CANDIDATE PROFILE: Hogan running on message of ‘HOPE’

WASILLA — Patricia “Pat” Hogan, 68, ended up in the Mat-Su Valley the way many have before her: to run dogs.

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Hogan and her ex-husband, Larren Weaver, who is now deceased, and their two sons moved to the state in 1987. Together the couple bred sled dogs, and Weaver ran the Iditarod three times, finishing in 1990 and 1992. Like many new Alaskans, Hogan fell in love with the region and the state, choosing to make the Valley her longterm home. Now she is running as a first-time candidate for Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly’s District 4 seat.

Hogan is running against Wasilla resident Ted Leonard. A third candidate, Colleen Vague, withdrew before the Aug. 4 deadline. Incumbent assemblyman Steve Colligan is vacating the seat due to term limits. Although the Assembly race is nonpartisan, Hogan said she is an Independent.

A registered nurse, Hogan’s passion lies with the subject of public health and education, particularly as it relates to addiction and prevention. Her son, Neil Weaver, died of a morphine overdose in 2009. Hogan is also a breast cancer survivor.

Hogan said her campaign centers around the acronym HOPE, which standards for “harm reduction,” “opportunity,” “prevention, protection, promotion” and “education.” She said several friends asked her to run for the open seat, in part because they believe she can combine those facets to create a community in which residents can be safe and thrive.

“They feel that I share a commitment to our community, and because I can support the philosophy of … empowerment,” she said. “Empowerment is one of the primary reasons that public health is even in existence. … Unfortunately a lot of families don’t have a support system, and one of the philosophies of public health is that we are the safety net trying to help those that have no other access.”

Hogan currently serves on the Mat-Su Opioid Taskforce. In the past she has served as the president of Family Promise, which organizes temporary housing for homeless area residents, as well as on the Alaska PTA, which advocates for children in the state.

While state lawmakers battle budget shortfalls, a pair of controversial new Borough taxes have recently come before the Assembly. One would fund schools through a new sales tax, while the other would penalize plastic bag users at retail stores. Both measures have been tabled for the time being.

Hogan said she would personally not mind paying a new sales tax to fund Borough schools. But rather than decide the matter for voters by blocking discussion from going forward, she said she’d prefer to get the tax measure on the ballot so residents can speak for themselves.

“We have to trust our elected representatives, but they also have to be held accountable for the decisions that are made, and telling me that I can’t vote for something makes me very angry,” she said.

She said she is opposed to the proposed plastic bag tax. Instead, she said she’d prefer to simply see an outright ban on plastic bags at stores. She said she doesn’t consider the proposed tax to be a potential revenue source so much as a deterrent to using plastic bags, which she said are bad for the environment.

“I would prefer the ballot to say get rid of all plastic bags,” she said. “Instead of the tax, just remove them … get rid of the bags. Let us all be more responsible.”

Hogan said she has not started fundraising, but is in the process of gaining endorsements from organizations and groups in the Valley. She said she expects to receive funding from the Democratic party, although she is an Independent. As of Sept. 1 she said she had yet to place any campaign signs in the area and had not yet launched her campaign Facebook page.

The election for the District 4 seat, as well as the District 5 Assembly seat, and the School Board District 3 and 6 seats, will be held Oct. 3. The deadline for new voter registrations was Sept. 3.