Ex-Alaska Governor (Tony Knowles-D) to Seek Senate Seat

The Associated Press ^ | 7/8/03 | David Espo

[LdSentinal]

WASHINGTON - Former two-term Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles spread the word Tuesday that he intends to challenge appointed Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski next year, heartening Democrats who courted him to seek a seat the party last held more than two decades ago.

"I have decided to be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004," Knowles wrote in a letter addressed to residents of the state. "Later this year, I will make a formal announcement kicking off my campaign," he wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Knowles made his intentions known as another Democrat, Rep. Joseph Hoeffel of Pennsylvania, said he would file a formal statement of candidacy to challenge four-term GOP Sen. Arlen Specter . Specter also faces a primary challenge from conservative Rep. Pat Toomey.

Democrats last held a Senate seat in Pennsylvania nearly a decade ago; it was 1981 in Alaska.

Still, the party is looking to those two states and Illinois, where first-term Sen. Peter Fitzgerald is retiring, to give them momentum in their uphill drive to gain a Senate majority in 2004.

Republicans are looking to four southern seats held by Democrats to pad their current majority. They include Georgia, where Sen. Zell Miller has announced his retirement; North Carolina, where Sen. John Edwards is running for president and hasn't yet announced plans to seek a second Senate term; Florida, where Sen. Bob Graham is in a similar position; and South Carolina, where 81-year-old Sen. Ernest Hollings has yet to disclose his plans and has encouraged the party to seek another candidate.

Republicans control the Senate by a majority of 51-48, with one Democratic-leaning independent.

In all, there are 34 seats on the ballot in 2004, 19 held by Democrats and 15 by Republicans.

Knowles, 60, was mayor of Anchorage before running for governor in 1990. He lost that race but was elected on his second try. He swept to a second term in 1998 with 51 percent of the vote in a splintered field in which his GOP challenger gained less than 18 percent.

Democrats urged him to run for the Senate, and he has traveled to Washington to meet with strategists as well as senators and potential donors, according to several officials. Many party strategists made it plain that unless he decided to enter the race, Democratic chances of winning the seat would be minimal.

Murkowski, 46, was appointed to the Senate last Dec. 20 by her father, Gov. Frank Murkowski. He had held the Senate seat since 1980 but gave it up to run for governor. Before her appointment, the senator served in the Alaska Legislature, representing a district in the Anchorage area.

[LdSentinal]

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[Species8472]

It wasn't enough that Tony ruined the fishing, mining, and timber industry here in Alaska. Now the greenie S.O.B. wants to do it to everyone nationally as a member of the U.S. Senate!

Not on this voters ballot!

[Impy]

The rats seem to want Murkowski to win the primary.

Sarah Palin should run!!!

[OldPossum]

From what I have read, I think the Republicans can write off this Senate seat next year. Folks don't like people appointing relatives to high office.

[jagrmeister]

Knowles is strong on fronts that are traditionally Republican: pro-business (business owner), pro-family. It's important to find one, possibly two issues where he has caved to a liberal position that can be exploited relentlessly in conservative Alaska.

[JohnnyZ]

Knowles is pro-abortion. How is that pro-family?

(Of course Lisa is pro-abort too, supports Roe v Wade, though she calls herself pro-life.)

[JohnnyZ]

Alaska - Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto -- Twice! Two bills, one requiring pregnant teens age 16 and under to obtain the consent of a parent or a judge prior to an abortion and the other criminalizing partial-birth abortions (with a life of the mother exception) were passed by the Alaska legislature on May 2, overriding the vetoes of Governor Tony Knowles.

[fieldmarshaldj]

It's not that bad. It was stupid for Frank to have done it, but Alaskans know how perilous it is for them to elect a 'Rat to federal office, and they'll stick with the GOP.

[Pubbie]

I agree, All Lisa Murkowski has to do, is point out, that if the Democrats take back the Senate, there will NEVER be drilling in ANWAR, regardless of what Tony Knowles says.

I don't see Tony as a political behemoth anyway. He only got elected twice because the GOP shot itself in the foot twice.

[Impy]

I know something was wrong with his opponent in 1998 so he got like 18% to Knowles 51% and several indies ran.

But why did he win in 1994?

[Pubbie]

I'm not sure, ask fieldmarshaldj.

I do know however that Knowles "Lucked out" because the GOP shot itself in the foot.

Not sure exactly how it happened though, I haven't been really following politics until the mid 90's

[CPT Clay]

But folks also know which party is obstruting any activity in ANWR.

[Impy]

"I'm not sure, ask fieldmarshaldj."

Okay.

DJ why did Knowles win in 94? :)

[fieldmarshaldj]

"DJ why did Knowles win in 94? :)"

I ought to have my own website with my previous analysis of past contests... :-P I wrote about this awhile ago, but I don't want to search for it. Knowles was NOT supposed to win in '94 and was trailing Republican Jim Campbell (who resembled Mike Foster, IIRC). Campbell blew his lead when he ran ads implying Knowles was a philanderer (no evidence of that) because he had "good hair" like Clinton. With a 3rd party Conservative in the race (who happened to be the sitting Lieutenant-Governor), Knowles pulled out a narrow plurality win. Knowles was at the top of my list of likely losers in '98, but he lucked out when an ethically-challenged idiot bought the nomination, and the party was forced to disavow him and run a write-in nominee, which was a fiasco all around, and Knowles won with an outright majority. As Pubbie said, we shot ourselves in the foot.

[Impy]

"I ought to have my own website with my previous analysis of past contests... :-P "

Actually yes you should. :)


_________________


I guess one good consequence of ANWR not passing is that it disinclines Alaska to vote for Knowles. Hopefully with a few pickups it will get through in '05.

Susan Collins: My constituents don't want drilling in ANWR

Me: Most of your constituents have never been to Alaska, the people there overwhelmingly want it, including poor eskimos you dumb *****.


I wish someone would have said that to her on the Senate floor. :)

[Coop]

I saw an NRSC press release earlier today mentioning that Lisa has excellent job approval ratings:

Our recent internal polling showed Murkowski with a three-to-one job approval rating, while Knowles' unfavorable rating was over thirty percent.

So I dare say the nepotism problem that I worried about at least so far hasn't materialized.