The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the latest Outside group to launch campaign ads in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race. The national business lobby has a 30-second video spot running this week that hits Sen. Mark Begich and supports one of his Republican challengers, former Attorney General Dan Sullivan.
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce President Andrew Halcro immediately issued a statement to say the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a separate organization.
“We just wanted to notify our members that these ads, which are identified as produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have no affiliation with the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce,” Halcro said.
Likewise, the Alaska Chamber of Commerce says it doesn’t endorse federal candidates. The Alaska Chamber, though, IS a member of the U.S. Chamber. President Rachael Petro says the U.S. group notified her of the ad but says the Alaska Chamber had no input.
“We just have no opinion on this topic and we have nothing to do with those ads,” Petro said.
The ad includes footage of a sunrise or sunset that appears to be shot in Alaska, although, oddly, the speeded-up video shows a sun moving the wrong way through sky –from the right side of the frame to the left.
Sullivan’s older brother, Frank Sullivan, who runs the Ohio company that makes Rust-Oleum and other coatings, sits on the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber.
Watch the video here.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
