When Bill Walker, an independent, and Les Gara, a Democrat, were asked for their No. 2 choice on the ranked choice voting ballot, the gubernatorial hopefuls pointed to each other.
Both have roots in Fairbanks. Walker was born here. When Gara moved to Alaska, it was to Fairbanks first.
They are two of four men running for Alaska governor and headlined a forum on Wednesday in front of an audience of business leaders at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel.
The two other candidates, incumbent Mike Dunleavy and out-going Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce, were absent from the forum. Dunleavy was visiting Elim, Koyuk and Golovin, west coast communities damaged by a fierce weekend storm, his press office confirmed. Pierce did not respond to an invitation to the forum, hosted by the Alaska Chamber. Both are Republicans.
Walker, who served one term as governor, and Gara, who served eight terms in the Legislature, have shared the debate stage at least eight times, by Gara’s count, over the last 11 months.
They sometimes agreed with each other, building on one another’s statements. The incumbent governor has joined them once.
Gara is distinguishing himself as the only solidly “pro-choice” candidate. Walker is pushing for a long-term state fiscal plan.
“I want every Alaskan to have a chance to succeed in this world,” said Gara, a lawyer, whose father was killed by a robber when he was 6.
“I have had 15 businesses that I have built, run and sold,” said Walker, also a lawyer, who got his first job at age 12 as a janitor after his family lost its possessions in the 1964 Alaska earthquake. “I come from the private sector.”
Watching the forum was an audience of hundreds eating a banquet lunch in a ballroom called the Gold Room. The Alaska Chamber is hosting a two-day conference, its Fall Forum, with workshops on hiring, state politics, the supply chain, cybercrimes and more.
Questions to candidates pertained to tourism, taxes, education, the agriculture industry and state spending, among others.
When asked about his support of a state income tax in 2017, Gara said he has since backed off of the idea.
“We don’t need it,” he said.
Walker supported a variety of taxes while serving as governor.
“For a guy who doesn’t like taxes, it doesn’t look very good,” he chuckled.
He said he was trying to give the Legislature options.
“I put the entire buffet line out there,” Walker said. “I think it’s an adult conversation.”
Walker would support a cap on state spending — he wouldn’t veto it, he said — but a fiscal plan is needed first.
“We have to decide what kind of Alaska we want,” he said.
Gara spoke against a state spending cap, saying the state has too much need.
“We have communities that still use honey buckets. Is that what you want?” he said.
When asked how they would bring new business to Alaska, Walker said the No. 1 thing is to lower the price of energy. Gara agreed, adding that the state should use oil wealth to build a renewable energy economy.
“We also have to recognize the reality of global warming,” Gara said. “If you don’t want to address global warming, you are not listening to the next generation.”
Walker touted success with convincing former President Barack Obama to support resource development in Alaska.
He also told a story of how he found a way to get on the bowling team of Mike Chenault, former speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives, and forged an alliance.
Gara is the only candidate for governor who has sponsored legislation to keep public education funding in line with inflation, he said.
He repeatedly highlighted concern about Alaska’s decreasing population, blaming it in part on Alaska’s small capital budget and lack of investment in public education.
“People have no confidence in public education, and we need to do something about that,” Gara said.
Click Here For This Articles Original Source.
