Labor-funded committee backs Republican Ruby Jones and opposes both her rivals in Eagle River House race

A labor-funded committee is supporting Republican Ruby Jones in the Eagle River House race and paying for ads against both of her opponents, Republican incumbent Jamie Allard and Democrat Lee Eric Hammermeister.

The Putting Alaskans First Committee reported nearly $40,000 in radio, mail and online ads supporting Jones in House District 23, according to its filings this week with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. It reported $5,000 in online ads opposing Allard and a mailer opposing Hammermeister that cost under $700. The spending is independent, meaning the committee runs the ads without coordinating with any campaign.

In the same filings, the committee reported $320,000 in new contributions, most of it from unions. The largest, $175,000, came from the National Education Association's advocacy fund. The rest came from the Alaska State Employees Association's political action committee, an SEIU committee and the Alaska House Democratic Campaign Committee.

The committee is run by Alaska AFL-CIO officials. Its chair, Kimberly Hays, is the federation's political director, and its treasurer is AFL-CIO President Joelle Hall. It lists the federation's Anchorage office as its address and owes the AFL-CIO for the online ads in the Eagle River race. Hall said at a public hearing in July that she has been involved with the committee for 20 years.

The committee is spending in other legislative races too. In five of them, it is paying for mail supporting one candidate and opposing another:

• supporting nonpartisan Brent Johnson and opposing Republican incumbent Sarah Vance

• supporting Democrat Cliff Groh and opposing Republican Dan Sager

• supporting nonpartisan Joy Beth Cottle and opposing Republican Harmony Tomaszewski

• supporting Danni Hall and opposing Republican incumbent Julie Coulombe

• supporting Denny Wells and opposing Republican incumbent Mia Costello

It is also supporting Republicans Gina Wall and Louise Stutes, along with Ky Holland, Katherine Simpler and Robyn Niayuq Frier, without reporting spending against their opponents.

The online ads start Sept. 25 and the radio ads Oct. 1. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 4.