Thirty-year Navy veteran and small business owner John Cox is one of two candidates trying to unseat longtime House District 31 Rep. Paul Seaton. The Anchor Point resident says although he’s new to politics, his perspective is just what Juneau needs right now.
This is not John Cox’s first foray into politics. The 58-year-old Navy veteran who goes by the nickname, “Bear,” which appears on his campaign signs, is a resident of Anchor Point. He ran against Rep. Don Young in the Republican Party primary in 2012 and 2014 and now he’s after the seat currently held by Paul Seaton in District 31. Cox says his military experience has prepared him to work in the legislature.
“I have been a public servant for the last 30 years, I was in the Navy — you know I served this country for 30 years. And anybody who has been in the military knows that after about four years in the service it all becomes politics,” said Cox.
Cox completed high school in Anchorage and is fond of claiming his alma mater, Bartlett High School, where he graduated in 1976, and then joined the U.S. Navy. After 30 years, Cox retired, returning to Alaska in 2006. He says he’s running because he does not agree with raising taxes and is unhappy with what is happening in Juneau.
“We have to make some changes now here, to Juneau. They’re going to take — well, you can see right now, they want to take half your PFD. They want to implement a 15 percent income tax,” said Cox.
Cox has said that he would cut oil and gas tax credits to help close the approximately $4 billion budget gap. He also has some other ideas about how the state could save money. One is to cut education boards, another is to have the Legislature meet every other year instead of annually. And Cox says the state should get into new businesses to generate more income, including gambling.
“How would you like at the end of the night when you finish your fishing trip at the end of the day to go to a place like the Land’s End and play a little roulette or blackjack or something like that? Okay, maybe the casino environment is not the right way to go. Let’s bring Powerball to the state of Alaska,” said Cox.
Cox says he believes his values are in line with residents in District 31. He recently stated at a public candidate forum that he does not believe in global warming. He also said he believes that life begins at conception. In addition, he said he would vote for legislation to defund Planned Parenthood. He also stated his support for the state’s nascent marijuana industry. The best thing going for him, Cox says, is that he is not a political insider.
“That’s one of the items that I bring to Juneau is a new perspective,” said Cox.
For more information on Cox, visit his Facebook page. The Alaska primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 16.
