Young Announces He'll Seek 20th Term in Congress

By Sean Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News

June 30, 2009

Alaska Rep. Don Young announced Monday he will seek re- election next year to his 20th term.

The 76-year-old Young, Alaska's lone representative in the U.S. House, filed with the elections division in Anchorage. He said he was filing earlier than in any of his previous campaigns because of what he called rumors he would bow out.

"Maybe this will put to rest some of those people that are ambitious and want to run for this seat, understanding I'm there and the people will decide whether I stay or not," he said.

At least two Republicans are considering challenging Young in the party primary. State Rep. John Coghill and former Rep. Andrew Halcro, who ran for governor as an independent in 2006, both spoke with Young about their interest in the seat.

"I was trying to be straight with him, said that if I felt he was in danger of not being able to win that seat I would consider running," said Coghill, of North Pole.

Coghill said it's too soon to make that call. Any movement regarding the Department of Justice investigation of Young would obviously be significant, he said, and he'll be watching Young's votes in Congress and who files to run against him.

Halcro said he's considering options that include running for Congress, making another bid for governor or just supporting the best Republican candidates who run. Halcro said he's set a personal deadline of mid-September to decide.

"I had a great conversation with Congressman Young last month and told him I was considering a run for his seat and he responded he thought I should run for governor instead," he said.

There's no clear Democratic challenger. Ethan Berkowitz, who ran against Young last year, won't seek a rematch and is considering a run for governor instead.

Young defeated Democrat Berkowitz by over 16,000 votes. He had a tighter contest in the Republican primary, beating Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell by just 304 votes. Parnell isn't saying whether he might be interested in trying again.

The federal investigation of Young was a dominant issue in last year's election and is still ongoing with no charges against him. Young expressed frustration Monday over its pace.

"We've been cooperating (in the investigation) for darn near 32 months now," Young said. "We're going to continue to do what we have to do. I'm confident in where we are, always have been. I'm a little frustrated because this is a long time. Everybody asks me 'what can you tell us,' I argue I really don't know."

Young's spending on lawyers appears to be slowing, as has the money he's raising to pay his legal bills. Young paid out more than $1 million from his re-election treasury over the years but set up a legal expense fund last year to cover such costs.

Young has never detailed the exact nature of the investigation, but last year Congress asked the Justice Department to investigate an earmark in Florida that stood to benefit a campaign contributor. Young also has been tied to the federal probe into corruption in Alaska politics, which included the fundraising practices of the former oil services company Veco Corp. and Bill Allen, its chief executive. Allen was star witness in the trial of then-U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, which ended with the judge tossing out the conviction after prosecutorial misconduct.

Earlier this month, a pair of former state legislators jailed in the corruption probe were released early after problems emerged with their federal prosecution as well. Young said he had no idea how those developments might affect his investigation.

Young, in announcing his re-election bid, said he's still the best for the job of representing Alaska. He said he believes Congress is on the "slippery slope of socialism" and suggested that Democratic control of it could be fleeting.

"With what's going on in Washington, D.C., we may have some real surprises in 2010 and definitely 2012. The bloom is going to wear off the president," he said.