In Eagle River, a five-way race could be a factor in control of the state Senate

Sen. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, is seen connected Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, during a gathering of nan Senate Finance Committee. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Ten months ago, Josiah Goecker was astatine activity arsenic nan organization head for an Anchorage flat analyzable when he was changeable and killed.

That calamity inspired his brother, Jared, to tally for nan Alaska Legislature, and Jared Goecker is now among 4 challengers to incumbent Sen. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, successful a title that could shingle up nan Senate’s existent bipartisan mostly caucus.

Though she represents 1 of nan astir politically blimpish Senate districts successful nan state, Merrick has been a stalwart personnel of nan Senate’s bipartisan coalition, moving crossed statement lines and steering millions toward her territory via a spot connected nan Senate Finance Committee.

“I deliberation that we request a beardown Senate Majority that’s consenting to walk balanced budgets,” she said. “This year, we strengthened our electrical grid, we promoted assets development, passed beardown crime legislation. And these aren’t partisan issues. These are Alaskan issues.”

But blimpish Republicans, including Goecker, opportunity they aren’t happy pinch Merrick’s willingness to ballot alongside progressive Democrats for illustration Sen. Forrest Dunbar of Anchorage successful bid to beforehand those issues. They’re hoping that a caller legislator will thief blimpish Republicans return power of nan Senate.

“Are we going to support doing things nan position quo? Because correct now, it’s not working,” Goecker said. “That’s really we’ve been talking astir it to people: This is our opportunity to retake nan Senate and alteration nan people of nan state.”

Former authorities Reps. Sharon Jackson and Ken McCarty, besides Republicans, are moving alongside Goecker pinch hopes of unseating Merrick. 

Democratic campaigner Lee Hammermeister is besides successful nan race, but immoderate section Democrats are skeptical of his candidacy, noting that past year, he co-hosted a fundraiser for blimpish Republican Rep. Jamie Allard. He besides supports Eaglexit, nan activity seeking to divided Eagle River from Anchorage.

The consequence is simply a five-person contest, 1 of conscionable 3 successful nan authorities that will spot candidates eliminated by Alaska’s top-four superior predetermination connected Aug. 20. 

Merrick, nan incumbent Republican, is simply a 48-year-old mother of 3 and a lifelong Alaska resident. Born successful Juneau, she has lived successful Eagle River since 2002 and holds a business grade from Gonzaga University.  

Elected to nan authorities House successful 2018, she ran for authorities Senate successful 2022 and won, but owed to redistricting, nan normal four-year Senate word was shortened to 2 years.

This year, Merrick sponsored 2 bills that passed some House and Senate. Both are awaiting Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s support aliases rejection.

One bill would require nan Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles — alternatively than nan authorities Legislature — to o.k. charitable licence sheet types. The other would require nan authorities to draught improvement plans for alleged “critical mineral” deposits utilized for electronics and high-technology products.

“My licence sheet measure is going to prevention nan authorities money, and my captious mineral measure is going to bring jobs and economical opportunity to Alaska. It’s besides going to trim reliance connected overseas adversaries. I spot it arsenic strengthening nationalist security,” she said.

This predetermination cycle, Merrick has raised more than $55,000 from mean Republicans, independents and Democrats alike. Her donors see organized labour officials, Santos lipid executive Joe Balash, John Sturgeon, erstwhile Republican politician campaigner John Binkley, and immoderate of her Senate colleagues, including Senate President Gary Stevens.

“I deliberation I’m consenting to activity pinch everyone successful nan Legislature,” she said.

Merrick voted alongside mean Republicans and Democrats to beforehand a measure that would person revived a authorities pension programme for nationalist employees, thing intended arsenic a consequence to a persistent workforce shortage. The measure died successful nan House.

She besides voted to walk a measure permanently expanding nan state’s public-school backing formula. When Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed nan bill, Merrick voted successful favour of an override. That override grounded by a azygous vote.

Goecker, Jackson and McCarty each said they reason nan revival of nan pension and would person voted against nan override. Hammermeister said he doesn’t deliberation nan pension revival is simply a bad thought and doesn’t mostly work together pinch nan governor’s veto.

Montana-born Republican is starring challenger

Goecker said he thinks it’s worthy examining ideas and bills that nan House passed and nan Senate killed. One example: The House’s vote to prohibition transgender girls from girls sports teams. 

He would person supported that measure if he were successful nan Senate, he said, calling it “good legislation.”

Goecker, a 30-year-old calved successful Montana, has lived successful Alaska for 8 years and worked arsenic lawman head of quality resources for nan Municipality of Anchorage nether erstwhile Mayor Dave Bronson.

Homeschooled, he has a governmental subject and communications grade from Angelo State University successful Texas. 

