Anchorage School Board candidate Mark Anthony Cox, who has unsuccessfully run for office three times in the past two years, has some questionable campaign finance and spending practices. A review of Cox’s campaign finance filings show sizable expenditures to businesses registered to the same address Cox listed on his candidate registration.
Additionally, Cox is also a culture warrior advocating for banning books, sexual education and using critical race theory as a boogeyman even though it isn’t taught in Anchorage schools.
Cox’s political track record includes withdrawing from a state senate race in 2022, filing but not running for an Anchorage Assembly seat in 2021, and unsuccessfully running for Anchorage School Board in 2021 and 2022.
While Cox has yet to break through with voters, he has the support of the MAGA faction of the Alaska Republican Party. Three of his 2022 donors are pretty familiar names.
| $500.00 | Bronson | Dave | Mayor | Municipality of Anchorage |
| $500.00 | Tshibaka | Niki | CHCO | Municipality of Anchorage |
| $1,000.00 | Hoffman | Ron | Fisherman | Self-Employed |
Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson is embroiled in historic levels of scandal and will be a lead weight on associated candidates. Niki Tshibaka is husband of unsuccessful 2022 GOP US Senate Candidate Kelly Tshibaka, and has also hit the radar recently for some questionable municipal malfeasance.
“Self-Employed Fisherman” Ron Hoffman will be recognized by some as the leader of the politically active Anchorage Baptist Temple, which recently rebranded to broaden its base. The Church’s website lists Ron Hoffman as their Pastor, but this contribution begged the question, could there also be a self-employed fisherman, or “fisher of men” as listed in some contributions, named Ron Hoffman in Anchorage? A query of the APOC database yields several contributions by Ron or Ronald Huffman, all at the same address. All list the occupation as “fisherman” or “fisher of men” and the employer as “self” except for one: a contribution made to unsuccessful Anchorage Assembly candidate Stephanie Taylor in 2021 by both Ronald and Crystal Hoffman. Another quick dig through public records turned up the fact that Pastor Hoffman indeed owns Westside Wild Salmon, LLC.
The campaign expenditures reported by Cox for his second school board race provide some even more interesting information. Cox paid a company called Imperial Independent Media nearly $6,000 for “Campaign Consultation” over the course of his campaign. Failing to provide the details regarding consultation services is an APOC violation.
The owner of Imperial Independent Media is Zach Freeman, formerly employed by the Alaska Legislature as House Republican Minority press secretary from December 31, 2018 to January 18, 2021. He came under scrutiny in early 2021 for a communications contract from the Department of Administration that Kelly Tshibaka approved while Freeman was still a legislative employee. The Alaska Landmine and Dermot Cole wrote about it. The Imperial Independent Media website currently contains the following statement:
“Imperial Independent Media currently has a staff of 15. Due to cancellation threats facing those who aid and assist right-of-center and faith-based causes, we have made the decision to shield the identities of those serving on our team, for their career and personal protection, and for the protection of our clients.”
Mr. Cox’s expenditures (excluding those in-kind) totaled $28,397.90, of which $5,000 was designated as a Future Campaign Account. Of the remaining $23,397.90, almost one quarter was paid to the following companies:
| $3,000.00 | Royal Contractors | Signs, sign stands and delivery |
| $2,500.00 | Attention to Detail Catering | Catering for fundraiser |
Those companies are registered at the same mailing address that Mark Anthony Cox has listed on his candidate filings.
Royal Contractors is owned by Mr Cox. Its line of business is listed as 56 – Administrative Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services
Attention to Detail Catering Is owned by Cheryl Ann Williams, according to the business license; however, a LinkedIn entry for Cheryl Cox Williams indicates that she is the owner of the catering business as of Mar 2022. The business license for this company was obtained less than two weeks before Cox reported spending a remarkable amount of $2,500 to cater a fundraiser.
So, was Mark Anthony Cox funneling contributions from Mayor Dave Bronson, Husband Niki Tshibaka, and Self-Employed Fisherman/Pastor Ron Hoffman directly into his own pockets? That’s what these reports would seem to indicate, so while we may be laughing at Mr. Cox’s back-to-back electoral defeats, there seems to be a decent chance Mr. Cox is laughing all the way to the bank.
