Independent Bill Walker wins Alaska governor’s race
By PATRICK TEMPLE-WEST 11/14/14 11:31 PM EST
Independent Bill Walker has won the Alaska governor’s race, defeating incumbent Republican Sean Parnell, according to The Associated Press.
Parnell faced off against Walker, a former the Republican turned independent, in what looked to be a cakewalk for Parnell but turned into a dogfight for the incumbent.
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The race was too close to call on election night. This week, thousands of absentee ballots and questioned ballots were counted, according to the Associated Press.
In an unusual twist even for the obscure politics of the Last Frontier State, Walker teamed up with Democrats to create a united front against Parnell.
Walker formed a fusion ticket with Byron Mallott, who had been the Democratic gubernatorial nominee but agreed to run as Walker’s lieutenant governor. The Democratic state committee voted to allow Walker to switch drop his party affiliation, and a judge upheld the partnership.
The bipartisan combo won the backing tea-party darling and former Republican vice-presidential contender Sarah Palin.
Palin accused Parnell, her ex-running mate and a former oil lobbyist, of “caving” to Big Oil. She’s likened his policies to a time when elected Alaskan officials were indicted on corruption charges and accused of taking payoffs from oil interests.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/bill-walker-alaska-governors-race-2014-sean-parnell-112922.html#ixzz3J8raEQrN
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