Contributed by Nicole LeeAnn
The political division that has encumbered us all feels amplified in the Mat-Su. Incumbent legislators have not only failed to bring us together, they continue to stoke the flames. As a voter, I am looking for something different this election and am pleased to have found it.
The retirement of Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard has left the candidacy open to Christopher Kurka, who has made a big empty promise for PFD backpay. This is simply not feasible, even if the state were to eliminate our two largest expenditures: education and Medicaid. As a voter, I am left wondering how well Kurka understands our finances. Dr. Jamin Burton, an Independent, appeals to rationale over election falsehoods. I am a mother of four and value both the PFD and education, a difficult and conflicting place to be. Burton acknowledges the important role the PFD plays in our economy and the need to sustain it. He is also a teacher at Colony High School teacher who appreciates the Arts.
I am also faced with an important Senate vote for District D. As a substitute teacher at Teeland Middle School where two of my children are enrolled, I find Senator David Wilson’s voting record on the operating budget disturbing. Not only was he absent when legislators left Juneau to join the Governor at WMS in 2019, he found time to have lunch with the group instead of returning to the state capitol. I am confused about his choice to earn a paycheck teaching while not supporting Mat-Su public schools. Senator Wilson does not have children and attended college at a private institution. Maybe that has influenced his willingness to cut education.
Assemblyman Dan Mayfield, another Independent, has demonstrated a shared value for my children’s education that is not based on conservative or liberal principles. Rather, Dan is willing to campaign on having a challenging conversation about new revenue without taking a cut-only approach. Living in the Mat-Su, I have met Dan Mayfield. Not because I attend campaign events or hear from him during election season. Dan sticks around after meetings to converse about issues with constituents and staff. He is personable and has rightly earned my vote.
Our public servants are obliged to look at all avenues of fixing our state budget, not just those shoved onto them by their party. The decisions they make have real consequences for real people in their districts and it is becoming distasteful to believe one can win on conservative talking points alone. I’m ready to vote for change!