In Fairbanks, Dibert and LeBon are rematched for state House election

An aerial position of Fairbanks, Alaska, is seen successful summertime successful an undated photo. (Photo by Jacob Boomsma via Getty Images Plus)

Two years ago, Democrat Maxine Dibert defeated Republican Bart LeBon for nan authorities House spot representing downtown Fairbanks.

The 2 are facing disconnected again this year, successful a territory that’s intimately divided betwixt Republican-leaning voters and Democratic-leaning ones. With nan authorities House besides intimately divided betwixt a Republican-led conjugation and a predominantly Democratic one, nan consequence successful Fairbanks apt intends a awesome woody for power of nan House overall.

“It is truthful 50-50,” Dibert said, talking astir her district’s partisan breakdown. “It’s very close. It mightiness beryllium nan closest district. So that conscionable encourages maine to activity difficult each azygous day.”

House District 31 is nan smallest authorities House territory extracurricular nan Municipality of Anchorage. Its boundaries screen a geographically tight, densely populated — by Alaska standards — area of downtown Fairbanks.

It has nan largest Alaska Native organization of immoderate municipality authorities House territory successful Alaska, pinch much than 1 successful 5 residents identifying arsenic Alaska Native.

It’s besides poorer than average, pinch nan sixth-lowest median family income among nan state’s 40 House districts. Almost a 3rd of its households pinch children are connected nutrient stamps, and nan kid poorness complaint is supra mean for Alaska.

In this graphic, nan width of nan barroom indicates nan number of votes for each campaigner successful House District 31’s 2022 classed prime wide predetermination and really those votes were redistributed successful nan rounds of nan classed prime process. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Under Alaska’s elections system, nan apical 4 vote-getters, sloppy of governmental party, beforehand from nan superior predetermination to nan wide election. In nan wide election, a victor is chosen by classed prime voting. That won’t matter successful this year’s head-to-head election, but it did matter 2 years ago.

In 2022, LeBon had much votes than Dibert successful nan authorities superior but mislaid to her erstwhile they met again successful nan wide election. 

Conservative Republican Kelly Nash earned much than 1 successful 5 of nan first-choice votes successful that year’s wide election, splitting nan Republican vote.

After Nash was eliminated, only 53% of her voters chose LeBon arsenic their 2nd preference; almost 10% of them chose Dibert, and nan remainder chose nary 1 astatine all.

That disagreement helped Dibert triumph nan wide election, but it won’t beryllium coming this year.

Working successful Dibert’s favour is her sanction nickname — she’s had 2 years successful office, and much group cognize her now than did 2 years ago. 

“Being an incumbent now has a batch of spot and powerfulness down it too,” Dibert said. “And a batch of my neighbors and group astatine their doors, they opportunity they’ve publication astir maine and watch me.”

But while LeBon has been retired of agency for 2 years, his 50 years of residency and agelong history of section engagement haven’t gone away, and he’s well-known wrong nan district.

Rep. Bart LeBon, R-Fairbanks, speaks connected nan level of nan Alaska House of Representatives connected Wednesday, May 4, 2022 astatine nan Alaska State Capitol successful Juneau, Alaska. (James Brooks / Alaska Beacon)

Getting to cognize nan candidates

LeBon, 72, has 2 children and 4 grandchildren. He attended nan University of Alaska Fairbanks earlier moving arsenic a banker for much than 40 years successful nan Fairbanks area. Starting arsenic a indebtedness serviceman successful nan 1970s, he roseate to go executive vice president of Mt. McKinley Bank earlier retiring successful 2017. 

Befitting nan district’s balanced partisan preferences, he won nan predetermination successful 2018 by a azygous vote against a Democratic opponent. He won re-election successful 2020 by a much wider margin. 

His corporate life acquisition makes him nan amended campaigner for office, he said. LeBon hasn’t conscionable lived successful Fairbanks for 50 years, he said. He’s had 42 years successful banking, six years connected nan schoolhouse committee and been an progressive promoter of galore section nonprofits. 

