Alaska Democrats say they have incumbent Bryce Edgmon's back in a race against newcomer William Weatherby for the district 37 House seat.
Audio transcript: KDLG news reported recently that the state Republican Party will be backing newcomer William Weatherby from King Salmon for the House District 37 seat. Alaska Democrats say their party is fully behind incumbent Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham, who is seeking his sixth term in the Legislature.
Those may seem like obvious moves, but state politics have not proven so simple this year.
Edgmon is a Democrat who caucuses with the Republican-led House Majority, meaning many of his votes on key issues are linked with Republicans, not Democrats. Two other Democrats who caucus with the House Majority, Bob Herron from Bethel and Benjamin Nageak from Barrow, lost to primary challengers.
"Democrats certainly are behind Bryce Edgmon," said local party chairman Mike Davis. He said it was an uncommon move for the party to go after the two incumbents in the primary. "I don’t want to say that’s unprecedented, but it is unusual.”
Davis, himself a former legislator, recognizes the compromises Edgmon makes to stay with the Majority caucus. While some votes may confuse his Democrat supporters, Davis says all district voters can appreciate that it has helped Edgmon keep an influential seat on House Finance, and build rapport on both sides of the aisle.
"I think people are looking forward to a new organization that is more centralist, and one that is finally going to start addressing some key issues, namely the fiscal gap," said Davis. "The fact that he does have expertise in Finance, but also that he has been able to work across party lines, are certainly in his favor, and something that I think will serve him well, and serve the district," he said.
Edgmon has done a good job in his ten years representing his district, says Davis, even as the borders have changed. In more normal times, voters might vet an incumbent by how much money is coming home to the communities. But now, as the capital and operating budgets are stripped and cut, rural lawmakers are working just to hold on to their pieces of a shrinking pie. It's how responsibly they are willing to tackle the roughly $4 billion dollar deficit Davis thinks voters should judge candidates, saying it will take a "shared burden" on Alaskans to do so.
"The issue is how do we address the fiscal gap, and make sure that it’s not on the backs of everybody that’s getting a permanent fund [dividend]."
The Legislature, led by Republicans in both the House and Senate, did not pass comprehensive fiscal reforms during the last session but did make steep cuts to state spending. Governor Walker called lawmakers back for another special session in July, which accomplished little. The Governor then vetoed a further $1.29 billion from the budget, including cutting PFD checks to a thousand dollars this year. Lawmakers went home without voting to cut the PFD or add an income tax, or other unpopular issues in Walker's comprehensive package.
Voters in Alaska seem frustrated, but at what, or whom, is hard to tell. Turnout during the August primary was near record low, but what will happen by November is anyone's guess.
"The fact that it’s a presidential year, when you have people disenchanted with the two people at the top, is going to affect the down-ballot races," Davis said.
KDLG news will bring have profiles of Democrat Bryce Edgmon and Republican William Weatherby later this week.
Reach the author at dave@kdlg.org or 907.842.5281.