By Dave Donaldson
The primary gubernatorial races are expensive this year – and campaign contributors are responding. The Alaska Public Offices Commission today released the reported amounts of contributions and expenditures – with the top five candidates in next month’s elections showing they have received more than one and half million dollars. And they all still have money to start the general election races if they prevail in the primaries.
Republican Candidate Bill Walker leads the pack, showing $512-thousand going to his campaign – part of that coming from his own pocket. He reports he has spent f$432-thousand so far on letting people know who he is – and turning that into the party nomination.
And that was necessary to spend money – to connect the two and make people aware of my passion for Alaska, my concern about the future of our children and grandchildren if we don’t have a governor that comes from the private sector, is not going to be focused on politically correct decisions, but would focus on what’s best for the state of Alaska.
Walker says he has $89-thousand left after having pre-paid many expenses that will be needed before the primary election.
Among the other Republican candidates, governor Sean Parnell has raised $446-thousand with $124-thousand on hand for future needs – and Ralph Samuels has raised $308-thousand with fifty six thousand dollars $56-thousand left in the bank.
Ethan Berkowitz is the top fund-raiser among Democrats at more than $240-thousand. He has $113-thousand on hand– saying he’s comfortable with where he stands right now – both in money available and in the number of contributors to his campaign.
People understand the frustration with the system and the status quo and the way things are and they want things to be different. They respond to the idea that we can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing because it’s just not good enough. And they want somebody who’s tough enough to bring about the change Alaska needs.
Hollis French has raised$181-thousand and has $42-thousand to carry into the last four weeks of the campaign.
The primary election is August 24th.
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