“That life story, if you will, makes maine a very charismatic campaigner to service Fairbanks,” he said. “It did truthful successful 2018 erstwhile I won my predetermination by 1 vote. It still does truthful today.”

Rep. Maxine Dibert, D-Fairbanks, is seen Monday, May 6, 2024, connected nan level of nan Alaska House of Representatives. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Dibert, 49, is simply a erstwhile Fairbanks North Star Borough coach pinch 2 children and degrees from nan University of Alaska Fairbanks and Lesley University successful Massachusetts. 

During her clip arsenic a teacher, she developed program for statewide usage and was a advisor for nan public-television show “Molly of Denali.”

Most of nan Alaska House of Representatives is white, and a mostly of its members are male. Dibert is nan only Alaska Native female successful nan House.

“I judge we conscionable request much practice successful our Legislature, much working-class moms, dads, much voices,” she said.

She said she was successful Anchorage precocious and met a young female from a agrarian colony who told Dibert that her domiciled successful nan Legislature was nan logic that nan young female decided to tally for her section metropolis council.

“She’s like, ‘I conscionable wanted to say, convey you for being a domiciled exemplary to me,’” Dibert said, recalling nan encounter. 

“Those things are powerful,” she said.

Dibert, LeBon prosecute different roles successful authorities House

Dibert says she’s consenting to service successful a tripartisan House mostly that includes Democrats, Republicans and independents successful activity roles. To that end, she says that nan past 2 years proved she tin activity crossed statement lines successful that benignant of majority.

She offered a caller example: Last week, Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed Senate Bill 13, a textbook value transparency bill from Sen. Robb Myers, R-North Pole. Dibert coordinated nan bill’s transition successful nan House.

LeBon said he believes that this year’s predetermination results will lead to immoderate benignant of conjugation mostly because immoderate mostly needs to person astatine slightest 23 members to beryllium effective, and neither Republicans nor Democrats will clasp 23 seats.

“I conscionable don’t spot it,” he said. “I deliberation location will beryllium a bipartisan conjugation successful nan House, and my anticipation is that it will beryllium Republican-led, that Kathy Tilton will return arsenic nan speaker, and Republicans will clasp nan mostly of cardinal positions successful activity and committee chairs.”

During his anterior stint successful nan Legislature, LeBon was a personnel of nan House Finance Committee, and he said he intends to return to that role, sloppy of whether it’s arsenic a personnel of nan House’s mostly caucus aliases its minority.

That’s nan astir effective measurement to thief his district, he said, successful portion because it positions him to discuss good pinch nan Senate to beforehand section priorities. During his anterior clip successful office, he advanced two bills through nan Legislature.

“I person a estimation for being reasonable and effective, and I tin activity crossed nan aisle, not conscionable successful nan House — I could interact pinch astir anybody successful nan Senate, and I had 4 years to beryllium that, and I deliberation I did,” LeBon said.

Dibert has spent nan past 2 years connected nan House’s resources and acquisition committees, and indicated that she’d for illustration to return to those roles.

“I was nan only Fairbanks legislator connected nan Resources Committee, truthful that helped maine spot a broader portion of Alaska, not conscionable education,” she said.

During his clip successful office, LeBon voted for nan last type of nan state’s operating fund each year, moreover erstwhile he disagreed pinch nan result. By phone, he called that a strategical move intended to thief relations pinch chap lawmakers.

He criticized Dibert for not pursuing suit and voting against nan last type of nan budget. Dibert said she considers it “a tactical vote” and knew nan fund would walk without her support.

Both support BSA increase

The 2 candidates work together that nan guidelines student allocation — nan halfway of nan state’s per-student backing look — should beryllium increased. 

Dibert was among nan legislators who attempted to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of a measure that would person raised nan BSA. LeBon said he besides would person voted to override, but feels that amended connection betwixt legislators and nan politician could person avoided nan request for a veto showdown.

