Valley voters send message: 'We like what we've got'

Frontiersman editorial board

Mat-Su voters turned out on Tuesday and affirmed that their community remains committed to conservative candidates, and to the Republican party. In yet another clean sweep, incumbents Lyda Green, Carl Gatto, Vic Kohring and Bill Stoltze convincingly retained their seats, and newcomer Mark Neuman held Bev Masek's seat for Republicans as well.

Following on the heels of the emotional coal-bed methane battle and the recall effort aimed at Sen. Scott Ogan, there was much conjecture that the political climate in the Valley was changing. Sunday's Frontiersman examined that topic and found that non-Republicans were feeling confident that change was afoot. Republicans brushed that notion aside, saying that conservative values and commitment to individual candidates would carry the day for the GOP yet again. Valley voters agreed.

Congratulations to all the winning candidates. This was a challenging election cycle that saw many campaigns become venomous. The incumbents took a lot of hits, but they endured. Neuman faced two difficult challengers but held his ground. In the end, Mat-Su voters sent the message that they're generally pleased with the representation they've received, and that they're confident the Republican message is the right one for this community.

Many politicians claim a mandate, even with the slimmest of victories, but the notion of mandate seems more tangible and plausible here in the Mat-Su. Republicans, and in most cases the same Republicans, have dominated the political scene here for the past 10 years. Though Bev Masek may have worn out her welcome in her district, it obviously wasn't a philosophical rift. The GOP selected a candidate for that district, and the voters welcomed him.

We'd also like to thank the challengers for presenting the Valley with a spirited campaign season and for opening the dialogue on subjects that might not otherwise have seen the light of day. The strength of the democratic process is in civil discourse that values the minority voice as highly as it does the majority. While the Valley's Republican team received confirmation of its support, its members also have some new ideas and perspectives to take back to Juneau. Again, we congratulate them and the Valley voters for their strong involvement in the process.