OPINION: Keep officials accountable to Alaskans, not party insiders

Thanks to a 2020 ballot measure, Alaska’s nonpartisan election system protects every Alaskan’s right to vote for their chosen candidate at every election, regardless of party affiliation. This change was supported by the vast majority of voters in rural Alaska, where our values and personal accountability are more important than party politics. Sadly, party insiders want to take this nonpartisan system away with Ballot Measure 2.

Many years ago, these same party insiders closed the primaries. I remember being given a ballot that didn’t list all of the candidates I wanted to vote for. I was shocked that my ballot was being chosen for me by people I didn’t even know. It was disappointing, confusing and unfair to so many Alaskans who wanted to support candidates across party lines but couldn’t. We cannot afford to go back to such a system, because it doesn’t reflect our values as Alaskans. We decide; parties do not.

Today our open primary system recognizes that every Alaskan should be able to vote for whomever we want, whether you and your preferred candidates are in the same party or not. Open primaries also resulted in a more diverse candidate pool, providing more opportunities for Alaska Native people and other underrepresented communities to run for office. In the 2022 elections, Alaskans elected representatives that reflected us and our values — not the narrower views of party insiders. We deserve to have elected leaders who reflect who we are as Alaskans.

Open primaries also keep elected officials accountable to their voters. Rather than seeking to please party leadership, public officials are evaluated by what they do for Alaska, and for our communities. That’s a good thing, and we can’t afford to lose that focus on what’s good for Alaska.

I believe Alaskans care more about each other than we do about national party politics. I believe every Alaskan should have the right to vote for the candidate that best reflects our values, regardless of party. Let’s protect that right. Please join me in voting NO on Ballot Measure 2.

Valerie Nurr’araluk Davidson is Yup’ik, born and raised in Bethel, Aniak and Salcha. She previously served as the lieutenant governor of Alaska and commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. She previously served as president of Alaska Pacific University and spent 20 years working in the Alaska Tribal Health System.

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