Al Gross
Alaska’s Senate race should be a slam-dunk for Republicans, but it’s within 1 point. Realistically, the GOP could lose a seat there. Read story here.
Front-and-center is the proposed Pebble Mine, which if given permits would threaten the world’s most valuable salmon fishery. For that reason, commercial fisherman and environmentalists are against it.
So is GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan in public. But his secret ties to a mining lobbyist are roiling the campaign. He’s also coming under fire for his family’s business ties with China.
His challenger is Al Gross, a surgeon, who’s been a registered Republican in the past and is running as an independent, but appears on the ballot as a Democrat and has said he will caucus with the Democrats if elected.
The battle over Pebble Mine pits hardrock mining, an industry with a horrible environmental record, against a major Alaska industry and sustainable food source. The proposed mine is upstream from Bristol Bay, which has the world’s largest salmon runs.