Anchorage voters will go to the polls on Tuesday and see pro-equality assembly members up for re-election in four districts, a supportive challenger, and two good school board candidates on the ballot, running against a slate of anti-gay candidates endorsed by Mayor Sullivan. Here are Bent Alaska’s recommendations.

Assembly

Six assembly members are up for re-election, including four who voted for the equal rights ordinance of 2009 that was vetoed by Mayor Sullivan. The supportive incumbents deserve our votes.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Elvi Gray-Jackson"] [/caption]

In Midtown, Assemblywoman Elvi Gray-Jackson is being challenged by anti-gay candidate and Chairman of the Alaska Family Council, Dave Bronson.

Elvi was a champion of the non-discrimination ordinance, the opening speaker at the True Diversity Dinner, and the Alaska Pride Marshall of 2010 because of her unwavering support for fairness and equality.

Dave is… well, he’s the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Alaska Family Council. He listed “Volunteer Coordinator for the Repeal of the Homosexual Ordinance” of 1994 on his resume when Mayor Sullivan appointed him to the School Budget Advisory Committee last year. (The appointment was voted down by the Assembly.) He’s also an active member of Anchorage Baptist Temple.

But most people know him as the guy who wrote the public doomsday letter to then-Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander in 2009, threatening that her career will be over and she alone will be blamed when gays destroy the city of Anchorage, if she allows a non-discrimination ordinance to pass. He also published articles comparing Obama to Hitler and calling our U.S. Senators stupid cows.

Please vote for Assemblywoman Elvi Gray-Jackson in Midtown.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Harriet Drummond"][/caption]

In West Anchorage, Assemblywoman Harriet Drummond is being challenged by anti-gay candidate Liz Vasquez.

Harriet voted for the non-discrimination ordinance and is a strong supporter of equality. At the UAA candidate forum last week, she said that she has supported equality many times during her years on the school board and assembly, and will continue to support equality for everyone.

Liz answered the same question with a shocking reply: that the US Supreme Court should set up the non-discrimination laws for the city of Anchorage, not the Assembly! Then she rattled off incorrect statistics about hate crimes against religious groups, and concluded with a reference to lifestyles. How far off can you get?

Please vote for Assemblywoman Harriet Drummond in West Anchorage.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Mike Gutierrez"][/caption]

In East Anchorage, Assemblyman Mike Gutierrez is being challenged by anti-gay candidate Adam Trombley.

Mike voted for the non-discrimination ordinance and is a strong supporter of equality. He wasn’t asked about the ordinance at the UAA forum, but we know that he will continue to support us.

You might remember Adam from his previous unsuccessful run for the assembly. Adam Trombley lost to Paul Honeman, while his buddy Andy Clary (son of Rev. Glenn Clary, assistant pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple) lost to Dick Traini, who is now the Assembly Chair. At the UAA forum last year, the candidates were asked to “raise your hand if you would have voted for Ordinance 64.” Adam and Andy were the only assembly candidates who did not raise their hands.

Please vote for Assemblyman Mike Gutierrez in East Anchorage.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Patrick Flynn"][/caption]

In downtown Anchorage, Assembly Vice-Chair Patrick Flynn is being challenged by two candidates, Ron Alleva and Albert L. Swank. Neither has much of a platform. They don’t mention equality or LGBT issues on their websites, nor have they answered questions about our issues at the candidate forums, as far as I’m aware. (If you know their opinions on LGBT issues, please email Bent Alaska.)

Pat introduced the revised non-discrimination ordinance to the assembly, the version of the ordinance that was eventually passed by a vote of 7-4 but vetoed by the Mayor. He supports us, so go vote for him, and for the school board candidates.

Please vote for Assemblyman Patrick Flynn in Downtown Anchorage.

In addition, two assembly members who voted against the non-discrimination ordinance and do not support the LGBT community are up for re-election: Bill Starr in Eagle River/Chugiak and Chris Birch in South Anchorage.

In South Anchorage, Chris is being challenged by Mike Kenny. Mike verified in an email to Bent Alaska that he supports equality and would have voted for the ordinance.

Please vote for Mike Kenny in South Anchorage.

In Eagle River/Chugiak, Bill is being challenged by two candidates, and neither of them have much of a platform. Perennial candidate Bob Lupo answered a question about the equal rights ordinance by saying that he supports equality for everyone, but he didn’t know what the ordinance was about. Doug Urquidi lists an award from the Orthodox Church on his qualifications page and said he’s more conservative than Starr.

Voters in Eagle River/Chugiak, if you are unimpressed by your assembly options, please go to the polls anyway and vote for the school board members! We need your votes in those races.

School Board

All Anchorage voters can vote on the two school board races, so it’s important to go to the polls even if your assembly district race doesn’t motivate you. There are two open seats, each with friendly and unfriendly candidates.

Incumbent Pat Higgins is being challenged by Bob Griffin, a right-wing property tax opponent and Joe Miller campaign backer. Bob ran (and lost) last year, joining forces with creationist Don Smith, who won only because two progressives split the vote for that seat. Smith has donated to Bob’s current campaign, as has assembly candidate Liz “the Supreme Court should make Anchorage city laws” Vasquez, former candidate Andy Clary (son of ABT pastor Glenn Clary) and Mayor Sullivan and his wife.

Please vote for school board member Pat Higgins.

The other open seat was left vacant by the retiring school board president. Former state senator Gretchen Guess is the frontrunner in this race and her main conservative opponent is “True Believer” Treg Taylor. At an Anchorage School Board Forum, Treg’s response to a question on Intelligent Design was that it should be taught right along side and equal to the “theory” of Evolution.

Please vote for school board candidate Gretchen Guess.

So here is the summary. There will only be one assembly race on each ballot, however all ballots will include both of the school board races.

Please vote for pro-equality assembly members Mike Gutierrez, Harriet Drummond, Elvi Gray-Jackson, Patrick Flynn, and assembly candidate Mike Kenny, plus school board member Pat Higgins and school board candidate Gretchen Guess.

Please vote on Tuesday, April 5, and encourage your Anchorage friends to vote. Every vote is important.

Photos by Mel Green.

Tags: Anchorage Assembly, Anchorage equal rights ordinance AO-64 (2009), Anchorage School Board, Dave Bronson, Elections 2011