In Tuesday’s primary election, Chilkat Valley voters overwhelmingly supported repealing the state’s oil tax structure, diverging from voters statewide who prevailed by supporting the status quo.
In Haines, 67.3 percent of voters backed repeal of the tax structure approved by the Alaska Legislature last year. Highway voters also supported the repeal (72.7 percent), as did Klukwan voters (58.8 percent).
Unofficial results from the Division of Elections show 52.22 percent of Alaska voters rejecting a citizen-led initiative to dump the rules (known as SB 21), and 47.78 percent supporting it.
Local voter turnout included 39 percent in Haines, 28.3 percent in the Haines Highway voting precinct and 41.2 percent in Klukwan.
Supporters of Ballot Measure 1 claimed SB 21 amounted to a “giveaway” to the oil companies, while opponents argued the tax breaks are necessary to incentivize production and make Alaska competitive with other oil-producing areas.
SB 21 replaced Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share (ACES) tax, established in 2007.
Resident Deb Vogt, who volunteered for the “Vote Yes” campaign to repeal SB 21, said she was “really disappointed.”
“It’s frustrating. I’m very sorry that it didn’t pass, because I think the state is in a big financial struggle. We’re letting the industry take too much money out of the state that we are certainly going to need for teachers and everything else,” Vogt said.
Vogt attributed her side’s loss to a dearth of campaign funding and a Democratic primary relatively free of contention.
“I think we were hurt that the Republican primary was a lot more interesting than the Democratic primary,” Vogt said. “There were not so many choices on the Democratic side, so a lot of folks may have stayed home. I think they probably would have supported the ballot measure.”
While taking “a little bit of comfort” in local support for the measure, the statewide numbers were a surprise, Vogt said. “It was worse than I thought it would be.”
Resident Leonard Dubber, who publicly supported the “Vote No” campaign, said he wasn’t surprised the measure passed in Haines. “There’s just a whole bunch of greenies who don’t think that the oil companies are business people. They think the oil companies are awful,” Dubber said.
“The big oil companies, they aren’t screwing anyone. They’re just a big business turning a buck,” he added.
Dubber, who moved to Alaska in 1955, said the state was a better place before the oil industry got involved. But, there’s no going back now, he said.
“When an industry shuts down that is as big as the oil industry, there is an awful sucking sound when it leaves,” Dubber said. “I don’t want to give them the oil. I just want a fair deal for everybody.”
In voting for candidates, Haines voters followed statewide trends in the primary election.
Statewide, incumbent Gov. Sean Parnell secured the Republican nomination (75.5 percent), while Byron Mallott won the Democratic nomination (66.9 percent).
Dan Sullivan won the heated contest for the Republican Senate nomination with 40.1 percent, with Joe Miller trailing at 32 percent and Mead Treadwell at 24.9 percent.
Sen. Mark Begich triumphed for the Democratic Senate nomination, securing 83.5 percent of the vote.
Congressman Don Young prevailed in the race for the Republican congressional nomination (74.4 percent), while Forrest Dunbar got the Democratic nod (62.9 percent).
Democrat Hollis French led the lieutenant governor race for his party, with 62 percent of the vote. Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan won 70.5 percent of the vote for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.
Incumbent Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, and Republican challenger Tom Williams each ran uncontested and secured their party nominations for Senate District Q, which includes Haines.
Rep. Sam S. Kito III, D-Juneau, who was appointed in February to complete Beth Kerttula’s term after she resigned, also ran uncontested for the Democratic nomination for House District 33, which includes Haines. Uncontested candidate Peter Dukowitz secured the Republican nomination for the House seat.
Primary winners will square off in the Nov. 4 general election.