As a state party, we don’t speculate about election outcomes, but we have been known to privately grind our teeth and fidget in our chairs for two weeks while we await results. I speak for myself when I say I felt good ahead of Wednesday – the energy surrounding Mary’s campaign was palpable…and then the news came that an Alaska Democrat who had run a pro-fish, pro-choice campaign had become our next Congresswoman.
I jumped out of my chair and…well…kept jumping because there was a lot to be excited about! After all, history had been made…and not just once…but twice.
Not only had Mary become Alaska’s first Congresswoman she also became the first Alaska Native elected to the U.S. House of Representatives! National newspapers and lower-48 pundits called her win an “upset victory” for Alaska Democrats and an ominous sign for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.
We couldn’t be more proud of the campaign Mary ran and we hope you feel that way too. There’s a lot of work to be done before November’s election and we can’t lose sight of what’s at stake – not only do we have to rally and help Mary get re-elected, but there are important down-ticket races that MUST be won! The outcome of those races will be determined by voter turnout so make a plan NOW and begin thinking about how you can help candidates win in November!
Not everyone was thrilled about Mary’s historic victory…one of Alaska’s worst former governors appeared to suggest her MAGA clan should take up arms! Against who? We aren’t sure. 🤷♀️
Sarah celebrated her devastating election loss with cake. It’s not clear if lifetime member of the far-right Oath Keeper militia, Rep. David Eastman, also enjoyed cake.
I wonder if he knows the top lawyer for his group, who was with the group’s leader outside the Capitol on Jan. 6., 2021, was charged this week with conspiring to obstruct a joint session of Congress? Probably. He probably knows.
Nick Begich III groused after Wednesday’s results, using his favorite buzzwords like activists, liberal, torch, Biden, Pelosi and burn, you know, as usual. Of course, Nick left out the part about Trump’s mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic which almost certainly contributed to the economic hardship the country has faced.
While Republicans are spewing hate, vitriol and rhetoric – Democrats are working to find solutions to the most pressing issues – noteworthy is that the economy added 315,000 new jobs in August, continuing 20 consecutive months of job growth and gas prices have fallen for 80 days in a row.
Alaska Republicans like Nick and Sarah only want to take us backwards to an America where there’s no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception and no right to marry who you love. Yep, on brand.
Gov. Dunleavy skipped the Anchorage Board of REALTORS (ABR) gubernatorial debate (so shocking). ABR said they found his lack of participation “surprising,” which I found amusing because hiding ahead of Election Day is Dunleavy’s thing.
Anyway, nobody knows why ABR cancelled the debate instead of holding it for candidates like Les Gara who was willing to answer tough questions and inform the public about where he stands on important issues. Maybe Tall Mike was afraid he’d have to answer questions about the abrupt firing of Angela Rodell, his secret meeting with Pebble executives, or his push for a $1/4 billion dollar cut to public education. 🤷♀️
Anyway, if you’re traveling and have some time to spare, I whipped up a “Where’s Mike” game for you. He’s in there…somewhere…hiding…like usual.
By the way, the Gara-Cook ticket appears to have placed second in the race for Alaska Governor! Be encouraged that Democrats are performing well across the state!
Rep. Andy Josephson’s re-election campaign is coming right along – while early results initially showed him trailing, he is now tied with MAGA Republican and insurrection-denying right-wing radical Kathy Henslee.
Henslee…a proud member of the rootin’ tootin’ Save Anchorage Facebook group, whose some members wore holocaust imagery as a comparison to mask mandates last year, has been working feverishly to paint herself as a normal everyday…person.
I’m reminded of that old saying, “you are the company you keep,” especially if you’re hanging around State House candidate Jamie Allard, who Gov. Dunleavy kicked off the Human Rights Commission after she defended Nazi terminology seen on two Alaska vanity license plates.
Nothing to see here in this picture posted on Trump’s financially failing Truth Social platform – just two peas in a pod! If Anchorage Mayor David Bronson had been in the picture, I could have added this link. 😗
Anyway, as I’ve said a bazillion times…this is a must win this seat! Andy is having what looks to be an amazing fundraiser on September 24th – no word if he’s planning on wearing bell bottoms. Click the pic to learn more about the event and if you can’t attend, please consider donating to his campaign! ⬇️
I also want to highlight this event ⬇️ for House District 31 candidate Maxine Dibert, who trails Dunleavy ally and pro-forced birth representative Bart LeBon by just 23 votes!
The longtime Fairbanks educator is going door to door and putting those campaign signs up! There’s a real opportunity to flip this seat – so save the date and support her candidacy!
U.S. Senate Candidate Pat Chesbro took to the stage for the candidate forum hosted by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center. Pat did more than hold her own – she literally knocked it out of the park! If you have time, watch the debate (or at least skip through to her answers) and see for yourself.
Pat will be in Anchorage on September 7, 2022 for a campaign fundraiser. Find the details here!
As an afterthought, imagine what would happen if all of the same people who voted for Mary Peltola ranked Pat first in November…just sayin’.
State House candidate Jennie Armstrong was featured in The Hill’s Changing America series along with many other candidates running in this year’s election. Give it a read!
That’s it for now! Remember, to help us do what we do at a time when it’s very clear that it needs to be done, click HERE to support ADP once, or become a monthly donor!
Keep an eye on our website events calendar and the events tab on our Facebook page for the latest upcoming candidate events. Make sure and follow our social media accounts as well. You can find us on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
And as always, thank you for doing what you do to make Alaska a little (or a lot) more blue.
Have a great weekend!
