Photographed above: Kelly Tshibaka and friends in Kodiak.
The special primary election for the U.S. House race deadline for getting your ballot postmarked is June 11, just two weeks from today.
How many have voted so far? 89,065 as of Friday’s report (up through Thursday).
The turnout levels within each major registration status: Republicans – 22.9%; Democrats – 19.8%; Nonpartisans – 21.9%; Undeclared – 12.6%.
Accounting for undeliverable ballots being returned, the turnout is now at about 17.5%, but in terms of what is actually expected as a turnout (in the 130,000 range of ballots), the turnout is likely over 65%.
Filing season: The Division of Elections has been a busy place over the past couple of days, as the filing deadline of June 1 approaches for the regular primary election (Aug. 16). It’s going to be very fluid until the end the filing period, as all seats in the Alaska Legislature are up for grabs except Sen. Donny Olson’s seat out in Golovin-Nome area, because his boundaries didn’t change substantially.
Spotted at the Elections counter was David Nelson (Anchorage), filing for House District 18. A Republican, he has served as representative since ousting Gabrielle LeDoux. Already in that race are Cliff Groh, Democrat, and Lynn Franks, Democrat. The district has moved slightly to the left on the political spectrum.
Rep. James Kaufman was at the Division filing for South Anchorage Senate Seat F, (retiring Sen. Josh Revak), where there is already a Democrat filed, Janice Parks. Revak appears to be retiring from politics.
Eagle River Assemblywoman Jamie Allard was coming out of the Division of Elections in Anchorage in the late afternoon on Friday, after officially filing for House District 23.
In Fairbanks at the Division of Elections, Maxine Dibert came into the building with former borough Assemblywoman Marna Sanford by her side and filled out the paperwork to run against Rep. Bart LeBon. Dibert is a Democrat, longtime teacher, and LeBon is the Republican incumbent in what is now numbered District 31.
But wait! There’s another Republican in that race — conservative activist Kelly Nash, who filed last week. She’ll be running to the right of moderate LeBon, while Dibert will peel votes from the left. This will be a spicy race!
Genevieve Mina, Democrat, filed to run for open seat for State House District 19 in Anchorage. Also in that race is Democrat Russell Wyatt.
Republican Julie Coulombe filed to run for the South Anchorage House District 11. It’s now open because Rep. James Kaufman is running for the open Senate Seat F in that neck of the woods. Also in that race for House are Ross Beiling, a Republican, and Jennifer Sonne, who is a hardline leftist running as a nonpartisan. More on her below.
Drew Cason, former legislative staff member, filed to run for the Senate seat in East Anchorage, where Democrat Rep. Geran Tarr and Democrat Assemblyman Forrest Dunbar are already candidates, but Cason’s filing was denied because he doesn’t have a required financial disclosure form on file with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. If he gets that done, there will be three Democrats in the race for the seat designed for Democrats, and no Republican candidate.
Liz Vazquez, Republican and former House member, has filed for House to run against Matt Claman for House. She recently ran for Assembly against incumbent Assemblyman Kameron Perez-Verdia.
Sonne the tire slasher: Jennifer Sonne, running for State House in Anchorage District 11, expressed her secret wish to slash the tires of a truck paving a driveway near her house. McKenna Brothers supported Dave Bronson for mayor and Sonne is as hardline leftist as they come, but this is almost Antifa-level death-wish stuff.
Kodiak crab days: Spotted in the boarding area for the plane heading to Kodiak for the crab festival was Nick Begich, Tara Sweeney, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Sweeney and Murkowski were huddled in conversation. Also spotted was Al Gross, running for Congress, but he doesn’t seem to be with anyone and was not wearing an Al Gross button. He was kind of incognito.
Also in Kodiak, Kelly Tshibaka for Senate and a big group of supporters in the parade, photographed above.
Nick volunteers getting their steps in in Anchorage: Meanwhile, in Anchorage, all kinds of volunteers are combing the neighborhoods to get out the vote for Nick Begich for Congress. There are said to be over 10 canvassers going through lists and reaching out to individual voters this week in Anchorage, and next week as well on behalf of the Nick Begich for Congress effort. Anyone who wants to get involved can contact Americans for Prosperity Action: [email protected]
Spotted in Cooper Landing: Tuckerman Babcock, running for Senate for the Kenai Peninsula, was spotted at 49th Street Brewing Co. in Anchorage on Friday, and then the next day having breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe with Kristie, his wife.
Spotted in Eagle River: Jamie Allard, running for House, was seen dropping yard signs all over District 23 on Saturday. She is working hard, even though there is no one who seems to be willing to run against her. Allard will attend the Byers Lake Memorial Day remembrance on Sunday afternoon.
