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Alaska Primary: Seaton Wins HD 31

Shahla Farzan

Because all three candidates were Republicans and there were no Democrats running, everything was decided in the primary.

Paul Seaton, who has served as the District 31 Representative for 14 years, took 46 percent of the vote.

Homer Mayor Mary “Beth” Wythe and local businessman John Cox split the remaining vote, ruling out any challenge to Seaton. Cox received 28 percent, while 24 percent of voters cast their ballots for Wythe.

John Cox said that perhaps his bid for district representative simply wasn’t meant to be.

“We gave it the best we got. If the results come in and they’re not what we wanted them to be, I guess it was just God’s will for me to take another path,” said Cox.

But Wythe said she expected a stronger turnout from voters dissatisfied with Representative Seaton.

“Mr. Seaton is a long-term incumbent, but I felt like more people were interested in seeing something change in Juneau. Apparently they’re not,” said Wythe.

The mood at Seaton’s viewing party was jovial late Tuesday evening as supporters watched the election results come in.

As the last few precincts reported their results, Seaton said voters had shown strong support for his plans to address the state budget crisis.

“I think what spoke most to them was the reality that if we have an over three billion dollar deficit and we’re going to run out of our state savings account within one year if we did another budget like this, that we have to address it,” said Seaton.

He says he believes he won in part because of his challengers’ negative campaign tactics.  

“It was the most negative campaign I’ve ever seen on the lower peninsula and I think a lot of the people were disturbed by some of the very unfounded charges that were made,” said Seaton.

Seaton’s referring to pro-life campaign materials portraying him as a threat to women and babies.

“The latest flyer had a woman laying on the ground and somebody with a knife approaching her and calling me wanting to leave them defenseless. That and the other right to life ones that are saying I’m a baby’s worst nightmare. Those were just total over the top kind of things for a campaign,” said Seaton.

Moving forward, Seaton says that addressing the state’s fiscal challenges remains his main goal.

"The biggest priority is a long term fiscal solution for Alaska, so we can fund our state and the services that the people want to have,” said Seaton.