Gov. Bill Walker said he hasn’t made plans to actively campaign for Mark Begich to succeed him.
“At this point, we’ve just gotten through the announcement,” Walker said. “And I really haven’t. That really wasn’t part of any discussion or understanding.”
Walker also said he’s going to take some time off after he finishes his term on Dec. 1.
Walker endorsed Democrat Mark Begich over Republican Mike Dunleavy and Libertarian Billy Toien. The latest polling figures by Alaska Survey Research said having Walker actively campaign for Begich wouldn’t help the Democrat.
In any event, Walker said that last week was challenging on a personal level. That includes the decision to end his campaign.
“Sometimes you find out who you are in your darkest hours,” Walker said. “And that was the dark hour. That was a decision was made literally an hour before I walked across the street to make the announcement. The final decision was made then. And it really was without any thought about, you know, what’s Bill Walker going to do after this? That’s inconsequential in comparison to what’s Alaska, you know, what’s Alaska going to look like over the next four years?”
Neither former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott nor Walker have provided much information about what Mallott said that caused him to resign on Oct. 16. Walker said he won’t say more without permission from the woman who was the recipient of what Walker has described as inappropriate remarks from Mallott.
“Not without her blessing,” he said. “But I can say this: I’m not aware of any other instance. All the allegations that are being sort of made up by some that are more than happy to make things up are all inaccurate and wrong. It was a one-time situation (that) I’m aware of — it was very recent. It was an adult. … Once we learned of it, it was resolved within I think about 16 hours.”
Walker said his administration has been transparent.
Not everyone agrees, including Alaska Republican Party chairman Tuckerman Babcock.
“I’m appalled that the lieutenant governor of the state of Alaska resigns from office and abandons a campaign three weeks before an election and … the only information that’s shared with the public is that he said something inappropriate to someone,” he said.
Republicans also have questioned how Walker will spend his remaining campaign funds.
Walker said he’ll largely use the money to pay outstanding campaign-related bills. He estimated the campaign spent 90 percent of what it raised.
“You don’t want to end up on Election Day with a bunch of money in the bank, so there won’t be a big sum of money at the end, I’m sure,” he said.
Walker’s name will remain on the ballot, because he ended his campaign after the deadline to withdraw. But he doesn’t expect many Alaskans to vote for him.
“I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Walker said of people voting for him. “I think we’ve done a good job of getting the word out. We didn’t just do a … a press release on a Friday and call it good. You know, we were very open and public about what we’ve done and why we did it. And I think people understand that.”
Walker may be wrong about that. The Alaska Survey Research poll found 5 percent of voters said they’ll vote for him, even after being informed that he ended his campaign and endorsed Begich.
Walker said he hasn’t focused on what comes next for him.
“I need to cut some lumber, make some sawdust and, you know, go through sort of that process,” he said. “For me, that’s therapeutic for me to actually build things and I’d love to build another cabin. And, you know, just kind of get out … away from all the phones and the … pressures that go with this position and give some thought. And I will always do something that’s going to be helpful to Alaska.
Walker said his administration will continue to work on major projects like the gas pipeline for the five weeks it has remaining.
Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
