Anchorage Daily News

JUNEAU -- Some top Republican legislators, including the speaker of the House, say Sean Parnell should resign as lieutenant governor to campaign for Congress, but Parnell says he has no intention of quitting.

Republican Parnell dropped a major surprise Friday at the state GOP convention in Anchorage when he announced he would challenge U.S. Rep. Don Young. Young, also a Republican, has held his congressional seat since 1973.

Alaska House Speaker John Harris, a Valdez Republican who himself has spoken of a possible congressional campaign, said he believes Parnell needs to resign, and to refrain from raising campaign money while employed as lieutenant governor.

"That's a conflict of interest, being lieutenant governor and trying to run for federal office at the same time," Harris said.

One of the lieutenant governor's main duties is overseeing the state Division of Elections, and Harris and other lawmakers said they believe Parnell shouldn't try to do that and campaign at the same time.

"It's ethically the higher ground to separate yourself from the responsibility of overseeing state elections when you're running for a federal office or any office for that matter," said Sitka Republican Sen. Bert Stedman, who co-chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee.

In an interview Saturday, Parnell said he's sure he can keep his elected position and his congressional campaign separate.

Parnell said he's taken the advice of past lieutenant governors and hired a good director, Gail Fenumiai, to run the Division of Elections and stays out of the division's day-to-day operations.

"I plan to stay and do my job and do it well," he said.

Parnell noted that Fran Ulmer and Steve McAlpine held the job of lieutenant governor and kept the post during unsuccessful campaigns for governor.

He said he would have to resign if he beats Young, as holding two elected offices would be unlawful. To resign now, however, "would be a bit presumptuous, don't you think?" Parnell said.

Gov. Sarah Palin, who joined Parnell's campaign announcement in Anchorage, agrees with him.

"I have faith, and I believe Sean does too, that there will be no conflict with his job as lieutenant governor and seeking the congressional seat," Palin said Saturday.

Another Republican lawmaker, Sen. Gene Therriault of North Pole, said he doesn't agree with the call for Parnell to step down.

He mentioned Ulmer and McAlpine and said if the framers of the Alaska Constitution saw a conflict in campaigning and overseeing the Division of Elections, they would have dealt with it.

"I'm not sure we'd want to set the precedent that the lieutenant governor has to resign," Therriault said.

Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau and House minority leader, said she's not sure Parnell should keep the job. It unavoidably creates an odd appearance," she said. "I'm sure Sean would be very careful not to interfere in elections."

If Parnell really wants to win, Kerttula said, his best move might be to quit working and campaign full-time.

Parnell, 45, was Palin's running mate in 2006 when Palin beat the incumbent governor, Republican Frank Murkowski.

He joins an increasingly crowded field of Young challengers including another Republican, state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux of Kodiak, and Democrats Diane Benson, former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz and former state Democratic Party chairman Jake Metcalfe.

Find Wesley Loy online at adn.com/contact/wloy or call him in Juneau at 1-907-586-1531.

ADVERTISEMENT