Alaska Politics Blog : Berkowitz eyes challenge of Palin (Updated with Hollis French seriously considering it as well)

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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.

Berkowitz eyes challenge of Palin (Updated with Hollis French seriously considering it as well)

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Anchorage Daily News

Posted: May 28, 2009 - 12:14 pm

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage –

Ethan Berkowitz sounds like he’s getting ready to run for governor.

“We’re taking an extremely close look at it, it’s something I’m very interested in doing,” Berkowitz told me earlier today.

Berkowitz is starting to attract national attention as a potential Democratic challenger to Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, telling CQ politics (which rates the race as “Republican favored”) that “my sights are now on the governor’s race.”

Palin hasn’t said if she’ll run in the 2010 governor’s race.

Bob Poe and Robert Rosenfeld have already announced that they plan to run as Democrats for governor next year. Democratic state senator Hollis French has also said he’s considering it.

(UPDATE -- I just spoke to Hollis French and he sounds very interested in running for governor as well, although he's not ready to announce his candidacy yet.

"I love public service and I've been encouraged to run by many people I respect." French said. "I'm seriously considering it.")

Berkowitz ran for U.S. House last year against Republican Don Young, losing with 45 percent of the vote.

Berkowitz, the former minority leader of the state House, said he’s ruled out another challenge of Young.

“I want to stay here in Alaska...and I can make a greater contribution to the state as governor than I can in Congress. You have more of an ability to affect the kind of policies I think need to be impacted, more of an ability to deliver low cost energy to Alaska, craft Alaska solutions.”

Berkowitz said he doesn’t plan to announce a bid for governor any time soon.