FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson) 

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

Gov. Candidate Rep. Chenault Visits

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

Candidate for governor Mike Chenault says his leadership skills and experience in the Legislature will help lead the state out of the present economic downturn.

“It’s about the economy,” the legislator said in an interview with the Sentinel. “It’s about how do we get Alaska moving forward? We’ve been in a recession for a number of years now. ... I think I have the experience to offer that the others don’t. I have experience not only in the private business sector but in the public sector working in the Legislature, being able to work with the administration, and being able to get things accomplished.”

Republican candidate for governor Mike Chenault, center chats with Sitkans at the Bayview Pub recently. (Sentinel Photo)

On a brief campaign swing through Sitka Thursday, he met with City Administrator Keith Brady, attended the Chamber of Commerce meeting and had a meet and greet event at the Bayview Pub.

In the state primary Aug. 21, he will be running for the Republican nomination against Mike Dunleavy, Thomas Gordon, Gerald Heikes, Merica Hlatcu and Michael Sheldon. The filing deadline is June 1. So far, no one has filed to run as a Democrat, and Gov. Bill Walker, concluding his first term, is running again as an independent.

Chenault, a Republican from the Kenai Peninsula, has served almost 18 years in state House of Representatives, including four as finance committee co-chair and eight as House Speaker. He is currently in the minority, after a Democratic coalition took control of the House after the 2016 election.

Chenault said he was in Sitka to get to know the community and region, but said already he knows that Sitka, like other communities in Alaska, would be helped by a stronger economy.

“Jobs are the best thing we can provide for Alaska, in any city, any village across the state,” he said. “If (people are) working, there’s less drug abuse, there’s less social programs needed to support that.”

Chenault said he is most concerned about the economy of the state, and believes jobs and resource development are the way out.

“How do we address resource issues?” he said. “That’s how we get out of the quagmire we’re in. We’re a resource state, and we need to develop our resources to provide government for the citizens of Alaska.”

He said the election of President Trump is providing Alaska with opportunities for development that aren’t being realized under the current leadership.

“I think I would be able to work with him better to provide opportunities to put Alaskans back to work; and grow the revenue in our state, versus taxes or any other revenue stream,” Chenault said.

Chenault, as the longest-serving House Speaker, said his work in Juneau is giving him a familiarity with people from all over the state, and experience working with lawmakers in the House and Senate. He said Walker’s lack of legislative experience has shown the past four years.

“I think the state of Alaska is lacking leadership,” he said. “The ability of the current governor to negotiate with both bodies of the House and Senate is one of the big problems. In order to get an agenda passed, you have to be able to work with the folks who are elected by citizens across the state. And I think I have that ability to do exactly that.”

He said he has built relationships in the Legislature, and has the ability to work with anyone, regardless of political party.

“We may not agree, but at least we can have that conversation,” Chenault said.

Chenault was born in Hobbs, N.M., and came to the state at age 10 when his family settled in Kenai to run an oilfield service company.

“I was part of that,” he said. The company for 35 years provided personnel and equipment for the oil and chemical industries; Chenault has lived in Kenai for about 50 years.

Chenault served as vice president of Qwick Construction Company before he became involved in politics: “Why, I don’t know, but I did,” he joked.

He was first elected in 2000 and has served continuously since then. He currently represents District 29, covering Kenai, and the area from Nikiski to Seward.

He said he has a reputation for getting things done, and was frustrated by the lack of progress following the 211-day session in 2017.

“We were fighting an administration that wanted to implement a tax and didn’t have the ability to get it passed,” Chenault said.

When asked about his work on education, Chenault said years ago he worked on a cost differential bill to make education funding more equitable in communities where costs are higher. But he said there are more problems to solve.

“We’ve got to determine what we want to see in our school districts,” he said, “because more money isn’t simply the answer. We’ve got higher costs, falling test scores. We’ve got to figure out why we have falling test scores, and try to address it that way.” 

He said if there are state requirements currently in place that are holding districts back or wasting money, he wants to hear about that too. 

“Maybe we can get rid of them, and be able to put more money in the classrooms and education, through savings,” Chenault said.

Asked how the oil tax structure could better benefit the state, he said predictability is key, particularly in the face of competition from other, cheaper places to do business.

“We need to quit changing them, we need to be consistent,” Chenault said. “Not to say we don’t need to look at them. But we don’t need to change oil taxes every year, or every two years just to try to get more. We get more by more oil development. The more oil we develop, and the more oil we put in the pipeline, the better the revenue is for the state of Alaska.”

 

 

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....

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