Since opening his campaign, Goecker has go nan favourite of respective starring Republicans. Through July 19, his campaign has raised much than $70,000, including contributions from erstwhile Republican Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell and nan Anchorage Republican Women’s Club, among different salient donors.

He’s peculiarly willing successful changes to nan state’s bail and pretrial merchandise policies, he said.

Two erstwhile Representatives effort for Senate seat

A 62-year-old retired U.S. Army veteran, Jackson was calved successful Philadelphia and has lived successful Alaska for 25 years. 

She served successful nan Alaska House of Representatives from 2019 done 2020 aft Gov. Mike Dunleavy picked her to switch Nancy Dahlstrom, who had been elected to an Eagle River authorities House spot but declined nan occupation to go a personnel of nan governor’s cabinet. 

While successful office, Jackson did not walk immoderate authorities but was a reliable ballot for members of nan House’s Republican minority. 

“The quality betwixt Kelly Merrick and I is I americium loyal to nan principles of nan party,” Jackson said. “I americium loyal to nan group that dangle connected my blimpish votes.”

Jackson lost nan 2020 Republican primary for that spot to Ken McCarty, who went connected to triumph nan wide election. For this election, Jackson has raised more than $19,000, pinch much than half that fig coming from Jackson herself.

McCarty, a 66-year-old psychotherapist, has lived successful Alaska for 17 years and was a trustee of nan Alaska Mental Health Trust Board. After defeating Jackson, he introduced and successfully passed a bill that makes it easier for children of subject families to transportation into Alaska schools.

McCarty’s tenure successful nan House lasted conscionable 2 years; successful 2022, McCarty ran for nan Senate spot and mislaid to Merrick by astir 17 percent points. 

In this election, McCarty reported raising slightly much than $3,500, pinch each but a fraction of that fig coming from himself.

McCarty said he sees opportunities for nan authorities to go much businesslike by eliminating copy services. Within authorities government, for example, it would make consciousness to consolidate accusation exertion services among various authorities agencies and departments, he said.

Outside authorities government, he sees galore different nonprofits and agencies each receiving authorities support to conflict homelessness. It whitethorn make much consciousness to person a unified strategy, he said.

Democratic campaigner takes power for nexus to Allard

Hammermeister is a 28-year-old registered Democrat and property manager who was calved successful Anchorage, graduated from Eagle River High School and volunteers connected nan committee of Eaglexit, nan group seeking to abstracted Eagle River from nan Municipality of Anchorage.

Hammermeister reported raising nary money for nan superior and had nary declared governmental statement until instantly earlier he registered to tally for agency arsenic a Democrat. 

In 2023, Hammermeister was listed among nan co-hosts of a fundraiser for Jamie Allard, nan blimpish Republican who represents half of Eagle River.

That’s raised concerns among immoderate area Democrats who fearfulness a “false flag” campaigner intended to manipulate nan predetermination alternatively than tally successful earnest. 

“We telephone him nan clone Democrat who’s moving against Kelly Merrick. People who don’t cognize … are ever going to ballot for a D,” said Camilla Hussein, a territory resident and president of Alaska Women Ascend, a group that seeks to enlistee progressive women arsenic candidates for office.

“He is not a D. He is not a Democrat. I deliberation nan strategy is they want to return distant Democratic support from Kelly Merrick,” Hussein said.

A elder Alaska Democratic Party charismatic said nan statement will not beryllium supporting nan Hammermeister run because it hasn’t shown viability.

In an question and reply this week, Hammermeister said he is genuinely a Democrat and was inspired to tally by nan truth that location were 4 Republicans registered arsenic candidates. 

“I thought to myself, that doesn’t really look adjacent to nan Democrats that unrecorded successful Eagle River to not moreover person a changeable astatine immoderate benignant of balanced representation. So I decided to spell up and registry arsenic a Democrat and propulsion my chapeau successful nan race,” he said.

He only became politically progressive recently, he said, adding that his sanction connected an Allard fundraiser was nan consequence of his ain deficiency of knowledge astatine nan time, and that he didn’t donate immoderate money to Allard.

“I don’t deliberation that nan Alaska Republican Party is an effective unit for initiating alteration successful Alaska. So I don’t deliberation it’s a bully thought to spell that way, and I’ve been alternatively disappointed pinch immoderate different options,” he said.

Hammermeister said he will ballot for Kamala Harris for president and his engagement pinch Eaglexit is based connected nan thought that section power tin govern much effectively, he said. 

If elected, Hammermeister “would beryllium much than happy to subordinate a coalition” successful nan Senate.

“I’m present to make friends and allies, not enemies, truthful I’m much than happy to play bully and get on pinch folks,” he said.