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After more than three weeks of waiting for absentee,
questioned and overseas ballots to trickle in, Andy Lundquist has held on to
defeat fellow Democrat Dave Kaplan in the House District 36 primary, which was
held August 26th. The margin of victory
was just 17 votes, 601 to 584. Lundquist is now ready to move on to the general
election, where he’ll face Republican Alan Austerman. KMXT’s Casey Kelly has
more.
Lundquist says the close primary
race means he’ll have to try even harder to win in the general election. One
strategy he’ll employ is trying to win the rural vote.
(Dist 36-1 :35s “…I’ll
work a little harder.”)
Austerman, despite receiving 147
more votes running unopposed in the closed Republican primary than both
Democrats combined, says he won’t rest on his laurels either.
(Austerman 1 :23s “…in the general election.”)
Lundquist is a political newcomer,
and says voters are looking for a change in Juneau and that he’s the one who is
best prepared to offer that.
(Dist 36-5 :18s “…is
pretty clear in my mind.”)
Austerman agrees that voters are
looking for change. But he says his past political experience, which includes
stints on the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly, in the state legislature and as
former Governor Frank Murkowski’s fisheries policy advisor, does count for
something.
(Austerman 2 :29s “…start at the bottom of the rung.”)
Both candidates say they’ll be
targeting independent voters. Lundquist says he expects a higher turnout in the
general election and that most of those voters won’t belong to either political
party.
(Lundquist 1 :22s “…gonna be with the nonpartisans.”)
Austerman agrees.
(Austerman 3 :32s “…not necessarily the party.”)
Meanwhile, Lundquist’s opponent in
the primary, Dave Kaplan said last week that he would not seek a recount if he
lost, and he will now pursue a write-in campaign for borough assembly.
(Dist 36-2 :16s “…to
serve for the community.”)
Kaplan says he’ll back Lundquist if
the Democratic Party endorses him.
(Dist 36-4 :25s “…the
party on that for sure.”)
The general election is November 4th.
Whoever wins the race for the District 36 House seat will replace Gabrielle
LeDoux, who stepped down to concentrate on her recent race for U-S House of
Representatives, where she came in third behind fellow Republicans Don Young
and Sean Parnell.
I’m Casey Kelly.
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