Alaska: Race Changes

​Businessman Scott Hawkins, chairman of the BIPAC Board of Directors, has decided to end his gubernatorial campaign despite being a major candidate for the Republican nomination because the race has so drastically changed in the past month.  In addition to former US Sen. Mark Begich entering the Democratic primary just before the candidate filing deadline expired, the emergence of former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell as a Republican candidate altered the GOP picture. 
 
On the Democratic side, ex-Gov. Tony Knowles (D) publicly endorsed former Sen. Begich.  This move isn’t particularly surprising, but Mr. Knowles attack on Gov. Bill Walker (I), for what the former state chief executive claimed is a poor handling of the state’s economy, is eye opening.  Gov. Walker has been much more friendly to the Democrats than Republicans and even was prepared to enter the Democratic primary before ex-Sen. Begich entered the race.  Additionally, the Alaska Survey Research poll, as reported here last week, placed Walker as running behind both Republican former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy and Mr. Begich. 
 
The latest developments suggest Gov. Walker is in deep trouble for re-election and could even finish in third place come November.