Anchorage education advocate Alyse Galvin has filed to take another run at Alaska Congressman Don Young in 2020.
This time, she says, she’ll travel more.
“We’re going to run a longer, more strategic campaign that does a better job connecting with all Alaskan voters,” Galvin said. “It’s a pretty big state.”
Galvin is an independent. She’ll run in the Democratic primary, as she did in 2018. In the general election that year, she took 46% of the vote, losing to Young who won with 53%.
Next year, President Trump will be on the ballot. Galvin says she thinks this will boost turnout.
“I think Alaskans and Americans, really, are looking for higher ideals and behavior in their elected officials,” she said. “So this gives me an opportunity to shine.”
Galvin has been a leader in Great Alaska Schools, lobbying the Alaska Legislature to better fund public schools. She’s never held elected office.
Young filed for re-election last month. He’s been in Congress since 1973 and is the most senior member of the House.
Three of the Democrats he beat tried again in the next election: Pegge Begich in the 1980s, John Devens in the 1990s and Clifford Mark Greene in the 2000s. None gained a significantly greater share of the vote the second time around.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
