Anchorage Democrats hosted a forum that featured candidates in contested primary races. It was held on Sunday, August 2, billed as an opportunity to hear from and about candidates before the August primary. Early voting began Monday, August 3.
Their forum featured participation from candidates running in various statewide seats, including:
- House District 15: Rick Philips and Lyn Franks, a seat currently held by Republican Gabrielle LeDoux.
- House District 25: Janice Park and Calvin Schrage, a seat currently held by Republican Mel Gillis.
- Senate District M: Andy Holleman and Anita Thorpe, a seat currently held by Republican Josh Revak.
- Senate District N: Carl Johnson and Lynete Hinz, a seat currently held by Republican Cathy Giessel.
The race receiving the most attention statewide and nationwide is that of the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Dan Sullivan. On the ballot, only Edgar Blatchford is running as a registered Democrat. Dr. Al Gross and Chris Cumings are running as Independents vying for the Democratic nomination.
Gross and Blatchford spoke as featured guests during the Sunday forum.
Dr. Gross spoke about what motivated him to enter the race, and his confidence in ousting the incumbent: “About four years ago, when my kids were for the most part grown-up and out of the house, I looked up and saw my country splitting apart. I really didn’t like the direction that our state was going. I’d seen that Dan Sullivan was repeatedly voting against health care and against the Affordable Care Act, and demonstrated that he really didn’t understand what made the economy in Alaska tick and what was holding back the economy. I just got mad. I saw a wide-open avenue to beat him for the U.S. Senate. The future of Alaska is really important to me. The future of my country is really important to me. So, I stepped-up to run and launched back in July. Since then, our campaign has gained a tremendous amount of momentum.”
Blatchford spoke of his disappointment in how Alaskan leadership handled the economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: “I will continue steering Alaska towards a swift and conscientious financial recovery. Actually, that point is exactly why I chose to run! In early-May, I watched with anticipation, just as all of you did, as I continued waiting for our Alaskan leadership to guide us to safety. Folks, it just didn’t happen. The more I listened, I found myself reflecting because, well, my natural leadership as well as my Harvard Master’s Degree in Public Administration, just won’t let me stop analyzing. At Harvard Kennedy, we analyzed and analyzed and analyzed. I thought we could do this! I thought we could do this to support the Alaskan economy.”
Candidates from the Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party, and Alaskan Independence Party appear on the same primary ballot, with the highest-placed candidate from each party receiving that party’s nomination.
The forum can be viewed, and heard, in its entirety online.