Representative's home questioned

Over the last several months, Valley resident Gilbert Lucero has watched with interest as his state representative Vic Kohring, R-Wasilla, has scrambled to answer questions about where he lives.

Is it Kohring's property on South Hedvic Court in Wasilla or his parent's home three miles away at East Flag Circle? Or is he planning to join his new wife Tatiana in Portland, Ore. where she winters?

Lucero, former chair of Mat-Su Democrats, filed a complaint last week with the state Division of Elections asserting the campaigning incumbent does not maintain a home or permanent physical presence in his Wasilla district. State law requires a House candidate live in the district for the entire year before filing to run in state legislative races. That means Kohring had to maintain a permanent residence in his district the entire year before the June 1, 2002, filing deadline.

Kohring dismisses the complaint as a "non-issue that's completely bogus" promoted by Democrat opponents who can't fight his political might in the Valley. Lucero is trying to "tarnish my credibility and chink my armor because he can't match me intellectually," Kohring said Friday.

Kohring's residency difficulties stem from the state's newly reapportioned House districts and the Wasilla legislator's November 2001 marriage to a former professional violinist who moved to Portland, Ore. last winter after they wed.

When Kohring first ran for House in 1994, he listed his parent's home on East Flag Circle as his residence. Then in 1996, he purchased his own lot close by on South Hedvic Court and listed this as his official address. Just last spring, Kohring relocated a house to the Hedvic property, planning to make a home for he and his wife.

But in spring 2001 the state's redistricting board drew new lines and suddenly Kohring's home was just outside his House district, putting him in the district of colleague Beverly Masek, R-Willow.

So on May 29, 2001 -- a year and a day before the year-long residency requirement for state representatives kicked in -- he changed his address back to that of his parents. This address, three miles from the Hedvic house, is within the new Wasilla House district. He says he's currently trying to sell the Hedvic property so he can buy a home within the new district.

"Moving back to rent a room from my parents was a defensive move because the governor was trying to cut me out of my district. I showed I wouldn't stand for that and I immediately moved out of my house to remain in the district," Kohring said.

His residency status was muddled further after Kohring's marriage to Tatiana, a violinist who spent last winter in Portland, Ore. with her daughter. Kohring frequently visited her there last winter, commuting from Juneau where he's said he often sleeps on his office sofa during the legislative session. Kohring said his wife plans to continue spending winters in Portland when he's in Juneau for the session.

Lucero read news articles and Kohring's own Web site postings to learn of the legislator's frequent travels and changing addresses.

"I've always heard about his residency being questioned but no one did anything about it," Lucero said. "When he finally decided to run, I decided to challenge his residency."

"We need a representative that will represent the Valley and not Portland, Ore. And we need someone that will have to live by the laws he passes," Lucero continued. "If he's not going to live in the Valley, why would he care about the Valley?"

One former Kohring opponent says this question of where the representative lives is not new.

"It's always been pretty ambiguous where Vic actually lives," said Wasilla attorney Scott Sterling, who ran an unsuccessful challenge against Kohring in the 1996 House election. The Division of Elections may finally get to the bottom of this matter, Sterling said.

This kind of talk frustrates and angers Kohring who says Wasilla has been his home for 26 years.

"My presence in Wasilla has been very, very strong this last year," Kohring said. Circumstances in his personal life haven't changed that and should remain private.

But Lucero maintains his complaint is not politically motivated, particularly since no Democratic candidates are running against Kohring. Kohring's only challenger is Independent candidate Peter Burchell. And although Lucero concedes he may not support Kohring's conservative political ideas, he does appreciate the challenges involved with holding state office.

"I applaud him for wanting to represent the district. It's a tough a job," he said.

Lucero was told by the Division of Elections that personnel would review the complaint and should make any decisions regarding action on it within 30 days from the filing date.