Kevin Meyer, the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor and Mike Dunleavy’s running mate, visited Sitka on Alaska Day and participated in the annual parade. (Photo by Enrique Pérez de la Rosa)
Kevin Meyer, the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, visited Sitka on Thursday to commemorate Alaska Day and participate in the annual parade. Although the news about Governor Walker’s withdrawal from his election bid had yet to break, Meyer was relatively silent on the equally-surprising resignation of Lt. Governor Byron Mallott two days prior.
“I think that’s their issue to deal with,” he told Sitka journalists at a press conference at the Westmark hotel.
Meyer, instead, preferred to stay on his talking points, and his legislative history. He has focused his campaign for Lieutenant Governor on issues like crime and the Alaskan economy. And he and his running mate, Republican Mike Dunleavy, plan to keep in that way.
“So we’re not commenting on that,” he said. “We’re staying focused on our campaign. Frankly I don’t know enough about the circumstances and what happened there to comment on it.”
What Meyer does feel prepared to comment on is the economy. After decades working for oil and gas companies like ARCO and ConocoPhillips, Meyer says he feels prepared to grow the Alaskan economy. And with rising oil prices, he says he’s hopeful.
“I see that as being my job,” Meyer said. “Help grow the economy. Help grow the state. Help create more jobs.”
His vision for growing the economy has been controversial in the past. In 2013, he voted with the Senate majority to pass Senate Bill 21 which restructured the Alaskan tax code for oil companies and reduced their tax burden. But Meyer says that as Lieutenant Governor he would work to diversify the state’s economy.
“And to look for new businesses to come to Alaska,” he said. “And again, some of the businesses are already here, we just need to help them grow.”
Meyer also has 26 years of experience serving in local government and the legislature, at one point as Senate President under Bill Walker’s tenure as governor. But he says after a certain point, he had little desire to run for office again. There was too much dysfunction in the legislature to get any work done. But blames the political gridlock on Governor Walker’s lack of experience as a legislator.
“It dawned on me then what needed to change was we needed a change in the executive branch, “Meyer said. “We needed some folks up there who knew how to govern and how to be leaders and how to work with the legislators.”
After Governor Walker stepped away from the election on Friday, it’s clear there will be a change in the executive branch.
