Dave Bronson made a campaign stop in Homer last night, and although he said many positive things, one thing is clear. He is not yet ready for the job as governor. That evaluation is based on how he answered just one question, and this should be a lesson for other candidates who plan to campaign on the Kenai Peninsula.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked Mr. Bronson. He is a personable guy with a compelling life story. I appreciate the fact that he is a former military pilot and commercial aviator. He also has more executive experience than any of the other candidates, which would serve him well in the governor’s office. For a conservative voter, Mr. Bronson hits many high spots. He spoke out against antisemitism. He addressed the failing school system here in Alaska and expressed support for school vouchers. I could go on. In 99.9% of the subjects he touched upon, Mr. Bronson’s answers resonated with the conservative Republican audience he was speaking too. It was only when he took questions form the audience that he faltered.
The first question he received, and one that all gubernatorial candidates will face on the Kenai, is: “If he is elected, what will he do to resolve the unconstitutional changes made to the Grand Jury process by Supreme Court Order 1993, and would he support an independent investigation into allegations of judicial malfeasance it attempts to cover up?”
All of the gubernatorial campaigns need to take notice. Do not come down to the Kenai Peninsula unprepared to answer the Grand Jury question, and with no plan to resolve it.
Mr. Bronson acknowledged that SCO 1993 was unconstitutional, and that there were issues with the way the Kenai Grand Jury investigation into retired judge Margaret Murphy’s perjury charges were handled, but he gave a non-committal answer as to what actions he would take to resolve the issue. When pressed with a second question on the subject, Mr. Bronson replied that he has a crack campaign team made up of East Coast professionals who are studying the issue and that they will get back to him with a recommendation.
Give me a break.
Bronson’s chances of winning election on the Kenai died with this non-answer, answer.
The issue of Grand Jury independence is a litmus test for many conservative voters on the Kenai. We have seen how the Alaska Supreme Court has usurped the State Constitution in what looks like an effort to neuter the rights of citizens to appeal directly to a grand jury without a gatekeeper. Citizens on the Kenai take this issue so seriously they have held sit ins and street protests to draw attention to the issue. This situation is so volatile that then-Attorney General Treg Taylor held a public meeting in Kenai to try and get ahead of the issue before he declared his candidacy for governor.
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For voters on the Kenai, this is vitally important. When a candidate says his people are studying the matter and he will get back to us, that is unacceptable.
Until Mr. Bronson develops a concrete plan for how to rein in a rogue Alaska Supreme Court, he will be wasting his time campaigning on the Kenai. While he is at it, he might start to take direct control of his campaign. We don’t need another milquetoast governor that is going to wait for campaign consultants to find out what he (or she) believes in. Alaska is looking for a dynamic man (or woman) of action that is going to know their own minds and – when they take office – have a concrete plan on how to address the difficult challenges facing this state.
All of the gubernatorial campaigns need to take notice. Do not come down to the Kenai Peninsula unprepared to answer the Grand Jury question, and with no plan to resolve it. While they are at it, candidates should start thinking for themselves instead of relying on campaign advisors. They would come across as more genuine that way. As for Mr. Bronson, he seems like a nice guy. I wish him well, but today, he is not ready to be the governor of Alaska.
The views expressed here are those of Greg Sarber. Read more Sarber posts at his Seward’s Folly substack.
