Ketchikan Recall Effort Continues Against Johansen

Sponsors of a recall campaign against Republican state Rep. Kyle Johansen of Ketchikan say they have
collected enough signatures to move forward on the effort.

One of the sponsors, Dick Coose, says 594 signatures were submitted with a formal application mailed Friday to the Alaska Division of Elections.

The Ketchikan Daily News says sponsors needed to obtain at least 531 valid signatures.

In a written statement, Johansen says he is disappointed that local Republicans were continuing the recall process. He says, however, that he respects their constitutional right to do so.

Johansen, who was re-elected last fall, had a falling out with the House GOP caucus and lost his position as the majority leader after he and Anchorage Rep. Charisse Millett walked out over an organizational dispute.