Friday, May 24, 2013

News
Assemblywoman Drummond Prepares to Head to State House
After successful run, Drummond looks forward
By Lacie Grosvold


ANCHORAGE - Harriet Drummond has a lot going on right now.

After her victory for the house seat, she wrapped up her campaign Wednesday, driving around her neighborhood and collecting the signs she put up. The ground wasn't frozen when they went in, so she approaches them with a sledgehammer and stake to get them out of the ground.

Her husband, Elston Lauesen, helps.

"It's important to get these signs down," he says, "they've been gracious enough to lend you their lawns, you should be gracious enough to take down your signs."

Lauesen is releived the campaigning is over, but both seem excited and optimistc about the future. A neighbor walks by with his dog and congratulates Drummond. "Thanks!" she says waving back to him.

On Tuesday, the Assemblywoman was elected to the state House as the representative for Distrcit 16. As a Democrat, she'll be a minority in state politics, but she says she's not worried.

"My district has a lot of tough people in it and a lot of important issues. I don't intend to get mistreated because i'm a Democrat. I'm fully capable of fighting for my district's needs."

She said those needs include a state grant to maintain some of the major roadways in the area.

Roads are also an issue she's seen in her last office on the assembly. There are many overlapping areas between her assembly seat area and her new house seat. She knows once she gets to Juneau, she'll have a lot of catching up to do: "It will be interesting."

Drummond will resign from her assembly seat, but not right away. She says she's planning on working on the municipal budget and working on redistricting. She says she looks forward to serving people.