Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA - Talk of change in Valley seats ended up being just talk in Tuesday's primary election. Incumbent Republicans Bill Stoltze, Mark Neuman and Carl Gatto all faced challengers from their own party, but all three representatives ended the night in victory.Stoltze took home an easy win with more than 70 percent of the vote in his three-way race for District 16. Neuman, with 65 percent of the vote, neatly defeated two-time challenger April Moore in District 15. And Gatto, also in a three-way battle in District 13, held 63 percent of the votes when ballots were tallied.

Gatto said he had conservatively guessed he'd carry the night with 51 percent or more. He had "a good gut feeling," he said. He faced 27-year-old Palmer resident David Parks, a former nonprofit manager, and Florence Scott, a 51-year-old mother of three and former office manager.

Scott said she and her crew had a good time waving signs Tuesday, singing Boy Scouts songs on the roadside. On Wednesday, she sang the praises of her volunteers and said she planned to keep involved by continuing to volunteer.

"That's what we do. That's what people in communities do," Scott said.

Parks' cell phone was not taking messages Wednesday.

Both Parks and Scott campaigned hard, knocking on doors and sending out press releases.

Parks even secured the endorsement of Palmer Mayor John Combs. It wasn't enough to oust Gatto, who will go on to face Palmer bookstore owner David Cheezem in the Nov. 4 general election.

But it did leave him wondering how he could have appealed to the other 38 percent of voters who cast ballots for his opponents.

"I didn't have a sense that there would be a change," Gatto said. But he added, "there's always anxiety."

REGAINING GROUND

Given that legislators were in session during much of the primary election campaign season. Neuman, Stoltze and Gatto all said they worked hard in the last two weeks to regain any ground lost while they were negotiating a gas line and considering an energy rebate.

"We were really handcuffed because we were tied up in Juneau," Stoltze said. "It was probably one (race) I didn't take for granted. I was probably more nervous because of being gone."

Stoltze had two competitors: oilfield environmental compliance consultant J.D. Hatley, and Palmer High special education teacher/commercial fisherman Kent Hermon.

Both are first-time candidates, although Hermon said he has some experience with the National Education Association and Hatley, 29, volunteered with Gov. Sarah Palin's 2006 campaign.

Hermon was gone commercial fishing during most of the campaign season, which likely hurt his vote count. He ended the night with eight percent of the votes.

Hatley did as much campaigning as he could on $1,800 and netted 20 percent of the vote.

Hatley said he heard a lot of support while he was out knocking on doors and was surprised at his low vote count. He said he was in it to win, but chalked the loss up as good experience if he ever runs again.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

He and Stoltze agree on many issues, he said, and he even offered to help Stoltze in his general election campaign against Democrat Beverly Serrano.

Hatley's race was a family affair. His mother-in-law designed campaign material, his wife worked on envelopes, and his mom went door-to-door, he said.

They all learned more about current events - and about how politicians are perceived by others - than they knew going in, he said.

"I will never look at politics the same way again," he said.

After breaking the news to his family that his politician days were over for now, Hatley e-mailed that his family had protested. They "were very insistent that I will be running again," he wrote. He just doesn't know when yet.

Stoltze said he plans to campaign hard in the coming general race, where he faces Democrat Beverly Serrano.

Mark Neuman commended his opponent, Moore, for two years of hard work campaigning.

He said he interpreted his win as a sign people like his approach.

"I'll continue to do what I think got me to the point I'm at, which is to answer phone calls and e-mails," he said.

He'll face Democrat Lew Dischner in the general election.

Find Daily News reporter Rindi White online at adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.

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