Anchorage Daily News

The political action committee representing the state's teachers union voted Saturday to endorse Democrat Ethan Berkowitz in the race for Alaska's seat in the U.S. House and is also backing candidates in more than two dozen legislative races.

The National Education Association-Alaska's 54-member political action committee on education conducted one-hour interviews Saturday with Berkowitz and incumbent Republican Rep. Don Young before making the decision. Young has a 239-vote lead over Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell in the Republican primary for that seat, with about 300 overseas absentee ballots yet to be counted.

In a statement issued Saturday night, union president Barb Angaiak of Bethel said Berkowitz has "long been an advocate for early childhood education, and he believes the federal government has a role to play in helping rural school districts provide teacher housing."

The union issued its endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich, a Democrat, this spring. Begich is running against 40-year Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Stevens in the Nov. 4 general election.

Along with the statewide endorsements, the 13,000-member union endorsed candidates in 26 state legislative races. In one, District 4 in Juneau-Mendenhall Valley, NEA-Alaska endorsed two candidates, Democrat incumbent Andrea Doll and Republican challenger Cathy Munoz.

The union's other endorsements:

Senate E, Joe Paskvan

Senate G, Linda Menard

Senate K, Sen. Bettye Davis

Senate M, Sen. Hollis French

House District 2, Lily Herwald

House District 3, Rep. Beth Kerttula

House District 7, Karl Kassel

House District 8, Rep. David Guttenberg

House District 9, Rep. Scott Kawasaki

House District 10, John Brown

House District 13, David Cheezem

House District 18, Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom

House District 19, Rep. Bob Roses

House District 20, Rep. Max Gruenberg

House District 21, Rep. Harry Crawford

House District 23, Rep. Les Gara

House District 24, Rep. Berta Gardner

House District 26, Rep. Lindsey Holmes

House District 27, Rep. Bob Buch

House District 28, Val Baffone

House District 30, Lynda Zaugg

House District 31, Rep. Bob Lynn

House District 33, Dick Waisanen

House District 34, Tim Evans

House District 37, Rep. Bryce Edgmon

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