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For those of you following along at home (or on your phone in the office break room, or in line at Costco, or waiting at the DMV, or really, wherever you might be reading this), it should come as no surprise that I’m something of a political junkie.
Political yammering has opened this newsletter on more than one occasion, thereby setting the stage for keen deductions by the savvy reader as to where my hobbies lie. There’s something about the sport of politics that draws me in like a bear to an unlocked dumpster. And with the primary election eight days away, I’m in overdrive.
I recognize that my view is somewhat inside baseball. During a recent conversation with my immediate friend group, one of the individuals said there are still some candidates for governor he didn’t know anything about, which led to a “How could you not know!” statement of disbelief spilling from my mouth. My peer group banded together, reminding me that just because I’m immersed in this world professionally does not mean all of them are.
That’s more than fair, but it also got me thinking: Not everyone is tuned in to the goings-on of Alaska politics, and with that, I should do my part to spread some candidate knowledge. That’s why I devoured the story by reporter Iris Samuels that published Sunday on candidates in the race for governor struggling to stand out. If you’re wanting to get more acquainted with some of the candidates, give it a read.
And don’t stop there. I mentioned it last week, and I’ll mention it again now: Check out the Anchorage Daily News’ voter guide, which presents all the candidates who opted to respond to our Q&A, published in coordination with KTOO, the Alaska Beacon and Alaska Public Media. It covers the races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and the Alaska Legislature. Also, don’t forget Ballot Measure 1, which is also on the primary ballot and tackles campaign finance limits.
If you’re eager to submit a letter supporting a candidate, the time is now. This week is crunch week, letters-wise, so if you’ve been toying with going on record with your support before the primary, send it sooner rather than later. I’ve got a nice stockpile I’m working through, and while I will make every attempt to get as many letters published as possible, I’ll need them in the inbox ASAP. You know where that is: at letters@adn.com or online via our web form.
With that, folks, don’t wait. Aug. 18 will be here before you know it.
— Gary Black, opinion editor
Anchorage Daily News
gblack@adn.com |
