Political newcomer to face Menard

MAT-SU — The Democratic candidate for Alaska Senate District G, now held by Republican Senate President Lyda Green, said he believes he can help restore faith in the public process.

Erick Cordero Giorgana, a 33-year-old Palmer resident, said if elected he will work to show government can be an agent of good.

“I believe in open, honest government above all,” Cordero Giorgana said Monday. He will face Republican candidate Linda Menard in the upcoming general election. Menard was set to challenge Green in the August Republican Primary until Green’s surprise announcement last week she won’t seek re-election.

Cordero Giorgana’s desire to restore the public’s faith in government, while part of his personal beliefs, comes from his perception that the people of Alaska feel elected officials in the state are unable to lead, he said.

“Corruption is now kind of expected,” he said, adding he aims to change that. “I want to change people’s perspectives and notions to know it shouldn’t be expected.”

Originally from Mexico, Cordero Giorgana, the volunteer manager at Alaska Legal Services Corp. in Anchorage, became a U.S. citizen in January. Before that, Cordero Giorgana lived in the U.S. as a legal immigrant for 16 years. He and his wife, Karen, a Palmer native, have two young children, ages 6 and 8.

A political newcomer, Cordero Giorgana hasn’t held elected office before, but comes with a degree in political science from Loyola University in New Orleans. His platform will largely touch on issues of renewable energy, health care and transportation, he said, with renewable energy being the most important to him.

“When I see $4 a gallon for gasoline I panic like anybody else,” Cordero Giorgana said.

He said he’s not deterred that Menard, a Wasilla resident, is a well-known figure in the Mat-Su Valley, with experience and name recognition on her side. She served 12 years on the Mat-Su Borough School Board and is the vice chairman and interim executive director of the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

But Cordero Giorgana said he knows all that and is ready to face Menard in the coming months.

“I think she’s going to be an formidable opponent,” Cordero Giorgana said.

If elected this fall, Cordero Giorgana said voters will get a fresh perspective on issues facing Alaska residents, as well as someone who tries to live an ethical life in everything he does. No matter what happens in the coming months, the newly naturalized U.S. citizen said he is ready for whatever Menard has in store for him on the campaign trail.

“I look forward to a challenging campaign with her,” Cordero Giorgana said.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito-@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.

Erick Cordero Giorgana’s civic involvement:

• Palmer Planning and Zoning Commissioner

• Past president of the Hispanic Affairs Council of Alaska

• Palmer Rotary Club President