Alaska Democrats and independents form fusion ticket to beat Republican governor.
Alaska Democrats have done something remarkable and unprecedented in their quest to defeat Republican Governor Sean Parnell this year. On Monday, the state party voted overwhelmingly to support Republican-turned-independent Bill Walker's campaign for governor, with Democratic nominee Byron Mallot dropping down to run for lieutenant governor on a highly unusual fusion ticket with Walker.
Walker has agreed to drop his GOP registration, and Mallot will also run as an independent, meaning that Democrats won't formally field candidates in either race.
The two posts are nominated separately but run together in the general, so Democrat Hollis French also had to consent to giving up his bid for the second slot, as did Walker's original running mate. But the move, which followed extensive negotiations, actually gives the party a much better chance at unseating the unpopular Governor Parnell.
Polls had shown Parnell surviving a three-way race against both Mallot and Walker in spite of his weak approval ratings, simply because the anti-incumbent vote was getting split between two alternatives. But in a two-way matchup with Walker, Parnell looked a lot more vulnerable, much more so than in a direct head-to-head with Mallot, which is why Walker will get top billing.
A Republican loss in a state as red as Alaska would be a huge blow indeed, and that just got a whole lot likelier this week, which is why Daily Kos Elections is changing their rating on the race from Likely R to Lean R.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!
Michael H. Drucker
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