Alaska Politics Blog

This is the place to talk about Alaska politics, state, local, national. Public life in the Last Frontier has never been more interesting -- Sarah Palin, a new governor, a new Anchorage mayor, the political corruption investigation, the usual hardball Alaska politics. Come here for news, tidbits and information, and join the discussion. We encourage lively debate, but please keep it civil and stay on point. Don't use profanity, make crude comments or attack other posters. Posts that violate the Terms of Use will be deleted. Repeat offenders will lose their ability to post comments.


Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau in 2007, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He's worked for the ADN in Anchorage and Juneau, covered the legislature for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, and covered Washington state politics for the Tacoma News Tribune. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins covers rural affairs, general assignments and politics for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously wrote for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com and also find him on our rural Alaska blog, The Village.

Don Hunter

Don Hunter covers Anchorage city government and politics. He is a longtime ADN reporter and editor and wrote for the Anchorage Times. E-mail Don at dhunter@adn.com

David Hulen

David Hulen, the ADN's state and local news editor, is responsible for political coverage. He has been an editor and reporter at the ADN for more than 20 years. E-mail David at dhulen@adn.com

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Sarah Palin

Follow the former Alaska governor's actions as she embarks on life outside of office.

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Alaska political corruption

The FBI raided state legislature offices in Aug. 2006, and the fallout since has been epic in Alaska's political world.

Murkowski on health care bill: "disappointing" - 11/19/2009 1:30 pm

Harry Noah out as the state's in-state gasline chief? (Updated with Parnell confirming the resignation) - 11/18/2009 3:59 pm

Did Palin distort her role in the Exxon Valdez lawsuit? - 11/18/2009 3:25 pm

Odds and ends from Palinpalooza (Updated) - 11/18/2009 11:48 am

"Going Rogue" - 11/17/2009 11:20 am

Parnell on Palin's book - 11/16/2009 5:10 pm

Palin's Newsweek cover (Updated with Palin calling it sexist) - 11/16/2009 3:32 pm

Palin's interview with Oprah - 11/16/2009 12:16 pm

Pearce steps down as federal coordinator of gasline - 11/16/2009 9:14 am

President Obama's visit to Alaska - 11/12/2009 12:12 pm

Richard Foster's son chosen to replace him - 11/10/2009 3:54 pm

Co-authors end book deal with Palin's "Hatchet Man" - 11/10/2009 1:06 pm

North Pole Republicans pick possible Coghill replacements - 11/7/2009 8:05 pm

Palin, Huckabee and yesterday's elections - 11/4/2009 1:22 pm

Sarah Palin's book tour - 11/3/2009 5:51 pm

John Harris may get out of the race for governor - 11/3/2009 4:37 pm

Knowles in D.C., talking energy - 11/2/2009 3:57 pm

House Ethics Committee and Young - 10/30/2009 9:43 am

Parnell talks to reporters three months into office - 10/29/2009 5:35 pm

Democrats suggest replacements for Richard Foster - 10/29/2009 3:53 pm

New CNN poll numbers on Palin - 10/28/2009 6:13 pm

Palin on Levi: "those who would sell their body for money..." - 10/28/2009 12:48 pm

Palin: 'He needs to step aside...' (Updated)

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There's now a story on the ADN homepage.

Update, 11:45 a.m.: The McCain-Palin campaign just issued this statement from the governor:

"After being found guilty on seven felony counts, I had hoped Senator Stevens would take the opportunity to do the statesman-like thing and erase the cloud that is covering his Senate seat. He has not done so. Alaskans are grateful for his decades of public service but the time has come for him to step aside. Even if elected on Tuesday, Senator Stevens should step aside to allow a special election to give Alaskans a real choice of who will serve them in Congress."

Original post:

From the ABC News Political Punch blog:

In an interview recorded this morning for CNBC, set to air at closing bell of the market today, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin calls for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, to step down.

"A sad day for Alaska yesterday when he was found guilty of seven felonies," she says. "But -- and now he needs to do the right thing, and the right thing is, as he's proclaiming his innocence and proclaiming, too, that he will go through the appellate process, OK, then he needs to step aside and allow our state to elect someone who will be supportive of those ideals of America: the free enterprise, the missions that we're on, to win the war, those things that have got to take place in order to progress this country. Ted Stevens has got to play a very statesmanlike role in this now."

> Palin, McCain call for Stevens to quit (MSNBC First Read blog)

Meanwhile, this today from the Washington Post's The Trail blog, under a headline Palin Brings Out Party Faithful in Pa.:

HERSHEY, Pa. -- As pundits and strategists debate whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has helped or hurt Sen. John McCain's chances to be president, there is one unassailable fact.

People flock to her.

Consider the following: After several days of relatively small McCain rallies -- think a couple thousand people, max -- the McCain-Palin rally here Tuesday morning drew close to 10,000 people.

As the Straight Talk Express pulled into the stadium -- with spotlights spiraling around the stadium as if the Chicago Bulls were about to enter -- the crowd chanted "Sarah! Sarah!"...


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