Gatto faces challengers in District 13

MAT-SU — If all the campaign signs and door-to-door candidate visits weren’t enough to clue voters in, election season is heating up.

The state’s primary election is Tuesday, pitting candidates of the same party against each other for a chance the move on to the General Election in November. Hotly contested races garnering statewide, and sometimes nationwide, attention center on the re-election bids of Republican congressmen Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens. Both face a gaggle of challengers and scrutiny over their ethical practices, with Stevens under federal indictment for allegedly failing to report gifts from VECO and Young under investigation for a Florida interstate earmark.

Closer to home in the Mat-Su Valley, the number of candidates in primary races varies depending on the race. For Republican voters there are plenty of choices on Tuesday. For the Democrats, not so many.

In the Valley, House seats from Districts 13,14,15 and 16 have contested Republican primary races. In those districts, lone Democrats are running unopposed and will move on to the General Election. In District 14, Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, is unopposed in both the primary and general election.

The Valley’s open Senate Seat G is being sought by Republican Linda Menard and Democrat Erick Cordero, who are also unopposed in their political parties for the primary.

For District 13, state House Rep. Carl Gatto, winning re-election will mean beating off a pair of challengers in Tuesday’s Republican Primary.

The District 13 primary race has centered mostly on the issue of individual character.

Florence Scott and David J. Parks are trying to unseat Gatto. Gatto said it appears to him Scott’s platform has centered on character attacks. During a KAKM public television candidate forum Aug. 18, Scott accused Gatto of accomplishing nothing for his constituents, comparing him to the Disney character Goofy.

“Carl tries hard, but so does Goofy,” Scott said. “A lot of people like Goofy, but he never gets anything done.”

Scott went on to say she’d be better for the job because she would get more accomplished.

For his part, Gatto said Friday he is upbeat and feels his chances of winning the primary are good. The three-term legislator said he’s been waiting to hear Scott address any concrete issues.

“I haven’t heard her raise an issue except in the way of saying, ‘I have done this and have done that,’” Gatto said.

Gatto added that his record speaks volumes by the numerous bills he has sponsored and co-sponsored while a part of the Legislature.

A check of the BASIS system, which tracks legislative bills in Alaska, shows nearly 40 bills sponsored or co-sponsored by Gatto in 2007 and 2008.

Gatto is also the co-chair of the House Resources Committee, along with being a member of four other committees and four finance subcommittees.

Gatto’s other primary opponent, Parks, is perhaps the youngest in the race at 27 years old. Parks comes to the primary a political newcomer and has touted his life-long Republican party affiliation and activity with leading a nonprofit and small business as relevant experience. Parks is the executive director of Alaska Community Share, a nonprofit organization that raises money for other nonprofits. Parks has also sat on the University of Alaska Board of Regents and was a delegate for the Republican Party’s state convention.

On Saturday, Parks said he’s feeling good about his chances in the primary.

“The mayor’s (Palmer Mayor John Combs) endorsement has been a big help,” Parks said. “We feel strong, feel very good.”

Like Scott, Parks has also said he’d make a better legislator than Gatto. And like Gatto, Parks’ reputation has largely been the focus of Scott’s campaign.

Parks said some of what he’s been hearing from people regarding what he calls negative campaigning from Scott goes against what she said months ago.

“She shook my hand and promised she would have a clean campaign,” Parks said.

He added he’s called Scott to tell her no other candidate is “doing what she’s doing.”

Whether each candidate — Gatto, Parks and Scott — will see success from whatever campaign they’ve decided to run will be determined Tuesday.