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Organizers hold signing event to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy

Recall Dunleavy volunteers

Citizens in Dillingham  gathered to sign a petition to recall Governor Mike Dunleavy. In total, organizers need 10% of Alaskan voter signatures to proceed to the next step.

 
 

 

Volunteers across Alaska have launched a campaign to recall Governor Mike Dunleavy. The reason: his line-item vetoes. The effort made its way to Dillingham last Thursday, when volunteers gathered signatures downtown just outside the Sifsof building.

Wassiliisia Bennis organized the event. She said when word broke about the governor slashing $390 million from the state budget, she had to take a stand.

 “You know, I thought about it and I was in shock and I was thinking we need to get engaged," she said. "We need to have these conversations because it’s too important not to get involved and it’s about how we live and where live and the choices we make.”

Curyung Tribal Chief Thomas Tilden is among those who have signed the petition. He said a few factors motivated him to support recalling the governor.

 

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“You know I see where he gets his plan from, but at the same time you gotta look at what kind of social impact – and what do you want to be remembered for?" Tilden said. "Do you want to be remembered for throwing grandma out on the street and saying live on your own? Or do you want to take food out of kids mouths who are going to after school programs or stop people from getting an education?”

Bennis and other volunteers gathered more than 200 signatures. Organizers will need 20,501 signatures to apply for certification. If that is approved by the Director of Elections, the next step requires 71,252 signatures from Alaskan voters before it can be put on a ballot.

You can contact the author at tyler@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.