U.S. Senate candidate Margaret Stock submitted a pile of signatures to the Division of Elections today to secure a spot on the November ballot.
A spokeswoman for the Anchorage immigration attorney says they collected John Hancocks from more than 5,000 people — nearly double the required number – with the help of paid and volunteer signature-gatherers.
“We did a lot of collecting at fairs,” Stock said, in the lobby of the Division of Elections in Anchorage, “so Golden Days in Fairbanks. We collected a lot at McCarthy over the 4th of July. I have a cabin out there, so I know a lot of folks out there, and we marched in the parade. Haines, we collected lots of signatures. Ketchikan. Metlakatla.”
Stock is running unaffiliated to any party, challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski. So far, Stock is her only opponent with the funds to retain a professional staff and hire consultants. Being an independent is a central theme for Stock.
“At the national level, independents can be the honest powerbrokers between the two parties,” she said.
Murkowski, according to her latest campaign finance reports, has raised more than $6 million. Stock says the fundraising gap doesn’t deter her.
“She has a lot of money, but I’ve also raised a lot of money,” Stock said. “I’ve raised over half a million dollars at this point. I think that makes me competitive.”
Stock submitted her signatures in the Anchorage office of the Elections Division. They’ll be sent to Juneau for verification.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her atlruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Lizhere.
