Money pours into Al Gross’ U. S. Senate race

Over the past few weeks, Alaskans have been inundated with advertisements supporting Al Gross’s U.S. Senate campaign. From YouTube videos to mailed flyers, Gross—the self-proclaimed “Bear Doctor”—seems to be everywhere, touting his Alaskan roots and attacking his opponent, incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan. Gross, a commercial fisherman and orthopedic surgeon from southeast Alaska, is an independent but received the Democratic nomination during the August primary.

Gross’s internet omnipresence is the result of both fundraising and support from political action campaigns nationwide. The Gross campaign has raised a record $9.1 million since July 1 and nearly $14,000 total. Gross does not accept corporate money, because he wants to represent Alaskans rather than special interests. However, this has not stopped groups from promoting Gross.

Last week, the newly formed super political action committee North Star, which is connected to the Senate Democrat super PAC, spent $4 million in Gross ads. The national interest in Gross’s campaign suggests that, with less than two weeks until the November 3 general election, the race between Gross and Sullivan is tightening. A poll by the New York Times and Siena College shows Sullivan leading Gross by eight percent, 45 to 37. The remaining percentage goes to third party candidates in the race. Other polls show the race as being even closer.

Although opponents push the narrative that Gross is a liberal disguised as an independent, he has support from both sides of the political aisle. The Lincoln Project, a super PAC of Republicans opposing the reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump, endorsed Gross. “We’re proud to support Dr. Gross for Senate. He’s taken down a grizzly bear, he’ll have no problem dealing with the swamp creatures of the Senate,” Reed Galen, co-founder of The Lincoln Project, said. According to Lincoln Project

Executive Director Sarah Lenti, the Alaska Senate race caught the Lincoln Project’s attention last summer, when it became clear that Gross’ campaign was gaining momentum. The Lincoln Project has since put out two videos endorsing Gross, one last summer and another last week. The first ad was part of the campaign’s $4 million effort to support candidates in Alaska, Maine and Montana.

The Lincoln Project is interested in the Alaska Senate race in part to oust Sullivan. Lenti explained that the goal of the Lincoln Project is to “defeat Trump and Trumpism” and this includes Trump “enablers” such as Sullivan. Sullivan nearly without fail —97 percent of the time— votes with the Republican Party, and is aligned with Trump about 91 percent of the time. “Sullivan is no longer a Republican nor a conservative. He’s a Trumpist,” reads a Lincoln Project press release. The Lincoln Project has endorsed several Democratic and independent candidates running against Republican incumbents who are strong Trump supporters. Along with Alaska, Lenti said this includes races in Maine, Montana, South Carolina, Mississippi and Colorado. Lenti said these incumbents have had “zero conscience” when voting with Trump, which she does not believe reflects the overall constituency in those states. For example, only 48 percent of Alaskans approve of Trump. Moreover, even if Trump does win the 2020 election, Lenti explained that it is important to elect senators and representatives who, unlike Sullivan, will “keep him in check.”

But the Lincoln Project is not endorsing Gross only to defeat Sullivan. Lenti explained that the independent candidate espouses many of the Lincoln Project’s values, including sincerity, honesty and diligence. “He’s well credentialed, committed to Alaska, and offers a serious option,” said Lenti. Gross, the Lincoln Project posits, will provide an independent voice and a counter balance to

Trump.

Lenti acknowledged that Alaska—which is pretty solidly red—is an unlikely battleground state. However, she said, “Alaska has a long independent streak, and all candidates should have a shot.” While winning Alaska may be a “long shot” for Democrats, Lenti believes that Alaskan voters’ trend toward independence and third party candidates gives hope to Democrats in the fight to take back the Senate. This hope, Lenti said, is supported by a recent Harstad Strategic Research poll, which shows Sullivan leading Gross by only one point. The candidates, she said, are “neck and neck, the race is really, really close.”

Also in the race for one of Alaska’s two U.S. Senate seats are Alaskan Independent Party candidate John Wayne Howe and two candidates running write in campaigns.

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