Obama campaign to open local office

PALMER — The Barack Obama presidential campaign will open an office in the Mat-Su Valley in the coming weeks, an Obama campaign representative said Thursday.

The office will bring the national race for president to the local level in the Valley.

“They’re definitely making an investment in the Valley,” said Mat-Su Democrats Chair Kevin Brown. “They realize the Valley is the heart of Alaska.”

Brown said the Obama campaign will set up shop in the Hillstrom Building on E. Fireweed Avenue in Palmer, though an official announcement of an address hasn't been made.

The campaign’s regional field director for the Mat-Su Valley, Andalynn Burgess, confirmed an office will open in the Valley, but said the campaign is holding off on an official announcement until a communications director arrives locally.

“There definitely will be an office in the Valley,” Burgess said. “We are hoping it will be in the next week and a half or so.”

Obama recently became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, making history as the first black candidate from a large political party to do so.

As of this week, there has been no mention of a local John McCain campaign office. The senator from Arizona is the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

A call to the Mat-Su Republican Women’s club inquiring if members had heard of a McCain office was not returned by press time.

Burgess said once the communications director is in the Valley, the campaign will have more information to release along with an address.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.