Balance of power in Assembly tilts to left

Incumbent Paul Bauer, part of the Assembly's conservative majority in recent years, lost to challenger Mike Gutierrez in the East Anchorage race.

In another key matchup, self-described progressive Harriet Drummond defeated conservative Sherri Jackson to claim Republican Dan Sullivan's seat in the West.

"I was interested in getting an Assembly in line with the broader goals of the mayor," said Francis Sheridan, who voted for Drummond at the Turnagain United Methodist Church.

While Assembly seats are considered non-partisan, factions form along party and ideological lines, and Tuesday's election marked a potential shift in leadership. The new lineup includes six candidates who lean to the left -- all are Democrats, as is Mayor Mark Begich -- and five who lean to the right. Previously, conservatives held at least seven of the 11 seats.

In all, six Assembly seats were up for grabs Tuesday, with races in every part of town.

Two Republicans, Bill Starr in Eagle River and Chris Birch in South Anchorage, fended off challengers and kept their seats.

In Midtown, Elvi Gray-Jackson unseated incumbent Dick Traini after a bizarre race that included a court case challenging Traini's ability to serve another term because of term limits.

The state Supreme Court ruled Traini eligible to run again last week, but he said confusion over the court case skewed the election. Tuesday night he said he might protest the results.

Kathy Broome, a retired nurse, has lived in Midtown since about 1992.

She's voted for Traini in the past, but as she walked into the polling place at Stellar Secondary School she said she'd likely choose Gray-Jackson this year.

Broome said a negative radio ad by Traini -- Traini says Gray-Jackson played a role in the lawsuit, Gray-Jackson says she didn't -- soured her on the incumbent. "He would have been better off if he had just not gotten so hostile about the whole thing. It was a reasonable question for the courts to ask."

Another longtime Midtown resident, Mary Jane Thomas, walked out of the voting booth a moment later. Thomas voted for Traini, saying she never disagreed with his votes and liked his push to ban smoking from bars and bingo halls. "I don't smoke, and I love it."

As for the new Assembly majority, Traini said it will be a problem for the city.

"It's going to take a radical turn to the left. I think it's bad for this town when they bring a whole liberal agenda," Traini said.

In reply, Begich said: "I don't buy that. ... The labels that people throw around are not what local politics are about. I think that's what takes local politics down the wrong path."

TOUGH WRITE-IN RACE

The Eagle River-Chugiak contest presented another unusual race for voters.

Incumbent Bill Starr, a Republican who led a review of Begich's budget last year, looked poised for an easy win until a tape of Starr and Assembly chair Dan Coffey talking about campaign contributions and a police endorsement aired on talk radio.

A former Starr opponent, Janet Brand, stepped in the race as a write-in candidate.

Still, Starr was the apparent winner -- outpacing the number of write-in votes, and far ahead of challenger Anthony Lemons.

This new Assembly lineup could hold firm for at least two years. No Assembly seats are planned for next year's ballot, because Anchorage will be selecting a new mayor. Begich is considering a run for the U.S. Senate.

WHO WILL LEAD?

Two Assembly members -- Democrat Allan Tesche and Republican Dan Sullivan -- couldn't run again because they had served three consecutive three-year terms.

"We're seeing a couple of very strong personalities with very strongly held beliefs leaving the Assembly, and a lot of new people coming in," said Patrick Flynn, who easily won election to replace Tesche as downtown's sole Assembly member.

In South Anchorage, incumbent conservative Chris Birch was well ahead of challenger Mike Kenny, former head of the Teamsters union.

Birch now finds himself in the Assembly minority.

"We've got a good group of folks ... by and large the Assembly is going to be focused on the good of the community," he said as candidates and supporters crowded into the Egan Center, which served as election central Tuesday night.

Birch and Assemblyman Matt Claman, part of the new majority and potential candidate for mayor next year, briefly said hello. Claman told Birch he would be in touch.

The first-term Assemblyman said he'd like to be the new Assembly chairman. That means shoring up support to become head of the new majority.

"Our challenge will be to manage the Assembly in a way that is inclusive and has everybody working together," he said.

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Find Kyle Hopkins' political blog online at adn.com/alaskapolitics or call him at 257-4334. Reporter Megan Holland contributed to this article.