Alaska Politics Blog : Democrats suggest replacements for Richard Foster

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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.

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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Alaska political corruption

When the FBI raided state legislature offices in Aug. 2006, it publicly launched an investigation that ultimately reached the highest levels of Alaska politics, and continues to this day.

Democrats suggest replacements for Richard Foster

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Anchorage Daily News

Posted: October 29, 2009 - 3:53 pm

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage --

The Alaska Democratic Party today sent three names to Gov. Sean Parnell as suggestions for him to choose between in picking the late Richard Foster's replacement in the state House.

One of them is Foster's son, Neal Foster, who is on the Nome City Council.

The other two are from Unalakleet.

One, tribal administrator and fisherman Ralph "Weaver" Ivanoff, ran against Foster as an independent in 2004. Foster defeated him 2990 votes to 1661 in the general election.

The other, Sam Towarak, has long been involved in Western Alaska school administration and is listed by the Democratic Party as a "former advisor to Governor Tony Knowles."

Foster, a Nome Democrat who caucused with the Republican-led majority, died of a heart attack earlier this month. The Republican Parnell does not have to choose from among the Democratic Party's recommendations in picking Foster's replacement, but Alaska governors usually honor the party slate.