Sullivan, Not on Ballot, Still Factors in West Anchorage Assembly Race

Tools

By Bill McAllister
Bio | Email

Story Created: Mar 12, 2013 at 4:49 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Mar 12, 2013 at 6:08 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - In the West Anchorage race for an assembly seat, the outcome could hinge on support for -- or opposition to -- Mayor Dan Sullivan.

Appointed Assemblywoman Cheryl Frasca used to work for Sullivan as his budget director. One of her opponents for the assembly says that is a key consideration for voters.

"Because I think it is a referendum on the mayor,” said Tim Steele, a former school board president. “The mayor wants one more vote. …The mayor is able to get seven votes when he needs it. And I would rather that the assembly would call him on things, make him justify them a little bit more and perhaps work for the votes rather than just assume he's going to get them."

Frasca said she does align with the mayor on fiscal stability, public safety and economic development.

"He is supporting me, I won't deny that. But the idea that I'm a rubber stamp, that's what I’ve been seeing cast as my role, is really kind of humorous, because if anyone had been in a room with me and the mayor talking about an issue while I was working there, they'd know that I don't fall in step automatically."

The third candidate in the race, Phil Isley, a former candidate for mayor and the Legislature, said he's the independent.

"The other two candidates, they both have a side. And I don't have a side. I'm non-affiliated. So I believe I'm a choice the people will be looking for since the district has a lot of independent voters."

Isley is lukewarm on the mayor's proposal to change union bargaining rules, while Frasca is supportive of the revised version and Steele is adamantly opposed.

"It was poorly drafted,” Steele said, “it was poorly thought out; it was not done with any input from the managers of the various departments, from the employees, even from board members except two board members knew about it and i'm not even sure when they knew about it."

Isley said, "I think we need something of that variety. I'm not sure if that's the best one, but you can bet that if it doesn't work out well, it will be changed in the future."

Frasca said her position has evolved, partly because the latest version does not call for the assembly to make a choice between final offers, something she considers problematic because of labor union involvement in assembly races. "When originally introduced, as it stood, I probably wouldn't have voted for it, but I think we've heard from the testimony, the emails that we've gotten, I’ve gotten, and the amendments that are being made, I think it will end up being a good balance of interests."

He’s not on the ballot, but Dan Sullivan is in the thick of the contest for Assembly Seat E.

To view all of the candidates in the April 2 municipal election, click here.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KTVA CBS 11 | Anchorage, Alaska News and Weather and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.