Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
716 W 4th Avenue, Suite 630
Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 258-8164
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Voters Overwhelmingly Endorse House Republicans

Majority to Continue Its Commitment to Alaska

For Immediate Release: November 4, 1998 Contact: Rep. Gail Phillips at (907) 258-8164.

Anchorage -- In Tuesday's voting, Alaskans overwhelmingly rejected negative campaigning that ranged from factual omissions to misdirection bordering on deliberate falsehoods and returned the Republican-led House Majority to Juneau for the 21st Alaska Legislature.

"President Abraham Lincoln said it best: 'You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time,'" said House Speaker Gail Phillips (R-Homer), who was reelected despite a series of particularly vicious assaults by her opponents. "The voters of Alaska have, once again, clearly responded to the Republican Party's underlying message: Truth counts."

Election night returns show that at least 23 Republicans and 15 Democrats have been elected to the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives. The races in Districts 35 and 36 are still too close to call; both those seats are currently held by Democrats. The Division of Elections will count absentee and challenged ballots no later than November 13; ballots mailed from overseas will be counted by November 18.

"While the Majorities in both chambers still have to organize, and the House Majority may once again include some Democrats, Alaskans can rely on us to continue our Commitment to Alaska," Phillips said. "Once our organization is complete we will be setting our agenda and goals for the session, and I expect them to be very similar to our previous Commitment," Phillips said.

The 21st Alaska Legislature will meet in Juneau beginning January 19, 1999.

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