Assembly candidate Bauer says Sullivan owes him support

Bauer, a former Anchorage Assembly member who lost his seat in 2008, says Sullivan last year promised to support him for re-election at a later date if he dropped out of the 2010 Assembly race. Sullivan wanted to give up-and-comer and fellow conservative Adam Trombley a better shot at winning.

Bauer did drop out last year. And two weeks ago, he signed up to run this year for another east side Assembly seat in the April 5 city election.

But Sullivan had already endorsed Trombley, who is running again after losing to Paul Honeman last year. Sullivan said he endorses candidates as a private citizen, not as mayor.

Bauer is crying foul.

Thursday night, he posted on his campaign website voicemails that Sullivan left for him a year ago, regarding the mayor's request that Bauer drop out of last year's race.

"Then again, you'll have my help in return," the mayor said in the voicemail. ... "Please, I'm begging you, one candidate."

Sullivan agrees he did ask Bauer to drop out last year. Though Bauer months ago e-mailed the mayor a copy of his official letter giving notice he planned to run in 2011, Sullivan said he didn't find out until the last minute that Bauer was actually a candidate.

Since last year, Bauer has not acted like a candidate, said Sullivan.

"You have to get out there early, walk the district, raise money. He has done none of those things," said Sullivan. "Candidates for office don't wait until five minutes before the deadline to sign up."

CONNECTION TO JOE MILLER

Bauer is the business manager for a private security company at the airport. He served on the Assembly from 2005 to 2008. That year, he lost the election to Mike Gutierrez, a more liberal candidate. Gutierrez is now running for re-election against Bauer and Trombley.

Bauer was also Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller's campaign manager until 10 days before the primary election last August, when he left the job. Asked this week why he left the campaign, Bauer said, "I'm under a non-disclosure agreement. We had differences in strategy, that's all I can say."

Bauer says he's a better candidate than Trombley, when you combine his Assembly experience with his having run a U.S. Senate campaign.

Trombley is a corporate account manager at an oil-industry related company. He is chairman of the city budget advisory committee. He is a third generation Anchorage resident and graduated from East High School, where he starred on the basketball team.

His website says the city needs to reduce the "tax structure."

Trombley said he not only has won Sullivan's endorsement, but the endorsements of three prior mayors, George Wuerch, Rick Mystrom and Tom Fink.

"I'm not terribly concerned about Paul Bauer. He has yet to raise a single dollar," said Trombley. Bauer's first campaign finance report to the state showed no contributions.

SPLITTING THE VOTE?

Bauer said it is proving difficult for him to raise money. He's called some backers from previous years, and they bring up the fact that Trombley is the best qualified candidate according to the mayor, Bauer said.

There's no question having both Bauer and Trombley in the race gives an edge to Gutierrez, the incumbent.

"All of this is a complete disaster for both of them," says Ivan Moore, a pollster, and campaign consultant for Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is co-ordinator of the Mountain View Weed and Seed Program, and formerly was a legislative aide and staff to the Anchorage Assembly.

"The conservative right gets split by the other two guys," said Moore. "So it's a godsend to Mike."