Two candidates for an open South Anchorage state House district said Friday that they were dropping out of the race and endorsing opposing candidates.
The primary race for the seat, which is open due to the retirement of Republican Rep. Laddie Shaw, featured one nonpartisan candidate and three Republicans. Under Alaska’s top-four primary, all four could have advanced to the general election, but the third- and fourth-place finishers announced they would drop out and endorse dueling candidates.
Ky Holland, a nonpartisan candidate who came in first in the primary with nearly 42% of the vote, received the endorsement of Republican Lee Ellis, who finished in third with 19% of the vote.
Top Republican finisher Lucy Bauer had nearly 21% of the vote. She was endorsed by fourth-place finisher Brandy Pennington, who had 18% of the vote.
The district saw one of the highest primary turnout rates in the state, with 29% of registered voters casting their ballots, compared to the statewide rate of 18%.
In a letter to voters, Ellis said that he feels “the pathway to victory is far too narrow to continue” running for office. Ellis went on to say that Holland “is the only candidate dedicated to and capable of addressing the most pressing issues facing Alaska today.”
“While Ky and I may differ in our ideas of how to best address the current challenges we face, Ky is the only other candidate with a strong grasp of these issues,” Ellis wrote.
In an interview, Ellis said the decision to withdraw was “data driven.”
“I knew from the start that three Republicans in the race was going to make it very difficult for any one of those individuals to be successful,” he said.
He said that while Bauer, the remaining Republican in the race, “is a great person,” he didn’t have “a firm grasp on exactly what her policy positions are.” He said that Holland’s experience is what led to his decide to endorse him.
Holland, whose background is in supporting entrepreneurs and startups in Alaska, has served on his local community council but said he had not decided to enter politics until Gov. Mike Dunleavy last year vetoed a bill that would have permanently increased education funding for the first time in years — a veto Holland opposed.
Holland said that he intends to seek support from Republicans, independents and Democrats. In an interview, he said that Ellis’ endorsement paved a path for him to win in a head-to-head race against Bauer.
“If you look at the results that Lee and I got together, to me, there’s an overwhelming majority of folks that were supporting that positive message about our education system, our economy, our need for energy and infrastructure,” said Holland.
Both Bauer and Pennington declined interview requests and did not immediately respond to questions sent in writing.
In a letter to her supporters, Pennington said she “will be whole heartedly supporting Lucy Bauer,” adding that she respects Bauer’s “approachable demeanor, her down-to-earth perspective, and work ethic.” Pennington said she planned to work for Bauer in Juneau if Bauer is elected.
Both Bauer and Holland are first-time candidates in Alaska. Bauer is the owner of assisted living facilities in Anchorage and has touted an endorsement from Dunleavy. In 2022, Bauer donated more than $33,000 to Dunleavy’s reelection campaign, making her one of his biggest supporters.
Bauer began making massive political campaign contributions in 2022. All told, Bauer spent close to $200,000 in a two-year span supporting mostly Republican political candidates and causes, including the reelection campaign of former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and the U.S. House campaign of Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who announced last week that she was dropping out of the race.
Bauer has given $25,000 to Alaska Policy Partners PAC, a conservative group that has advocated for various causes, including reductions to public spending on education. She has also given more than $10,000 to the Alaska Republican Party since 2022.