska marketing manager for Frontier Media, which owns radio stations in Southeast Alaska. She lives in Juneau.
Walker also ran on the “restoring trust” theme when he ran and won against former Gov. Sean Parnell in 2014.
