Spouse for Senate!

Spouse is running for Senate. I know, right? It’s been pretty exciting around here I can tell you.

He’s running for State Senate in “District N” a giant and beautiful swath of Alaska that stretches from South Anchorage, down Turnagain Arm to include Girdwood, and Hope, and then over to Seward, and on to Sterling and Nikiski, with all points in between.

Every race is important but, I’m going to tell you why this one is the most important to me.

When Ron was a little kid, living in Anderson in the Territory of Alaska – back in the days when you had to wait for the Nenana River to freeze to be able to drive across it to Fairbanks in the winter, the family would go to visit Santa at the Mall around Christmas time. And after the long line of kids in front of him who asked for a GI Joe, or a dollhouse, or a train set, it was his turn. He asked for socks.

Why? Simple. Because he needed socks. It’s just a small story, but it tells a lot about a person, and what his priorities are. Socks have no ideology. They have no vanity. They are not frivolous. They are practical, and useful, and if you need them, they are the most important thing. Socks are the thing a little boy asks for when he is going to grow up to be a measured  man who thinks about what matters, what is needed, and to be a true genetic fiscal conservative. He took some ribbing from the other kids, but he got his socks.

I’ve had a front row seat to the life of someone who, at various times I’ve called friend, coworker, lab partner, business partner, husband, and father of my kids. He’s that guy that always volunteers, always calms the waters, and to whom everyone always says, “You know? You should run for office.” Everyone knows someone like this. You want them to run for office, and they say, “Never in a million years,” and you think, “Of course. Why are the good ones the ones who don’t want to run?” Well, about ten years ago, Ron stopped saying “Never in a million years,” and started saying, “Maybe some day.” I raised an eyebrow, and asked him what made him interested in jumping into that shark tank. “Well, I like helping people, and community. And I think I have a good temperament for it. I’d do a good job.” I sat there, and couldn’t argue with anything.

Now, I should say that Ron is not running as a Democrat. I laugh when the opponent’s folks say that he’s just a Democrat in disguise, or an angry liberal in independent’s clothing, (or whatever they say) just because he’s married to me.

Trust me, if I couldn’t get him to join the Democratic party in the last 20 years, nothing could, and he’s not a Democrat. Neither is he a Republican, although he used to be. He’s running as a Non-Partisan. The truth is that he takes the best of both worlds, and ends up as something that is truly, and uniquely him – a head with a heart. He thinks about people, and purse strings. And it actually matches up with what most of the people who live in our district think. Kind of like it was meant to be.

He’s managed, in his own inimitable way, to earn the trust and support of Republicans and Democrats that actually have something in common. They like the notion of working together, and reaching solutions to problems. They’re tired of the blue shirts and the red shirts tearing each other apart in some kind of horrible blood sport. They’re tired of the politics of division. They want the old Alaska back.

We’re in the home stretch of the fundraising efforts now, and the end of this story will be decided by what we can do between now and election day. We already know that the voters agree with Ron’s positions. We already know that Cathy Giessel doesn’t even reach the 50% support level, even as an incumbent Republican. We know that her extreme policies and rigid ideology will not help Alaskans, and we know that Ron’s willingness to work with everyone, his moderate views, and his big practical heart will win the day. It’s really exciting because we have a broad and clear path to this Senate Seat – if we can get the message out.

So, if you’ve got a little left in your pocket this campaign season, please consider supporting Ron Devon for Senate. The maximum contribution you can make is $500, and that gets the message to a lot of mailboxes, and ears, and eyes. But even if you just want to buy him a cup of coffee, or lunch, or dinner and a movie – all that adds up. Ten people thinking $25 doesn’t matter and not giving is the same as one person not giving $250.

Thanks for hearing me out. I’ve thus far stayed pretty quiet on this race, but now is the time for reasonable people to step up and put their dollars where their values are, so I thought I’d share my thoughts.

You can read all about the differences between the two candidates HERE.
You can donate HERE.
You can like his Facebook page HERE.

(Spouse does not know I’m writing this, but  just in case I’m supposed to do something like this… Here it is.)  Paid for by Alaskans for Ron Devon, 6520 Italy Circle, Anchorage, AK 99516

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