Hallelujah! Anchorage has a new Democratic mayor
after one of the dirtiest and most bizarre campaigns ever. Woo-hoo, I can sleep easy tonight, and I am so proud of my city.
http://www.adn.com/article/20150505/berkowitz-headed-victory-over-demboski-runoff-race-mayor
Ethan Berkowitz headed to victory with a big lead over opponent Amy Demboski in the Anchorage mayoral runoff election Tuesday night.
With 93 percent of the vote counted, Berkowitz had nearly 60 percent of the vote to Demboski’s 41 percent, a margin that was insurmountable. Berkowitz had held a commanding lead over Demboski throughout the counting Tuesday night.
As his margin over Demboski held strong, Berkowitz stood on a chair at his campaign party in a downtown restaurant to wild applause and waving signs. He asked his supporters to continue to help after the night’s celebration to work on unifying Anchorage and to show people that the divisiveness that marked the final days of the campaign shouldn't be the way of the future.
“There is a better way,” Berkowitz said. “It doesn’t matter if you're a Republican, a Democrat, a libertarian, an independent or you don’t even vote. This is our Anchorage!”
As the applause and screams almost drowned him out, he continued, “It doesn't matter if you’re a Muslim, a Jew, a Christian, a Buddhist or something else. This is our Anchorage! It doesn’t matter if you’re straight or gay or lesbian or transgender!”
<snip>
For some background:
http://www.adn.com/article/20150504/recording-emerges-berkowitzs-talk-show-remarks-and-halcro-offers-endorsement
(Yes, Ethan Berkowitz was accused of favoring father-son marriage. You can't make this shit up.)
It's illuminating to read the earlier articles, as well.
And for the other side:
http://www.themudflats.net/archives/45954
This past Sunday our resident homophobic pastor, Jerry Prevo, did this:
A few hours earlier at the Anchorage Baptist Temple, pastor Jerry Prevo played to his congregation a radio interview where KFQD talk radio host Bernadette Wilson said she heard Berkowitz, her co-host at the time, say he supported marriage between a father and a son. Ushers also handed out copies of Wilson’s op-ed column published online Saturday night at Alaska Dispatch News.
Prevo told his congregation that Wilson’s op-ed proved he was correct. But Berkowitz refuted the claims Saturday and responded Sunday with his own op-ed in Alaska Dispatch News.
http://www.adn.com/article/20150503/few-revelations-final-debate-anchorage-mayoral-election
Gotta love that tax-exempt separation of church and state, right?
= new reply since forum marked as read
our side came out on top of that 60/40 split. I can't tell you how many of my candidates have lost over the years by exactly that split. Maybe there's hope for Anchorage and Alaska after all. 
It's about time we got some good news! 
Our recently elected congressperson here in NY-21 is a Paul Ryan protégé... 
. .. . . and in the end wouldn't even allow a photographer or reporter to her election night funeral.
Poor, oppressed Amy Demboski.
one of his spots accused his opponent of enjoying carnal knowledge of his own barnyard sows.
LBJ: "Christ! We can't get away with calling him a pigfucker!"
Communications guy: "I know. But let's make the son of a bitch deny it!"
