JUNEAU -- Facing a new, unified challenge to his re-election bid, Gov. Sean Parnell shook up his campaign Tuesday, replacing his campaign manager with a highly regarded legislative staffer.
Tom Wright has been top staffer to House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, and previous House speakers. He replaces previous campaign manager Jerry Gallagher, a former ConocoPhillips lobbyist and legislative director for former Gov. Sarah Palin.
Parnell campaign spokesman Luke Miller declined to say why the change had been made but said Gallagher "voluntarily turned over the reins" of the campaign and that the change had been made with his "full support."
In the press release announcing the change, Parnell praised Gallagher for his work leading the campaign through the primary.
"I want to thank Jerry for his incredible efforts and devotion to the campaign. We have a statewide organization and a strong financial position in the campaign due to Jerry's leadership," Parnell said in the release.
Opponent Bill Walker, a Republican-turned-independent candidate heading a gubernatorial ticket with Democrat Byron Mallott as lieutenant governor, speculated that the change may have been because of the challenge from the recently combined Walker-Mallott campaign.
"The timing might draw one to that conclusion," he said.
"I wish Jerry well. I'm not sure what caused him to be replaced," Walker said.
As a top aide to House speakers, including Chenault for the last six years, Wright has a reputation as a major player in the Capitol.
It's a position that doesn't usually get much attention, but it did last year when an email from Chenault to the city of Valdez called its desire to have a state-funded small-diameter natural gas pipeline's terminus be in Valdez a "crock of s---."
Wright stepped forward and admitted sending the email, and said he'd intended to forward the email to other legislators, not send it back to Valdez.
Valdez has been represented for 20 years by Walker's law firm, and Walker himself is a former Valdez mayor.
Walker has questioned Parnell gas line plans in the past but said Tuesday that he had no plans to seek a change in pipeline terminus plans if elected, as long as it is at tidewater.
"The destination I'm most concerned about is Asia," he said.
Contact Pat Forgey at pat@alaskadispatch.com.