Former Senator Mark Begich, the best Senator Alaska has ever had, has officially endorsed Independent candidate Margaret Stock for US Senate from Alaska.
From KTUU: www.ktuu.com/…
Mark Begich is backing an independent political newcomer in the U.S. Senate race over his own party's nominee, Ray Metcalfe, a former state lawmaker.
"I'm going to support Margaret Stock," Begich, who served one term as a senator until he was ousted in 2014, said in a Thursday interview with KTUU. "Having more folks that are independent and of that strain I think is important. She has a good military background, some good ideas, and I think she'll add a little flavor of what's needed in Washington."
Democratic candidate, Ray Metcalfe, is not really running a serious campaign for the job, choosing instead to attack Alaska’s Democrats.
"If Mark Begich offered me his endorsement, I wouldn't take it. He's a crook," Metcalfe said. "The old hacks in the party, the people that have been engaged in the pay-to-play game for years, they don't like me. They don't like me because I threaten their whole system."
Begich wrote off the party nominee's campaign: "Ray's not even really campaigning," he said. "He's really not a candidate. Maybe he's a candidate because he's on the ballot, but usually when you're a candidate, you go earn the votes. You go talk to people. You meet them where they are. He's not doing that."
Metcalfe’s campaign manager posted on Facebook today..
“AK Democrats are corrupt”
It’s fair to say that Alaska Democrats and folks on KOS are now entirely free to lend their support to Independent candidate, Margaret Stock, for Alaska Senate.
Stock has a real shot at beating Republican Lisa Murkowski because:
1. Murkowski has a reputation for poor constituent services in Alaska
2. Murkowski, who was voted in by many Democrats in the past, has shown her true colors, not as a moderate, but as a partisan marching in lock-step with Mitch McConnell.
3. Murkowski is also challenged on the right by tea-party conservative, Joe Miller, who has taken up a home on the Libertarian Party ticket in Alaska. Democrats who feared Joe when Democrat Scott McAdams ran for Senate six years ago, have less fear of Joe these days, and a better option with Stock stepping forward to support.
Stock’s bio and issues can be found here:
www.margaretforalaska.com
Here’s a snippet out of her bio:
In 2011 I returned to my private law practice in Alaska, helping individuals and Alaska companies navigate our byzantine immigration system. For several years, I taught government and international relations classes as an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. I’ve also testified before Congress on numerous occasions and have served on various boards and commissions. I was honored in 2013 to be named a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” winner for my work on immigration and national security issues. Although I have my doubts about being a “genius,” I wouldn’t have won the award without identifying and implementing new solutions to important, longstanding problems. And that’s what we need in Washington: Leaders who are able to develop new, creative, pragmatic solutions to the serious problems facing our country.
It has now been 30 years since I moved to Alaska. My husband Neil and I met in a University of Alaska mountain climbing class in January 1988 on Arkose Ridge in the Talkeetna Mountains. Since then we have hiked, skied, kayaked, backpacked, and explored all across the state, often with our daughter and friends.
And this about why she’s running:
I’m running for the U.S. Senate because I’m concerned that the partisan extremism of both major parties has led to a permanent government gridlock that is threatening our democracy and damaging our economy, particularly here in Alaska. Congress’s dysfunction has also caused the Executive Branch to grow more powerful in ways that were not anticipated by our Founders. Congress must function properly if our government is to work efficiently and cost-effectively for the benefit of Alaskans, but right now, Congress only heeds the call of the special interests that now control Washington.
I believe now more than ever that ordinary citizens must step forward to restore the sense of purpose that is contained in the oath I took to serve my country. Privilege, power, and wealth have cast a long shadow over Congress. The common interest, for which the Constitution was conceived, has taken a back seat to the narrow interests of political parties and those with influence.
I am not a politician. I am an independent problem solver and I have a proven track record. When elected, I intend to advance reasonable, rational, pragmatic solutions to the challenges facing our country. As an Independent, I will seek out and advocate for the best ideas—regardless of which party they come from—to help solve this nation’s most pressing problems. With Independent leadership, we can again make Washington work for Alaska and our country.