Palin Goes on TV to Promote Parnell Against Young
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (R) is getting a high-profile assist in the final media push of his primary bid against embattled Rep. Don Young (Alaska).
With less than two weeks to go before the Republican primary, Parnell is up on TV airwaves with an ad that features one of his most prominent supporters Gov. Sarah Palin (R).
The 30-second biographical spot includes about 10 seconds of Palin, who appears to be speaking from a stately office and gives a ringing endorsement of Parnells candidacy.
Sean Parnell is honest, conservative and smart, Palin says in the ad. Hell be a great fighter for Alaska, and Im proud to support him for Congress.
In an interview Wednesday afternoon in his Anchorage office, Parnell characterized Palins role in his campaign as that of a whole-hearted enthusiastic supporter. Running on the same GOP ticket in 2006, Palin and Parnell won on a reform platform and have been a political duo ever since.
She was here when we opened the headquarters. She has done a commercial. She is on the campaign trail at various times and events that we ask her to be at, Parnell said. I can only say that I welcome her support and value her as a person.
Parnell announced his challenge to Young, currently under investigation and running for re-election under a bevy of legal bills, this spring with Palins support.
Additionally, the Club for Growth, which endorsed Parnell earlier this year, also announced Wednesday that they have made a $350,000 ad buy in Alaska for both broadcast and cable. The pointedly negative advertisement from the anti-tax groups 527 arm criticizes Young for reportedly inserting a $10 million earmark in Florida for the now-infamous Coconut Road project.
Independent polling shows a tight race between Parnell and Young for the Aug. 26 contest. State Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux is also running in the GOP primary, though the same polls show her in the single digits.
The Republican victor will face the Democratic nominee, likely former state House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz, in what is expected to be a hotly contested general election.
