There could not be greater contrasts among the candidates running for Anchorage Assembly and Anchorage School Board seats, especially with regards to pro-life, parental rights and religious liberty issues.

Between March 17 and April 7, Anchorage residents will cast mail-in ballots. Alaska Family Action, a pro-family advocacy group, has released its voter guide for these contests, detailing candidates’ stances on key social issues.

ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES

Anchorage Assembly candidates were asked if they agree with the following statements:

• No taxpayer subsidies for abortion: The Municipality of Anchorage should adopt a policy that disallows any municipal funds from being used to pay for abortions, promote abortion, or subsidize groups (such as Planned Parenthood) that perform or promote abortions.
• Protect privacy in intimate facilities: Anchorage Municipal Code should be amended to protect the privacy of citizens by requiring that intimate facilities within municipal buildings—such as locker rooms, showers, changing rooms, and multi-occupancy restrooms—be designated for and used exclusively by persons of the same biological sex; and further provide that all nongovernmental facilities may lawfully choose to designate intimate facilities for use exclusively by persons of the same biological sex.
• Defend religious liberty/Freedom of conscience: Title 5 of the Anchorage Municipal Code (“Equal Rights”) should be amended to clarify that no person may be compelled to engage in any expression or take any action that would violate his or her sincerely held religious beliefs, including the belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman
• Family friendly libraries: The municipality should adopt a policy barring the Anchorage Public Library system from sponsoring “Drag Queen Storytime” or other programs that seek to indoctrinate young children in transgender ideology and promote gender confusion.

Below is how each Anchorage Assembly candidate responded with the most pro-life, pro-family and pro-religious liberty responses in bold font.

District 2 – Seat C – Eagle River/Chugiak

• Jamie Allard: Agreed with every statement
• Stephanie Jeffers: Did not respond
• Roger Branson: Disagreed with every statement

District 3 – Seat E – West Anchorage

• Nick Danger: Agreed with every statement
• Austin Quinn-Davidson: Did not respond
• MoHagani Magnetek: Did not respond

District 4 – Seat G- Midtown Anchorage

• Christine Hill: Agreed with every statement
• Felix Rivera: Did not respond (and endorsed by Planned Parenthood)

District 5 – Seat I – East Anchorage

• Monty Dyson: Agreed with every statement
• Pete Peterson: Did not respond (and endorsed by Planned Parenthood)

District 6 – Seat K – South Anchorage

• Rick Castillo: Agreed with every statement
• Suzanne LaFrance: Did not respond (and endorsed by Planned Parenthood)

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SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES

Each of the five school board candidates were asked if they agree with the following statements:

• Protection of privacy in intimate facilities: The Anchorage School District should protect the privacy and dignity of students by requiring that certain intimate facilities—such as locker rooms, showers, changing rooms, and restrooms—be designated for and used exclusively by persons of the same biological sex.
• No abortion providers in schools: Groups that perform or promote abortion, such as Planned Parenthood, should not be permitted to teach sex education in the public schools.
• Safeguard family authority over medical care: No school district resources—including personnel such as school nurses—should be utilized in the provision of abortion or contraception to students, including by way of referral.
• Defend parental rights to direct education of children: A parent has the right to object to and withdraw her child from any activity, class, performance standard, test, assessment, or program that the parent believes is harmful to the child.
• Written parental rights to direct education of children: The written permission of a parent or guardian should be required before a student participates in any activity, class, or program that includes content involving human sexuality and reproduction – that is, parents should be required to “opt in” their child for such instruction, as opposed to a mere “opt out” provision.
• Sexual risk avoidance: When sex education is taught in public schools, it should be based on a “sexual risk avoidance” (SRA) methodology that teaches students the benefits of refraining from non-marital sexual activity, and which teaches that “risk avoidance” is superior to mere “risk reduction.”

Here is how each school board candidate responded.

School Board Seat C

• Dave Donley: Agreed with every statement
• James Smallwood: Did not respond (and is endorsed by Planned Parenthood)

School Board Seat D

• John Cates: Agreed with every statement
• Phil Isley: Did not respond
• Andy Holleman: Disagreed with every statement except “defending parental rights to direct education of children” and “sexual risk avoidance.”

Click here to view the voter guide with candidate responses and comments.

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