The endorsements keep rolling in for Anchorage mayoral candidate Suzanne LaFrance, who added Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates to a growing list of big-name backers today.
In a prepared statement announcing the endorsement, Alaska State Director Rose O’Hara-Jolley said the former chair of the Anchorage Assembly has proven to be a strong ally on issues like reproductive health care and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Without mentioning him by name, the announcement takes a shot at far-righ incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson, framing him as a deeply divisive mayor who’s wildly out of touch with most Anchorage residents.
“We’re tired of the city of Anchorage run by people who are uninterested in acknowledging common sense approaches to things like sex ed, support for the LGBTQ+ community, and defending Alaska state constitutionally protected rights like abortion,” O’Hara-Jolley said in their statement. “By the time this race happens, it will be 2024, and it’s time we start electing leaders who reflect our values and our future. We are thrilled to endorse mayoral candidate LaFrance, and we know that she will spend every day in office fighting for access to high-quality, equitable health care for all people in Anchorage. We look forward to supporting her in this critical race.”
The endorsement is the second endorsement that LaFrance received today, following the backing of The Alaska Center, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on sustainability, communities and protecting democracy.
LaFrance has also received backing of labor groups, including the endorsement of the Anchorage Central Labor Council earlier this month and political action committee representing ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 on Monday.
Also in the race for mayor are former Anchorage Democratic Rep. Chris Tuck and former Anchorage Economic Development Corp. head Bill Popp.
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.