Joe Miller Endorses Christopher Kurka in Contested District 7 Valley House Race

Former Republican US Senate Nominee Joe Miller has decided to jump into the District 7 State House race with both feet, endorsing Christopher Kurka as the clear conservative choice for Wasilla.

In January, Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard announced that she would not seek re-election to the Alaska State House seat in District 7, clearing the way for an open primary.

While three candidates have filed to replace Sullivan-Leonard, according to his Facebook page, Robert Yundt II has withdrawn from the race in favor of former Representative Lynn Gattis. His stated rationale was that he feared he and Gattis would “split the moderate vote and hand Kurka the victory.” Gattis, who liked the post, presumably agrees with his assessment.

This sets up a head-to-head primary race in District 7 between proven conservative and former Alaska Right to Life Executive Director Christopher Kurka and former Representative Lynn Gattis.

Christopher Kurka is a husband, father of four, businessman, and long-time political activist, serving multiple stints on the Alaska Republican Party’s State Central Committee, both as a Bonus vote and as a District Chair. He also served as Vice President of Alaska Right to Life, and subsequently as Executive Director of Alaska’s largest advocacy group dedicated solely to the Constitutional Right to Life. In addition to his duties as Executive Director, Kurka also ran the Alaska Right to Life Political Action Committees, and has volunteered on numerous candidate campaigns for both State and Federal office. Christopher and his wife Haylee met volunteering on Joe Miller’s 2010 US Senate campaign.

Kurka is promising to take on the State spending issue, advocate for a full PFD, oppose the binding caucus, vote against a State income tax, and stand up for conservative Wasilla values.

His opponent, Lynn Gattis, is a long-time politico in the Valley, serving in various capacities with the District and State Republican Parties, on the Mat-Su School Board, as State Representative, and as staff for the Democrat-controlled House Majority. For conservatives, her time in the State House was at best unremarkable, and at worst problematic. Having voted for some of the largest budgets in State history, and for the infamous SB 91 jailbreak, it would be easy to see her as part of the problem.

In the comment section of the aforementioned Yundt Facebook post, State Senator Mike Shower, who represents much of the mat-su in the State Senate noted: “Lynn is part of the system that got us here.” He went on to call for “new ideas and new people” to bring about “real change.”

Joe Miller’s full statement on the race is as follows:

“If you’re like me, you’re sick and tired of the games being played in Juneau. Conventional politicians tell you what you want to hear at election time, but when it’s time to gavel in they do what they’re told. What we need above all else right now are leaders who are willing to stand up to the Big Government Special Interests and deliver for the citizens they represent. Christopher Kurka is a proven conservative who has not just talked the talk, but has also walked the walk. He has invested years in conservative advocacy, fighting to reform the Alaska Republican Party, to elect conservative candidates, and to defend the weakest and most vulnerable among us as Executive Director of Alaska Right to Life. If you’re worried about the size and scope of government, runaway State budgets, the future of the PFD, proposed State taxes, the Right to Life, the 2nd Amendment, parental rights, private property rights, election integrity and a host of other important issues facing our state – I urge you to vote for a proven conservative. Don’t believe what the politicians say, believe what they do. Christopher Kurka is definitively the right choice for Wasilla District 7 conservatives looking for principled leadership in the Alaska Legislature.”

Christopher Kurka is a known champion of the Constitutional Right to Life, the 2nd Amendment, the Right to Work, parental rights, and private property rights.

The State House District 7 race seems pretty clear cut from the perspective of Restoring Liberty: a long-time Establishment politico versus a proven conservative challenger. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is, well, less than rational. We vote for change, and so should you. Juneau needs a wake-up call. Vote Christopher Kurka in the Alaska Republican Primary on August 18th.

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