Election Season Brings Changes, Challenges

By Alicia Amberg

he leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and college football is in full swing. These are tell-tale signs that election season is underway here. This year, Alaskans will notice major changes to the ballot and the names appearing on it as we enter an election unlike any before it.

For the first time since 1973, Alaskans are now represented in Congress by someone other than the late Don Young. Of course, because of the way the House of Representatives works, this also means Alaska is starting from square one in the seniority department. AGC of Alaska is wholeheartedly committed to working cooperatively with interim Representative Mary Peltola and ensuring she understands the issues important to the construction industry. Given the enormous amount of opportunity available to states taking advantage of federal funds for infrastructure and construction, it is critical our elected officials are well versed in how federal decision-making impacts our membership. It’s a role we take seriously, and our advocacy efforts are focused on relationship-building and partnerships. We welcome our new representative, as well as whomever is elected to the full, two-year term in November, as they get up to speed on the host of issues facing Alaska, including how the building industry is critical to our state’s current and future economic growth.

On November 8, Alaskans will return to the polls for the Regular General Election, an important event that will determine who represents us in the US Senate, the US House of Representatives (for the full, two-year term,) the governor’s office, and the legislature. Overall, it’s a massively important election as dozens of new faces are set to take the reins of government. This is especially true in the legislature. Due to redistricting and retirements, a minimum of one-third of the legislature is scheduled to turn over. This is exciting because new members bring new energy and ideas to Juneau. It’s also a challenge as advocacy organizations like ours work to inform new lawmakers of our respective priorities and share how policy impacts our membership. Again, we will seize the opportunity by working with all lawmakers heading into the 2023 legislative session.

Alaska voters got a taste of ranked-choice voting when they cast their ballots for the temporary congressperson in the Special General Election in August. In November, almost all offices will be elected using this method. The new system, which was created when Alaska voters narrowly approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020, has created some confusion. However, we’re confident voters who take time to learn how the ballot works will be ready to vote correctly in November. Still confused? Be sure to visit the Alaska Division of Elections’ website for a wide range of non-partisan information about how to vote. Or contact us and let us know if you’d like a ranked choice voting presentation for your company. Many non-partisan groups and organizations are offering free informational sessions on ranked choice voting, and we’d be glad to connect you. Whoever your favorite candidates are, please be sure to vote.

In non-election news, we’re pleased to announce that our famous annual convention is back in person this year! Scheduled for November 9-12 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, it promises to be an event to remember as AGC Alaska’s membership gathers for the full dinner dance experience. Also returning this year are the Excellence in Safety and Excellence in Construction awards, which recognize the best and brightest working in our industry. If you haven’t registered yet, don’t delay. Head over to www.agcak.org and do it online. We’re excited to see everyone’s smiling faces this year!

You may have noticed a difference in our Construction Trends section. Previously, the graphs have represented a snapshot of construction spending to date, compared with previous years’ spending. We are changing this to include more data and additional comparisons to give members a better picture of construction trends that more closely aligns with our annual construction spending forecast data, as well as a better representation of winning bids and how our members fare in the broader scope of contracting activity in Alaska. We are striving to make this space more relevant and useful to our members.

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