Politics

Anchorage mayoral runoff closes on social issues, work history

For three weeks, the Anchorage mayoral runoff was a quiet affair, with restrained campaign advertising and little direct engagement between the candidates, Ethan Berkowitz and Amy Demboski.

But the mood shifted after an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce debate Monday that in part focused on LGBT rights legislation. That debate set the tone for the last week of campaigning before Tuesday's runoff. Social issues like LGBT rights, religious freedoms and abortion, joined with a talk-radio controversy over incestuous marriage, dominated more conventional discussions over fiscal policy and the municipal budget.

Demboski, an Anchorage Assembly member from Chugiak, sharpened her attacks on Berkowitz in an appeal to a broad conservative base. She released a radio ad that sought to tie Ethan Berkowitz to President Barack Obama and paint him as tax-raising spender. Her campaign sent a mailer quoting Berkowitz saying he would like to be the first Anchorage mayor to officiate at a same-sex wedding.

Berkowitz's campaign hasn't directly attacked Demboski in its advertising. Its message on radio: Berkowitz has a record as a "fiscal conservative."

"It's certainly been a big turn in the last few days," former Mayor Tom Fink, a Republican and a Demboski supporter, said at the week's end. "The radio has just totally changed."

Fink, himself a conservative, said he thought social issues helped propel Demboski to a second-place finish in the April 7 municipal election, but he said she has needed to broaden her message and focus more on her fiscal strengths.

"That was enough to get her to become the winner," Fink said. "But I think you've got to talk about more than social issues to (win the runoff)."

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Former Mayor Mark Begich also said it was a "shame" the campaign focused heavily on social and personal issues in the final week, rather than crime and education.

In debates, both candidates have continued to highlight their past work experience. For Demboski, it's management positions in dental offices and her position on the Anchorage Assembly; for Berkowitz, it's 10 years in the Alaska Legislature and time spent as a prosecutor and consultant.

Demboski on management

In a mailer before the April 7 election, Demboski stated that she "built and managed Alaska corporations." In debates, Demboski said she spent 20 years in the private sector and her experience includes managing multimillion-dollar corporations.

Her experience in the dental field dates back to at least 1997, when she was an orthodontic technician in Anchorage.

A resume provided by her campaign lists management and human resources work at four dental offices and paralegal work at a legal firm dating back to 2005. The campaign did not respond to a request for an in-person interview with Demboski about her business background.

The campaign also provided a letter of recommendation signed by Todd Christensen, the former owner of Advanced Family Dental Care in Anchorage and Advanced Family Dentistry in Wasilla. The letter, which was not dated, describes Demboski as a "good friend" and said she worked for him for five and a half years, first as a dental assistant and then a project manager.

Christensen's letter described Demboski as "key" in the businesses' efforts to expand.

"On two separate office expansion projects she functioned as the lead project manager. Her duties during this phase of employment included managing a million-dollar project budget," the letter said. Demboski was also tasked with "dealing with attorneys with legal issues, office leases, staff hiring and training, computer software setup and training, ordering of dental and office equipment and all supplies."

Demboski worked for Christensen at his two separate practices between 2005 and 2010, according to the resume.

Reached by phone, Christensen said he could not disclose further information about Demboski's employment. Demboski's campaign did not respond to a request to authorize Christensen to speak to a reporter.

While working for Christensen, Demboski earned bachelor's degrees in history and justice at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In a phone interview in late March, Demboski said her interest in the justice program stemmed from a desire to be a police officer.

After her election as a Chugiak-Eagle River representative on the Anchorage Assembly in April 2013, she became an office manager for Stephen Libby, the owner of Alaska Dental Center in Muldoon. Libby said in a phone interview that he was happy with Demboski's work.

"She's great with people, great as far as organization … it didn't take me long (to realize) that I would trust her with anything," Libby said. "She was totally honest and up front, very good with employees."

Libby said Demboski also dealt with insurance companies and patient finances and helped handle office finances as well.

In July 2014, Libby sold the practice. Demboski stayed on another six months to help the new owners and staff adjust, Libby said. A co-owner of the new practice, Broc Brimhall, declined comment through an employee, citing legal restrictions.

Berkowitz on prosecution, investments

In advertisements and debates, Berkowitz has frequently referred to his two years as a state prosecutor in the early 1990s.

Berkowitz graduated from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco in 1990. He moved to Alaska that same year and began working as a law clerk for Chief Judge Alex Bryner of the Alaska Court of Appeals.

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Berkowitz then joined the district attorney's office in the misdemeanor unit, a usual starting point for young attorneys. It was a small unit with four or five attorneys, his supervisor at the time, Bonnie Bundy, said in a recent interview. But the caseload was large, Bundy said, and included arraignments and bail reviews on felony cases. The misdemeanor unit also handled rural assignments and Berkowitz traveled to places like Whittier, Sand Point and Unalaska for felony and misdemeanor cases.

Anchorage Daily News archives include several newsworthy stories about cases Berkowitz prosecuted. Among them was a man prosecuted for child molestation. Another focused on the sister of a woman who was a fugitive in a child custody battle.

One misdemeanor case involved a man illegally killing a moose in Chugach State Park. In a recent interview, Berkowitz said he still has the arrow from the case.

Jay Fayette joined the state district attorney's office misdemeanor unit after Berkowitz. Fayette, who eventually became an assistant attorney general, said he learned a lot while training with Berkowitz. On his first trial, he was the junior prosecutor with Berkowitz for a case involving a man who drunkenly drove into a lake at the intersection of the Sterling and Seward Highways.

"He thinks outside the box. He was a creative guy," Fayette said of Berkowitz. "I kind of wondered why he wanted to be a politician."

Berkowitz eventually got promoted and went to work full-time on felony cases, Bundy said.

She said the length of his tenure was normal: "It's a hard job to keep for a very long period of time. The nature of the work is really hard on you."

In 1996, Berkowitz ran for an open state House seat. When his opponent, Casey Sullivan, ranked youth gangs among the top issues, Berkowitz brought up his prosecutorial experience and outlined a four-point plan to deal with crime. He edged out Sullivan by 28 votes.

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On the campaign trail, Berkowitz, like Demboski, has also sought to highlight his experience in the business world.

While Berkowitz co-founded a startup that has been pursuing the installation of a fiber optic cable between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay, his business experience has been more as an investor. Berkowitz and his wife Mara Kimmel are among 17 stakeholders in Midtown's Spenard Roadhouse restaurant; Berkowitz's ownership interest is 5 percent, according to state corporation database records.

His interest in the downtown restaurant Snow City Cafe is about 7 percent, Berkowitz said. Other business interests include a small-batch distillery in Washington state and a biotech business in Emeryville, California, according to a state disclosure form filed in February.

Berkowitz also reported revenue of at least $301,000 on three rental properties in 2014. The properties, which he and Kimmel manage, include two houses and an office building at 880 H Street. The building's tenants include the law offices of Berkowitz's business partner, Walt Ebell.

Final debate: The final debate of the runoff election will air at 5 p.m. Sunday on KTVA-Channel 11.

Devin Kelly

Devin Kelly was an ADN staff reporter.

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