by Phil Swibinski

Notes from the Campaign Trail: May 22

Dear Alaskans —

Please show your support for our campaign by submitting a short video testimonial to hello@dralgrossak.com! We will be sharing these videos on our social media to show Alaska our campaign has momentum. (Please film the videos vertically on your cell phones!)

The last few weeks of this election are here. It is very important that a few messages get out: I am running for Congress as a nonpartisan independent. I truly believe that our two-party system is broken. I have not asked for the endorsement from either the Democratic or Republican Party. I will caucus with the Democrats, because I am able to find more common ground with them to work on the issues of women’s reproductive rights, healthcare reform, and renewable energy. However, as I have said, I am willing to work with both Republicans and Democrats to get things done and to solve problems. As a true independent and an Alaskan, I will prioritize the needs of our state, not party politics, and will work for an Alaska that is strong and vibrant. As your United States Representative, I will always put Alaska first.

There are many candidates running in this election. Quite a few have not offered a vision for Alaska or expended any energy in a campaign to explain why they should be your next congressman. Some don’t even have a website. Please go to my website https://dralgrossak.com where my vision and values are explained clearly. I hope that you choose to vote for a candidate who is committed to working hard for the future of Alaska.

There are two Republican candidates that are going to be very hard to beat–Sarah Palin and Nick Begich. I want to be very clear. Both of these candidates will not serve Alaska well. Sarah quit on Alaska. Her interest in the race is ego-based and she is not working for you. Nick is running a strong campaign, but will sacrifice Alaska’s heart and soul for the dollar. He was raised in Florida, sold cars in Detroit, and his respect for Alaskan values and our way of life is limited. Winning the race against Nick is going to require a candidate who can present a strong vision for Alaska and who has values that Alaskans share. I believe that I am your candidate. I am ready and able to take on this fight.

Many of the other candidates running in the special election do have Alaska’s true interests at heart, and I respect that they have thrown their hat in the ring. Politics is not fun, especially during this time of extreme partisanship. I hope that as we move past the special primary on June 11th that those of us committed to a positive future for Alaska unite to fight against the extremes.

This week, I spent a day in Juneau, and then traveled to Petersburg for the Little Norway Festival. Monica and I have a home in Petersburg and many in the community have been friends of mine for almost 50 years, first through housing out for swim meets from Juneau and then later through commercial fishing and as a visiting doctor here. It feels good to connect with old friends, and it is so heartening to see the kids of the captains I grew up with skippering their own boats now!

The most important thing to do in this election is to vote. Once you have voted please call three of your friends and encourage them to vote. Peer-to-peer connections are the most important way you can help right now. I hope that I can win your support, and I hope that you can share the reasons that you support me with your friends. I am in this to win both the special and the general election. And I am in this for Alaska, for jobs and the economy, for our children, and for our way of life.

Next week, I will travel to Ketchikan, Sitka, back to Anchorage, and then to Kodiak. You can follow my travels on Facebook. As always, I look forward to talking with Alaskans and hearing their questions and concerns. We are excited to have you on board, and this ship is rocking the ocean!

And most important of all VOTE!

  • Special Primary ballots must be postmarked by June 11.
  • The Special election on August 16.
  • The General Primary election is also on August 16.

Thank you,

Al Gross

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