A Homer man was introduced Monday night as the running mate to Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Kurka of Wasilla. The state house representative selected Paul Hueper, a Homer B&B owner, who made the news last year when the FBI raided his home in the wake of the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capital in 2021.
In his announcement, streamed live by The Alaska Landmine blog, Kurka heaped praise on his new running mate.
“Paul’s passion about election integrity and our campaign's vision for Alaska. Paul and his wife Marilyn Hueper are the parents of three daughters that they've raised in Homer, Alaska, and are successful business owners," Kurka said. "As I've gotten to know Paul, the more we Fellowship, the more we talk, the more I'm convinced we made the most incredible decision, the most incredible choice, and I’m very excited that Paul is our candidate for Lt. Governor.”
Hueper praised Kurka's faith, and said that would serve them well in the campaign and in running the state.
“I am honored, absolutely honored to have been asked to to run alongside of Christopher. And as I get to know him, he's an amazing guy. Amazing. Dude, you've got a deep well, deep, deep well, and that's what it's going to take to restore Alaska to where it should be and beyond," Hueper said. "Leadership with deep wells that are not afraid to say the hard things, to do the hard things, to spend political capital. We need to spend political Capital with truth. And I'm a big believer when you spend that political capital, God is right there to restore those bank accounts right behind us. We just have to be faithful to Him.”
Hueper said Alaska has changed a lot since he moved here in the late ‘90s and it needs to be fixed.
“We look around and we see the the state in shambles relative to where it was when I moved here 23 years ago," he said. "Whoever thought they would have stole the dividend from us? (Put) these kind of mandates upon us? That they would rule us with an iron fist and treat us like peons? Inexcusable.”
Hueper addressed the FBI raid on his home and B&B business last April. His wife, Marilyn, was mistaken for a woman the authorities suspect broke into the Speaker of the House’s office on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We were already in Scottsdale enjoying some sunshine. So I'm just going to be honest with you, OK? And then she looks it up online and goes, ‘We can get to DC for $39.’ So it wasn't like we planned this DC thing out way in advance, but we decided to go. Felt the call of God, so we went. And we had no idea what we were in for," Hueper said, adding, "No, we did not go inside the Capitol building and no she did not steal Nancy Pelosi's laptop.”
The Kurka/Hueper ticket joins a crowded open primary to be held in August. Among the candidates are Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy seeking re-election, former Gov. Bill Walker running again as an Independent, Rep. Les Gara seeking the office as a Democrat. Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce has also announced his intent to run, but has not named a running mate.