A TV advertisement aired by Democratic Senate candidate Bill Wielechowski this week lays into his opponent on multiple counts -- saying that Republican Earl Mayo took money from Veco, that he wants to spend Alaska Permanent Fund earnings, that he wants to raise gas taxes and that he was questioned by the FBI.
This is a hotly contested race to represent northeast Anchorage.
One by one:
• Mayo did get $3,000 this year in contributions from Veco Corp., the company named in a federal investigation into political corruption, but he gave the money back. He also got Veco contributions in at least one earlier legislative campaign.
• Mayo acknowledges he said at a Chamber of Commerce forum that he'd consider spending Permanent Fund earnings, but says he meant it only if all the oil and gas wells go dry, and he has no intention of doing it. But he didn't put it that way, said Wielechowski.
• Mayo answered a tax question on the nonpartisan Project Vote Smart Web site by saying he would slightly increase gasoline taxes. Again, he said, he meant only if the state needed the revenues. "People can drive a little bit less. They can't heat the house less."
• Mayo said he was questioned by the FBI in the Veco-related probe, which has focused primarily on sitting lawmakers.
"They just wanted to know if I knew anything," he said.
THE SKINNY ON SCOTT
Libertarian Scott Kohlhaas carries a lot less weight than he did the last time he ran for office, and he likes it that way.
Kohlhaas, one of two candidates challenging incumbent Democrat Max Gruenberg in House District 20, has lost about 60 pounds since he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004. To make sure voters saw the new version, Kohlhaas dropped off a photo of the skinny Scott at the newspaper last week.
The paper fumbled the handoff. The old heavyweight picture ran with a campaign story in Wednesday's editions. Kohlhaas took it in stride.
"I was a little bit depressed," he said. "But it's my fault for ever having been so fat."
Kohlhaas credits his weight loss to the Atkins diet "and a little more tennis. Mainly hard-core Atkins."
Republican Matt Moon is also in the District 20 race.
Daily News reporter Rosemary Shinohara can be reached at rshinohara@adn.com. Reporter Don Hunter can be reached at dhunter@adn.com.
