House hopefuls to square off

WASILLA — This summer’s series of Valley political forums and debates continues Thursday with candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Diana Straub, who is organizing the events on behalf of the Greater Palmer and Greater Wasilla chambers of commerce, said so far she’s received confirmation that three of four candidates will be there. The only one who can’t make it is the incumbent, Don Young.

“Representative Young will not be there because he has to be in Washington working,” she said, adding she understands that commitment. “As a constituent, I don’t really want them taking off on a Wednesday to make a Thursday forum.”

Straub said there has been talk of rescheduling next week’s U.S. Senate debate and maybe even this one for a time when Congress isn’t in session. She said that to do that she would have to put off an event for a local Mat-Su Borough, school board or city council race, which she doesn’t want to do. She said she has offered teleconferencing, video conferencing and to have the incumbents sent a stand-in.

Here is a brief rundown of who’s in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives:

John R. Cox

Cox is running as a Republican. He is a graduate of Bartlett High School in Anchorage, class of 1976 and a U.S. Navy veteran. He is married and has three children.

Cox says he wants to go to Washington to end wasteful spending, stop the federal government from interfering with Alaska affairs and end abuses of the welfare system. He is also a proponent of vocational education, infrastructure development and energy programs.

Harry Crawford

Crawford is the only Democrat in the race, so will move on past next month’s primary to the October general election. He represents East Anchorage in the state House of Representatives. He is an ironworker by trade who came to Alaska to help build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

The main issues he speaks to on his campaign website are a restoration of ethics in Washington, reduction of the federal deficit, creating more Alaska high school and college graduates, promoting public safety, diversifying the state’s economy and building a natural gas pipeline, while also moving toward green energy.

Sheldon Fisher

Fisher is a Republican and a former executive with Alaska Communications Systems. He is the father of six girls, one boy and a foster daughter. He hopes to go to Washington, D.C., to cut government spending, break “the gridlock that is hampering resource development” and create policies to strengthen families and support children.

Don Young

Young, a Republican, has been something of a force of nature in Alaska, as the state’s only voice in the House of Representatives for nearly 38 years. Young has two daughters and 14 grandchildren.

The “Issues” section of his campaign website lists the following priorities: defending gun rights, fighting for Alaska Natives, fending off radical environmental groups that hope to “turn the entire state into a National Park,” responsibly developing Alaska, providing a healthy national defense, standing up for education in Alaska, securing the nation’s borders, bolstering the state’s infrastructure and supporting veterans and senior citizens.

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

IF YOU GO

What: U.S. House candidates forum

Where: Alaska Club, 1720 E. Parks Hwy., Wasilla

When: Begins at 5:30 p.m.