East Anchorage Senate Race Goes Negative

Wielechowski v. Roses contest getting red hot

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By Bill McAllister
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Story Created: Nov 2, 2012 at 5:55 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Nov 2, 2012 at 6:17 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - High-stakes, as the big day nears.

Now, it's down to bare-knuckled campaigning in the East Anchorage battle between Democratic Senator Bill Wielechowski and former Republican Representative Bob Roses.

Roses said, "I would say in the last week to 10 days it's gotten pretty negative."

Wielechowski said almost daily his constituents are getting new fliers that attack or mock him.

"You know, it's like David versus Goliath. I'm getting blasted by the oil industry, by outside special interest groups. They’re pouring in six figures to try to get their $2 billion tax break."

Roses, who has been attacked in an ongoing television ad, said the contest is turning off voters. "At this point in time, I think, people are just sick of the campaign. At every level. They just want it to be over. And I can agree with them."

Much of the aggressive back and forth has been happening between independent expenditure groups, who are supposed to have no contact with the candidates.

But Wielechowski and Roses do express disdain for each other's position on oil production taxes.

Wielechowski said, "When he was in the Legislature, he voted against ACES. Had he gotten his way, instead of having a 16, 18 billion dollar savings, we'd be billions of dollars poorer. We’d be running $2 billion a year deficits right now."

Roses countered that something needs to be done to stimulate oil production. "I am the only one out there with a plan that is absolutely clear, concise. It has a formula so that everybody that looks at it can actually calculate how much of an income tax break they would get off of the progressivity piece of aces."

In Senate District G, the G might stand for “gotcha.”

Wielechowski says Roses falsely claimed an endorsement from former Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau.

Roses says he did not do that.

Roses says he quoted a letter from Comeau when he was being attacked on education funding.
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