Anchorage businessman and political activist Scott Hawkins has joined the race for Alaska governor.
According to the Alaska Public Offices Commission, Hawkins filed a letter of intent that allows him to begin fundraising for the fall 2018 statewide primary. Hawkins intends to run as a Republican and will participate in that party’s primary.
“The reason I’m running is people are really unhappy with the direction the state’s going right now,” he told the Empire by phone. “I think there’s some reasons for that, and I think they’re fixable. I think I have the background and capability to fix these problems.”
The Alaska Division of Elections does not yet list Hawkins among the certified candidates for election.
Hawkins is a longtime Alaskan who taught economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage before becoming Alaska Pacific Bank’s corporate economist during the recession of the mid-1980s. In 1987, he became the first president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation.
In 1996, he ran for a seat on the Anchorage Assembly but narrowly lost to incumbent Bob Bell.
After the election, he went into private-sector employment with Alaska Supply Chain Integrators, later Advanced Supply Chain International.
In 2008, Hawkins and Heath Hilyard founded Prosperity Alaska, a pro-development organization. He subsequently founded The Accountability Project, a business-backed political action committee.
In letters and columns submitted to state newspapers, Hawkins has opposed a state income tax, has supported the idea of a voter-approved spending cap, and has supported the idea of spending a portion of the Alaska Permanent Fund’s earnings on government services.
Earlier this year, Hawkins appeared in TV ads opposing House Bill 115, an income tax proposal passed by the Alaska House of Representatives.
Speaking to the Empire on Friday, he said he is confident the state can solve many of its fiscal problems by increasing flow through the trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
He said he intends to kick off his campaign with a trip to Ketchikan next week.
Hawkins joins former state Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-Wasilla, among the Republicans who has filed a letter of intent for the gubernatorial primary. Michael Sheldon of Petersburg has filed for the Republican primary with the Alaska Division of Elections.
Independent Gov. Bill Walker has filed for re-election as well, but he would not appear on a primary ballot. Wilson Kirk of Anchorage has also filed a letter of intent for the general election but not the primary. State Sen. Mike Dunleavy still has a letter of intent filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission but has temporarily suspended his campaign.
One Democrat, Jacob Kern of Anchorage, has filed a letter of intent with the Public Offices Commission but not with the Division of Elections.
Christopher Hunter of Fairbanks has filed a letter of intent for the primary election without listing his party. Voter records show him as a registered nonpartisan.
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Grunwald files for lieutenant governor
Edie Grunwald of Palmer has filed with the Alaska Division of Elections to run for the Republican lieutenant governor’s nomination.
Grunwald is the mother of 16-year-old David Grunwald, who was murdered last year. Since the arrest of suspects in her son’s murder, Grunwald has been an advocate of rolling back the criminal justice reform legislation known as Senate Bill 91.
Grunwald is a veteran who has lived in Alaska since 1985.
Grunwald joins state Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, and state Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, in the race for the Republican lieutenant governor’s nomination.
Incumbent Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott has filed for re-election on an independent ticket. No Democrats have signed up to run for lieutenant governor.
June 1 is the last date that a candidate can register with the Division of Elections to run for governor. Many state candidates announce their runs at the end of the year preceding an election because Alaska places annual limits on campaign donations.
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com or call 523-2258.
