Candidates line up to debate

WASILLA — With campaign season now fully under way, debates have been scheduled in Wasilla and Houston.

The annual Wasilla Chamber of Commerce forums return this Saturday in the theater at the Alaska Club. Seven candidates and three debates are scheduled to take up most of the day.

Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, will be there though her Republican opponent, Daniel Hamm, had prior commitments. Organizers said that to avoid depriving Hughes of the opportunity, they’re giving her space to make a brief statement at the start of the event. After that, the debates begin.

From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., state Sen. Linda Menard, R-Wasilla, will square off against her challenger in the Republican primary, Mike Dunleavy.

Menard has been senator since she won election in 2008. Her husband was the late borough mayor, legislator and well-known dentist Curt Menard. She has been active in health care and education issues, serving on boards, including the Mat-Su Borough School District School Board.

Dunleavy is a longtime educator and school administrator and current president of the school board. This is his first time seeking statewide office in the Valley.

From 12 to 1:30 p.m., Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, will square off against his Republican primary challenger Roger Purcell.

Keller came to the House of Representatives to fill the remainder of Vic Kohring’s term after Kohring resigned. Prior to that he was a legislative aide, a construction worker, a pilot and an educator.

Purcell was formerly mayor of Houston during a tumultuous time for that small city. He’s proud of his record, though, saying he accomplished much despite the controversy. He works in real estate and finance and has experience in law enforcement.

From 2 to 3:30 p.m., Mark Ewing and Lynn Gattis, both Republicans, will debate. They’re running for the new seat in the House of Representatives created in the Valley under this year’s redistricting plan.

Ewing is a former Wasilla city councilman, former Mat-Su Borough assemblyman and current Matanuska Telephone Association employee.

Gattis is currently on the school board. Professionally, she runs the gamut, from rental properties to farming and airplane rentals.

Democrat Blake Merrifield will not be at the debate. He issued a statement Thursday saying he was disappointed not to have been invited. However, organizer Diana Straub clarified the debates were for primary races, not the general election races. As such, candidates running unopposed in the primary election were not included.

“If we can find more sponsors later, then there will certainly be more and he would certainly be invited,” Straub said.

More debates

Houston’s debates are scheduled for Aug. 7 at the Mid-Valley Senior Center. They will begin at 6:30 p.m., though if you can stop by early for a $4 taco dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. Four seats will be debated, including the Menard-Dunleavy race and the Keller-Purcell race.

• Senate District E, in which Republican Charlie Huggins is squaring off against Democrat Susan Parsons Herman. Huggins is a Vietnam veteran and helicopter pilot who’s seeking his third term in the Senate. Herman is a licensed massage therapist from the Wasilla area.

• House District 7, in which Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake, is facing off against Democrat Pam Rahn. Neuman is a carpenter and small businessman, an Alaska resident since 1981 and a four-term representative. Publicly available information on Rahn is scarce. She’s active in democratic circles and, according to Facebook, went to college in North Dakota.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.