Mixed bag for Valley Dems: Obama wins, locals fall

PALMER — At the headquarters for Mat-Su Democrats Tuesday, there was none of the pomp, circumstance or robot costumes of the Republicans’ shindig at the Multi-Use Sports Complex in Wasilla, but the mood, at least initially, was more ecstatic.

Their candidate, Barack Obama, had taken the presidency.

“It’s a historic moment for the country,” said David Cheezem, democratic candidate for Alaska state House District 13.

“It’s amazing,” said Erick Cordero, who was running for state Senate District G against Republican Linda Menard. “I think it’s a statement nationally that we tried something, it didn’t work.”

For local candidates vying for state legislative positions, the results were not so cheerful, as Republicans seemed on their way to sweeping those races.

Kevin Brown, head of the Mat-Su Democrats, said he made the announcement about Obama’s win to staffers in the room, but with Alaska polls closing at 8 p.m. there was still work to be done.

“Everyone cheered and I said, ‘Now get back to work,’” Brown said.

And they did, he said, with the exception of a short delay from one elated staffer who paused while taking an incoming call.

“’I can’t take this call right now,’” Brown recalls the staffer saying. “’Because I can’t be crying on the phone.”

Cheezem agreed with Brown’s assessment about the feeling in the room and summed up what an Obama presidency means for America.

“I’ll be 51 this month. I was alive in Florida at a very young age to see ‘white only’ restrooms,” he said. “Regardless of your politics, the fact that something so seemingly permanent, so seemingly tangible and real could be dissolved in that amount of time is a great thing.”

Shortly after 8 p.m., the room quieted as the crowd watched Obama’s victory speech. Even the young children in the room cheered at the most powerful lines.

Brown said there were four races on his wish-list. Democratic victories in the races for the presidency, Ted Stevens’ U.S. Senate seat, Don Young’s U.S. House of Representatives seat and Carl Gatto’s state house seat would make him a very happy man.

But as of press time late Tuesday the numbers didn’t look good for the other three items on Brown’s wish list.

Cheezem, for one, with all precincts reporting, had 1,991 votes to Gatto’s 5,178. But, Cheezem said by phone from headquarters, the mood hadn’t changed.

“I think we’re kind of on pins and needles. The Democrats were pushing early voting, and so we don’t know what these numbers mean at this point,” he said. “People are happy, there’s a vigil here and we’re just keeping an open mind and going to see what happens.”