2008 General Elections Results
This section provides a re-cap of the results of the 2008 general elections. Learn how endorsed candidates did in their races as well as the political lay of the land from a conservation standpoint.
Let’s start out with three simple words to summarize Alaska Conservation Voters' election report, “Yes we did.”
Across Alaska, voters elected conservation candidates with a vision for clean energy, energy efficiency and a strong, diverse economy. All in all, 23 of Voters' 26 endorsed candidates were elected (an 88% success rate!) and while we’re disappointed about the three we missed, there are too many exciting opportunities coming up to look back for long.
For the 2008 elections, Voters used a assorted grab bag of tools to educate voters and help our candidates win. Armed with a meager budget, our paid and volunteer canvassers communicated both face-to-face and over the phone with nearly 16,000 voters in multiple cities and towns about conservation issues and candidates;
- We used targeted mail,
- Voter guides and
- Pointed radio ads to communicate with thousands more.
Voters' sister organization, Alaska Conservation Alliance, also did a great non-partisan Get-Out-the-Vote ad which aired on stations across Alaska.
The results speak for themselves. Voters endorsed candidates include Senators and Representatives, incumbents and newcomers, from both sides of the aisle. Conservation values are non-partisan and we’re proud to have supported (to name only a few!) candidates like
- Rep. Bob Buch (D, Anchorage)
- Senator Joe Paskvan (D, Fairbanks)
- Senator Kevin Meyer (R, Anchorage)
- Rep. Bob Herron (D, Bethel)
- Rep. Paul Seaton (R, Homer)
- Rep. Beth Kerttula (D, Juneau)
While we’re getting closer to a conservation majority in the legislature, we’re not there yet. Fortunately, economic and environmental realities are on our side and the lasting benefits of passing pro-conservation legislation are become too hard to ignore.
Finally, in an era of historical election firsts, Voters would like to add one more ‘first’ to the list, and that’s the election of Mark Begich to the U.S. Senate. Senator Begich, formerly mayor of Anchorage, has been a long time supporter of conservation initiatives including reducing green house gas emissions and clean energy development.
For the first time in Voters’ history, we endorsed a U.S. Congressional candidate and coupled proven grassroots outreach, like talking to voters one-on-one, with new tactics, like producing and airing T.V. ads, to help put Senator Begich over the top.
A first for us, but we certainly hope it’s not a last. So as we move from the work of electing pro-conservation candidates into the real work of creating and enacting an allied energy and economic vision for our future, Alaska Conservation Voters will adopt a new three letter motto, “Yes we can.”
