DLCC-funded group reports $172,748 against five Republican Alaska House candidates

A Washington, D.C., group funded by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee reported Monday that it has spent or owes $172,748.70 opposing five Republican candidates for the Alaska House of Representatives.

The group, American Leadership Committee-Alaska, opposes Sheldon R.J. Prout in House District 5, Sarah L. Vance in District 6, Julie Coulombe in District 11, Mia Costello in District 15 and Harmony Tomaszewski in District 34 in the Nov. 3 general election.

Its latest report to the Alaska Public Offices Commission lists $71,344.24 paid Oct. 2 to Gambit Strategies LLC of Bethesda, Maryland, for digital ads and production, and $66,660.78 owed to Deliver Strategies of Arlington, Virginia, for direct mail. An Oct. 8 report listed $34,743.68 in digital ads paid Sept. 28.

Costello is the biggest target so far, at $38,653.21, followed by Tomaszewski at $36,801.56, Coulombe at $35,463.70, Vance at $31,527.77 and Prout at $30,302.46.

All $106,300 the group has raised this year came from the DLCC, in payments of $34,800 on Sept. 28 and $71,500 on Oct. 5. The reports list individuals beneath each payment as the true sources of the DLCC's money. None gives an Alaska address.

The group registered Sept. 1 "To support Democratic candidates for state legislative offices," with Heather Kashner as chair and Emanuel Banks as treasurer. It has filed in Alaska in 2020, 2022 and 2024. In 2024, it reported $444,274.32, mostly against six Republican legislative candidates, including $57,095.40 against Costello.

Each of the five districts had two candidates in the Aug. 18 primary, so both advance. Nonpartisan candidates Kathy C. Simpler, Brent Johnson and Joy Beth Cottle led Prout, Vance and Tomaszewski, respectively, and Democrat Denny Wells led Costello. Coulombe was the only one of the five Republicans to lead, finishing 55 votes ahead of Democrat Danni M. Hall.

Other groups are spending in the same races. Americans for Prosperity Action-Alaska and Moving Alaska Forward back several of the five Republicans, and Families of the Last Frontier backs Prout. The Putting Alaskans First Committee and The Alaska Center IE are among groups spending for their opponents. The Alaska Republican Party has written checks marked "Candidate Support" to all five campaigns, from $4,500 to Harmony for Alaska to $9,500 to Prout for Alaska.