Former Alaska Governor Tony Knowles got a present from the
North Pole today:
Former Alaska state Sen. Mike Miller of North Pole will seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat on the ballot in this fall's primary election.
Miller announced the decision today at a 10 a.m. news conference in Anchorage. He also has scheduled a 5 p.m. news conference at North Pole City Hall.
Miller portrayed himself as a conservative alternative to incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and to former Gov. Tony Knowles, who is seeking the Democratic nomination.
"I really don't see where Tony and Lisa vary that much on the issues," Miller said in a brief telephone interview just before the news conference. "And if they don't vary on the issues, the only thing to talk about is nepotism, and, quite frankly, in that discussion, Lisa loses."
Murkowski was appointed by her father after he vacated the U.S. Senate seat to become Alaska's governor in December 2002.
Miller said he would spend $200,000 of his own cash, and that he expected to spend a total of about $500,000. Expect him to spend much of that cash attacking Murkowski.
Pessimists might argue that Miller hurts Knowles by arguing that Murkowski is just as liberal or moderate as he is. Optimists might argue that he hurts Murkowski by implying that compared with her, Knowles--who's running in a quirky and libertarian but generally solid Republican state--isn't too liberal for Alaska. The optimists are probably closest to the truth, especially since Miller will likely spend the next several months going after Murkowski for nepotism at no cost, financial or political, to Tony Knowles.