Palin wins election for governor _____________________________________________
adn.com
Associated Press
Published: November 7, 2006
Last Modified: November 7, 2006 at 11:44 PM
Alaska's next governor will be a former small-town mayor and self-described "hockey mom" with little statewide political experience but who promises an ethical and transparent tenure.
Republican Sarah Palin slew her second Alaska governor in elections this year, defeating former two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles in his comeback attempt Tuesday.
Earlier this year, the 42-year-old Wasilla mother of four beat incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the GOP primary.
"I really believe the message that we started with, trust and transparency in state government, is the message that we ended with," Palin told The Associated Press Tuesday. "By the grace of God, we're not going to let you down."
With 66 of precincts reporting, Palin had a 50 percent to 39 percent edge over the former two-term governor. Independent Andrew Halcro had nearly 10 percent of the votes.
Knowles arrived at election headquarters in Anchorage and told supporters the ideas of the campaign — a natural gas pipeline, improved education and better health care — would not end Tuesday. But he was not ready to concede.
"Frankly, looking at the numbers, I wish we were in a whole lot better shape than we are now," Knowles told cheering supporters. "It's too early to come to the conclusion. We're going to wait until the votes are counted because every vote counts, right?"
Palin ran on ethics and transparency, delivering what voters wanted to hear in a year that saw an FBI corruption investigation into ties between legislators and the oil industry, and continuing oil infrastructure problems on the North Slope, the heart of Alaska's economy.
Knowles' harping on Palin's lack of statewide political experience apparently did not stick with voters. Knowles had said that lack of experience would be a detriment when it comes to closing a deal for a North Slope natural gas pipeline.
Palin was a former chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. She ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2002.
She was considered then a rising star in the state Republican Party. But then she rankled the party hierarchy by blowing the whistle on alleged ethical lapses by GOP party chairman Randy Ruedrich while he was a commissioner on the AOGCC. Ruedrich was fined and gave up his position on the commission.
Later, she and Democrat Eric Croft filed an ethics complaint against and Gregg Renkes, Gov. Frank Murkowski's attorney general, alienating her even more from the party.
But she turned that animosity into a campaign asset, appealing to voters looking for a change in party direction. She struck the chord at the right time, trouncing Murkowski in the Aug. 22 primary.
After winning the primary, Palin was considered the front-runner going into the general election. She continued on the same track that led her to defeat the incumbent governor, this time saying Knowles had eight years in office already and it was time for new ideas.
State GOP leaders, Murkowski and the all-Republican congressional delegation pledged their support of Palin. But she found many traditional Republican boosters, business leaders and oil industry executives backing her Democratic opponent. One longtime oil industry executive and GOP supporter called Knowles "the devil we know."
Knowles, 63, is a former two-term governor who wants the job back because, he says, he is the only candidate who can effectively deal with the oil industry and get a good fiscal deal to build a North Slope natural gas pipeline.
Knowles promises to sign a gas pipeline contract his first year in office — something Murkowski could not do in four years — and induce new oil exploration on the North Slope. With the new revenues, Knowles said he wants to boost education and health care in Alaska.
The main criticism of Knowles centers on past battles with a Republican-led Legislature and his coziness with the oil industry. But the Democrat says he can work across party lines and be tough enough with Big Oil to get a good deal for the state when it comes to a gas pipeline.
Independent Halcro, 42, is a former Republican legislator and president of Avis Rent A Car of Alaska. His presence has stirred up the race: While he is not likely to win, he has made his opponents answer to him.
Halcro's detailed knowledge of the issues and his cutting criticisms of the other candidates has meant that he has often been the driving force in debates between the three. |
