News from Patrick Flynn

While municipal elections don’t occur until April of next year activity is already underway with a couple surprises.

First off, while previous indications were that our current chair, Debbie Ossiander, did not plan to seek a third and final term in her Chugiak/Eagle River district is seems she now plans to do so.

Secondly, while Jennifer Johnston’s decision to run for a second term in South Anchorage was expected, it seems she briefly flirted with the idea of a run for a legislative seat (if one were to be open).

Over in East Anchorage one of the mayor’s appointees to the Budget Advisory Commission, Adam Trombley, has reportedly decided to challenge incumbent Sheila Selkregg.  I don’t know Mr. Trombley very well, other than from his occasional appearances before the Assembly.

Meanwhile, I haven’t heard anything about who might be running for the Midtown seat Dan Coffey plans to vacate, though Dick Traini dropped by a couple Assembly meetings recently.

Perhaps most puzzling of all is word that, at the reported urging of the mayor and Mr. Coffey, my friend Ernie Hall plans to challenge my friend (and incumbent) Matt Claman for his West Anchorage seat.  This despite Mr. Hall’s membership on the Anchorage Park Foundation board, which earlier this week sent a letter to the Assembly not denigrating the administration’s proposed parks budget, but noting:

“Based on a conversation with the Mayor earlier this Fall, (the) Rasmuson Foundation rescinded an up to $4 million challenge grant to the Anchorage Park Foundation to improve multi-use / soccer fields across Anchorage.”

In any event, it seems the mayor is interested in doing his part to install an Assembly in tune with his political philosophy.  I can hardly wait to see who he recruits to challenge me!

Regards,

Patrick