“With a small spot much communication, location would person been an agreement,” he said.

Permanent hole for Permanent Fund woes?

Forecasts show that nan Alaska Permanent Fund could run retired of spendable money in arsenic small arsenic 3 years, causing a financial shock. LeBon said he supports a law amendment to hole nan problem, thing preferred by nan Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.’s committee of trustees. 

Dibert expressed unfamiliarity pinch nan problem but said that “whatever nan solutions are, it cannot autumn connected nan backs aliases nan pocketbooks of Fairbanks families.”

Differences connected transgender sports legislation

Dibert and LeBon disagree on legislation that would prohibit transgender girls from playing connected girls schoolhouse sports teams. The House passed specified a connection this spring, pinch Dibert opposed, but it grounded to walk nan Senate, sidesplitting nan thought for nan year. 

The regularisation remains successful regulation, alternatively of authorities law. 

LeBon said that if nan measure returns, he would support it. He said that, arsenic a hoops subordinate and nan genitor of a hoops player, he saw nan occurrence of national Title IX, which required schools to commencement girls sports teams. A regularisation for illustration nan 1 that died successful nan House would protect Title IX sports, LeBon said.

“It was a game-changer, and it is worthy protecting,” he said. 

Dibert said that arsenic she’s gone doorway to door, nan rumor of transgender girls successful sports hasn’t travel up much than erstwhile aliases twice.

“It’s a solution successful hunt of a problem,” she said of nan grounded bill.

State pension differences

Dibert and LeBon besides disagree astir whether nan authorities should revive a pension programme for nationalist employees. 

Dibert favors nan idea, which nan Senate approved. It but grounded to beforehand successful nan House during nan past Legislature. 

“Teachers are leaving, and it’s really difficult correct now to pull and clasp teachers and constabulary officers and firefighters. I deliberation that a solution would beryllium returning to a humble status pension system,” she said.

LeBon opposes nan conception because of its imaginable costs and because of lingering indebtedness from nan state’s anterior pension program, he said. During his anterior word successful office, he opposed nan advancement of a pension thought that came to nan House Finance Committee.

“You’ve sewage to person maine that it’s not going to create an unfunded liability for illustration nan 1 we’re still looking astatine today,” LeBon said.

Dibert said LeBon’s fears are retired of date. 

“This time, it’s a small spot different because immoderate of it falls connected nan employer and nan employee. The consequence is shared,” she said.

Differences connected ballot measures

When Fairbanks voters spell to nan polls connected Nov. 5, 2 ballot measures will beryllium beneath nan authorities House title connected nan ballot. LeBon and Dibert disagree connected some measures. 

LeBon supports nan repeal of Alaska’s classed prime voting law, while Dibert wants to support it successful place.

Dibert supports an summation to nan state’s minimum costs and mandatory sick time off for workers, while LeBon opposes nan measurement that would supply both.

How to vote

Alaskans must register to vote by Oct. 6 successful bid to participate successful nan authorities House election. 

Early voting originates astatine prime locations Oct. 21. Absentee ballots are available by request through Oct. 26 for immoderate logic for those who want to ballot by mail. 

Regular Election Day is Nov. 5, and a representation of polling places is disposable online. Preliminary results will beryllium disposable by nan greeting of Nov. 6, but ballots arriving precocious by message will beryllium counted until Nov. 15 if they are sent from wrong nan United States and Nov. 20 if they are sent internationally. 

Ranked prime tabulations — for races pinch astatine slightest 3 candidates — will return spot Nov. 20 if nary campaigner has astatine slightest 50% of nan ballot successful that race.

In their ain words

Ahead of nan election, nan Alaska Beacon submitted a 15-question study to each of nan state’s legislative candidates. Dibert and LeBon each responded, answering questions astir nan state’s economy, sportfishing industry, acquisition and more.