JUNEAU — Tuesday’s primary will set the tone for fall legislative races that will help decide control of the Alaska state Senate.
The Senate currently has a majority bipartisan coalition, comprised of 10 Democrats and six Republicans. While Republicans hold leadership positions, including president and majority leader, some GOP members, including the state party chair, want to break up the coalition. For some of this year’s GOP challengers, trying to cast themselves as the more conservative alternative to Republican incumbents like Sens. Linda Menard and Lesil McGuire, the issue boils down to whether they believe their desire for more limited government and less spending can be accomplished with Democrats in control.
Menard, R-Wasilla, faced an aggressive campaign from Mike Dunleavy, the local school board president, in Senate District D, while McGuire, R-Anchorage, went against political newcomer Jeff Landfield, who sought to paint McGuire as a big spender, in Senate District K. Sen. Tom Wagoner, R-Kenai, who expressed frustration with the way the coalition worked during the last Legislature, was in a tight-money race with Soldotna Mayor Peter Micciche in Senate District O.
More than $225,000 was raised by the three Republican contenders for the vacant Senate seat in District C, most of that from former state Labor Commissioner Click Bishop and former state Sen. Ralph Seekins.
Seekins poured tens of thousands of his own dollars into the race. Conservative David Eastman is also running.
On the Democratic side, former state Rep. Harry Crawford sought to upset Sen. Bettye Davis, D-Anchorage, in the Democratic primary for Senate District M. The winner will face state Rep. Anna Fairclough, R-Eagle River, in November.
Comments (11)
Add commentTranslation:
'It's all about Parnell's $2 billion (per year) oil tax giveaway'
What, no new talking points
What, no new talking points Lat? This one's getting pretty stale.
Give Away To Big Oil
The term “conservative candidate” has become double speak for supporting Parnell’s plan. They argue that less money in government hands equals less government. If they want less government, selling the oil we both own for less than the highest bidders would pay isn’t the capitalist thing to do.
Any good capitalist supports selling Alaska’s oil to the highest bidder. Good conservatives support candidates who promise to put less of our revenue into government and more in our pockets.
Now to get rid of this
Now to get rid of this obstructionist bi-partisan coalition and turn it into a real Republican majority.
Nostalgia
NOSTALGIA
When I arrived in Alaska fifty years ago, Alaska had just become a State. I was not involved, nor especially interested in politics, but I came to know many elected representatives and State officials.
What I found then was that some of those I knew were Republicans and some were Democrats. As I talked with them I found out that in the Legislature where they served, or in State offices, there were always differences, discussions and debates. Apparently some were along political party lines, but in the end, when it came down to the nitty-gritty of a final vote, it was not loyalty to a political party, but what was best for Alaska. I recall how folks, decades ago, voted for some candidate or issue not because of their political party affiliation, but because of them as a person, or an issue that was best for all Alaskans.
Those days seem to have passed now in Alaska. Political parties have taken separate trails saying that their way is the only way we must go. It has become "My way, my political party's way or no way."
Fifty years ago, I thought Alaska was on the right trail for all Alaskans, though along the way people had to compromise to get to where Alaskans wanted to be, two, three or more generations down the trail.
Maybe my recollections are faulty. I know others will disagree. What I do know for sure, is that for me, during my early years, I thought we were on the right trail to the future together.
Now I see that trail has divided into political party trails where coming together, compromise, doing what is best for all Alaskans regardless of political party or special interes is no longer "in style." Now people want everything to "my way or no way"....compromise is no longer acceptable.
Chicago Politics In Alaska
Hello, gerrymandering; goodbye, $2 billion
Comment
We have a guy in the White House from Chicago so what can you expect? By the way, I thought that this Hope and Change guy was supposed to change the way business is done in DC. Instead, he has tried to divide us into haves and have-nots, and he has run up unprecedented debts that our children and grandchildren will pay through a diminished standard of living.
In Alaska we are seeing a move toward reading and following the Constitution. Therefore, looking at it from the far left (such as an aged professor might) yields a distorted view. Republicans of long standing are losing in primary elections. It has nothing to do with party, and if the Democrats would suddenly find merit in the Constitution they too would benefit from where Alaska voters are headed. Before there can be compromise there has to be trust, and I think that from the White House on down to the state and local level almost all trust has been destroyed by big government, big media, and the want-it-all-now Baby Boom generation.
Sign The Check
Might as well sign that 2 Billion Dollar check, Parnell...
A bipartisan legislature is what built Alaska until the pipeline was finished. It's been nowhere ever since.
The notion that a political party is your salvation is delusion at it's best. Compromise and the parties working together to make our Country work is the only way we have become the greatest nation on earth. A Christian Taliban is no better than a Muslim taliban.
The giveaway to big corps is what has driven our country to the condition it's in and that includes two very expensive wars. Past Repubs have embraced environmental issues, poverty issues and the rights of all Citizens in the past.
This polarized environment we live in is not good for the country. The fact that we are willing to decimate the environment for short term profit will leave our children and their children to clean up or live in the mess left behind. As Mitt proudly proclaimed "corporations are people too, my friend".
Constitution-Founding Fathers
Then again, how special could Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and their ilk have been anyway? As Ronald Reagan told Americans in the 1980's, the Nicaraguan Cotrasntras were the "moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers."
The Texas Board of Education, which sets the de facto standards for U.S. textbook publishers, removed Thomas Jefferson from the Texas curriculum, "replacing him with religious right icon John Calvin." (There is, of course, the Tea Party exception, which allows gun-toting Tea Baggers and Republican Congressman like Texas Rep. Michael McCaul to proclaim, "Thomas Jefferson said the Tree of Liberty will be fed by the blood of tyrants and patriots. You are the modern day patriots.")
That's what you get when you have the temerity to explain the plain meaning of the First Amendment, as Jefferson did in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists.
During a debate failed Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell asked her opponent, "Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?"
Rick Santorum explained that John F. Kennedy's famous 1960 statement that "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute" was "radical" and did "great damage." ("Jefferson is spinning in his grave," he added.) Sarah Palin couldn't agree more:
glacierdog
I missed the part in the Alaska Constitution where politicians are supposed to give away $2 billion worth of Alaskans' resources every year.
Perhaps Cathy Munoz could explain that to us since she voted in favor of that scheme.
curtis, roughcut, glacierdogs et al
if you're so keen on giving money to the oil companies, i respectfully suggest you start signing over your PFDs to them. it's clear you feel they need it more than you. the rest of us alaskans would like to get a fair price for the nonrenewable resource the oil companies are making record profits off of. it's a great compromise: parnell and every republican state official who supports the giveaway can stop accepting their state-funded paychecks and start signing them over to ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and any other needy corporate entity. you can probably write it off on your taxes to boot. afterall, since we're not getting anything in return for the $2,000,000,000 per year gift to them, it would be considered a charitable donation.
good day.