Targeting Dunleavy, Democratic Governors Association injects $500K into Alaska race

With the election just a week away, get ready for a last-minute wave of those dark-and-stormy attack ads in the Alaska governor's race.

The Democratic Governors Association injected $500,000 into the effort to defeat Republican candidate Mike Dunleavy, according to a 24-hour report filed today. Like the Republican Governors Association — which has reported spending more than $2.7 million in support of Dunleavy as of Oct. 8 — the DGA is an independent expenditure group.

Independent expenditure groups can receive unlimited donations from groups and individuals to target the Alaska race. In any given election cycle, they are often the source of the sharpest attack ads, slamming the opposition party candidate while allowing the group's favored candidate to take the messaging high road if they so choose.

Here's an example of the DGA ad, claiming Dunleavy votes put "criminals on the street." And the RGA money, funneled through a group called Families for Alaska's Future, is helping to pay for ads like this one that portrayed Begich and Gov. Bill Walker as tax-happy job killers.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/politics/the-trail/2018/10/30/targeting-dunleavy-democratic-governors-association-injects-500k-into-alaska-race/