Five candidates seek lieutenant governor nominations

This Tuesday, as you head to the polls for the primary election, you'll be narrowing down the field of candidates for lieutenant governor. All five candidates talk about how they can effect change as a lieutenant governor, and most view the post as an advocacy role.

“There is an opportunity for a lieutenant governor to add to the dialogue, and to express the points of view for Alaskans who are gathered at community council meetings or PTA meetings,” said Republican candidate Jay Ramras.

“Whether it’s international or national on issues such as development, we are a resource state -- we want to make sure that other markets around the country or around the world know that we have this ability,” said Republican candidate Eddie Burke.

“I believe there are things the lieutenant governor can do: you can call, people will answer your calls,” said Republican candidate Mead Treadwell. “I have worked at high federal positions, I’ve worked in state positions, I've worked in local positions.”

“Talking to people on the ground, it’s, ‘How to get financing for my small business -- we're having trouble with that,’” said Democratic candidate Diane Benson. “It's, ‘Energy and fuel costs -- how are we going to pay for the fuel this coming winter?’”

Democratic candidate J.J. “Jack” Powers says he'd like to use the post to bring light to issues that most others may miss in a campaign -- like student performance in schools.

“If they got an extra 30 minutes sleep in the morning, it's a huge difference, their grades would go up, tardiness would go down, their attitude and their depression,” Powers said. “These are studies nationally, so that's an issue i'd like to get on as lieutenant governor.”

The candidates also have other issues they're concerned with.

“We live here because it’s wide open,” Ramras said. “When we begin to choke the state off: you can go here, you can't fish here, you can start a business but only if you follow these 10,000 rules -- that's not the Alaska that we signed up for.”

Benson says one of her main concerns is Alaska’s seniors.

“Alaska is aging rapidly, and we're not well prepared for the housing and healthcare concerns for our senior Alaskans,” Benson said.

Powers, her opponent in the Democratic primary, says it's a challenge going up against Benson.

“I need to get some more name recognition, but I have one opponent that's run three or four statewide races, so I've been concentrating on getting name recognition, and I'm extremely happy with where I'm at right now,” Powers said.

Burke says in a Republican field of three candidates, he is the true conservative.

“The national chairman personally from Tea Party Express has endorsed me, and we're proud of all that and we got an A rating,” Burke said. “I think the endorsements and credentials in this race prove that I'm the conservative in this race, and I hope people of alaska will recognize that.”

Treadwell disagrees with that statement.

“I'm a fiscal conservative, and I want to see smaller government,” Treadwell said. “When the Tea Party group endorsed us, they unendorsed me because I had worked with (Sen.) Lisa Murkowski and I had given her solid support.”

Each of the candidates was asked to weigh in on the upcoming ballot measures, including Proposition 1 -- a so called anti-corruption initiative that seeks to prohibit the use of public money in campaigns.

“It has good intentions, but it has ramifications such that I could be a small-business owner as I have for decades, and just because I've played a role in the election process, given money, it would say, ‘Since you've done that, you no longer have a political voice,’” Burke said.

“I’m a no on Number 1, and we're just seeing emerging in the news cycle these huge (Alaska Public Offices Commission) violations because the people behind this were so clouded,” Ramras said.

“I don't believe it's constitutional,” Treadwell said. “When it limits the ability to petition government that's taking away rights, and I believe government should protect people’s rights, not take them away.”

“I personally am opposed to Proposition 1 -- it's a nice idea in terms of why not reduce corruption, but it’s how it chooses to implement it,” Benson said.

“That's where we take the money out of politics. We need to restrict the money going in to politics -- too many lobbyists around,” Power said.

Powers says Proposition 1 goes too far and he will vote no.

Proposition 2 would require daughters under age 18 to notify their parents before getting an abortion.

“A parent has a right to know the important decisions their children are making,” Burke said. “Let's face it: abortion is a major, major decision.  I've been endorsed by the Right to Life, I think parents ought to have that right to know about it.”

“It's an invasive procedure -- parents must be informed about their children before there’s an abortion,” Ramras said.

“I don't think a parent should be kept in the dark when a daughter is going through a medical procedure that could be damaging,” Treadwell said. “I believe it's important that the parents be notified so they can be there.”

“If I had a daughter, a 13, 14-year-old daughter and she was pregnant, I think I have the right to know what's going on in her life,” Powers said.

Among the five main candidates for lieutenant governor, Benson is the only one who says she'll be voting no on Ballot Measure 2.

“It pushes the edges of the constitutional rights of individuals, particularly the right of privacy,” Benson said.

Funding of campaigns is another issue in ths year’s race. Powers has put $200,000 of his own money into his campaign. He says it's important to build name recognition, and it takes money to do that.

“Advertising, being on television, calling in on talk shows -- I don't know if you've noticed, but I've got about 80 billboards from Homer all the way through Anchorage up to Fairbanks,” Powers said.

Treadwell has spent about $300,000 of his own money on his campaign, and Ramras has spent $120,000 of personal funds.

“That's just absurd -- they're trying to buy the election,” Burke said. “I think Alaskans are going to see through that.”

Burke has donated $2,000 to his campaign, while Benson has given $1,000 to hers.

“I believe that you need to get out there and talk to people and convince them to invest in your campaign,” Benson said. “That's why I'm very proud of the fact that I have over 400 contributors for my campaign, as opposed to the rest of the candidates for lieutenant governor who have self-financed their campaign.”

Treadwell says he put in so much money because he had to counter Ramras’ name recognition.

“In a campaign, you need to build your name recognition -- I didn't have the benefit of a hotel buying hundreds of thousands of dollars in ads, so I needed to spend my own money to catch up,” Treadwell said.

Ramras says he put in his $120,000 to guard against Treadwell’s spending.

“I didn't want the hard work and the donations and contributions of those who supported me to be diluted by someone who put in an enormous sum of money of their own,” Ramras said.

Contact Jason Lamb at jlamb@ktuu.com