Former Democratic state legislator Ethan Berkowitz has entered Anchorage’s mayoral race. He announced his candidacy to a small crowd in midtown Tuesday afternoon. He’s the ninth candidate to enter the pool.
Berkowitz says he wants to focus on improving public safety and strengthening Anchorage’s economy. He says solutions for Anchorage’s problems will happen at the local level and through public and private partnerships. He hasn’t held political office since 2007.
“I think my time outside of politics has given me a perspective that’s gonna be extremely useful because it’s given me a deeper understanding of what the fiscal needs are of the business community. We’re never going to solve Alaska’s problems simply by relying on government.”
Berkowitz says he’ll also be a passionate advocate for education and tap into state and federal resources to promote his goals.
“The first I’ll do is — I’ll advocate for this — I’m gonna try to find ways to get pre-K available to Anchorage’s people,” he told the applauding crowd who gathered to hear his remarks at Spenard Roadhouse.
The final filing deadline for the Anchorage race is on Friday. Berkowitz says he waited to file until former mayor and Senator Mark Begich decided not to run.
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anne here.
