Five years ago I never would have guessed that I would run for Congress. Sometimes in life there are moments that change you and cause you to stand up in ways that you may never have thought possible. My moment was when my son took flight down a mountainside at Snow Mass Colorado with a photo of his descent floating around cyber space. By itself, it wouldn’t seem so extraordinary, except that he was a double amputee still recovering from wounds he suffered five and half months before in Iraq.
No parent ever wants to receive the call. Your son has been injured. … He is VSI (Very Seriously Injured). It’s his leg… a bomb… He may lose both his legs. …We only send family to Germany if the soldier may not make it. …You need to go to Germany.
My stance against the war, strong from the war’s start five years ago, had hardened, even while my son was serving his four-year commitment. I was vocal about the war’s seriously flawed execution, and how we entered into it. I was quite angry about stop-loss and the extensions of our troops, and mostly about the realities of what our troops and their families were facing. I wore military socks and held pictures of my son while denouncing the powers that be for not properly outfitting our troops. I stood before government hospitals and service groups and advocates for peace and anyone who would listen advocating for PTSD treatment and education, and support for extended family members like parents. As a parent of an only child who was serving as Infantry in a war zone, I was often in a panic. I kept my sanity by talking. It didn’t always work.
One day, I was feeding my sled dogs (I have nine of them), when I hyperventilated and fell to my knees. Another day I got stuck behind a funeral procession for a soldier killed in combat when I was trying to drive to town, and I fell apart. Like so many spouses and parents across the country, I’d suck it up and go on.
Then one night, while attending the opera I was gripped with fear. Hours later I was wakened with the call.
After Germany, I spent three and half months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center before finally having to get back to work and home. My son spent a total of ten months in DC, fortunately, with his wonderful wife by his side. The entire experience was beyond sobering for me. I felt a new strength in me, and a profound compassion for others.
I asked Don Young to visit our wounded at WRAMC, and he said he would and that he would visit my son. He didn’t. I was appalled to discover how little he had done for Veterans in 33 years in Congress.
In April 2006 when the Internet was swiftly bringing the photo of my son soaring on a mono-ski to viewers across the nation, I was watching Don Young on television. His demeanor angered me. Why was he merely rubber-stamping the Bush agenda? Where was his backbone? Why did he not stand up for our troops? Who made him accountable to Alaska? Was anyone going to run against this man or was he once again going to have a free pass to Congress?
What are our politicians afraid of? Do I have to do it myself?? I wondered out-loud. A few days later I filed to run.
In 2006, after winning the Democratic Primary, Diane went on to win over 41% of the vote, making history as one of only three opponents to ever come close to unseating Don Young. And her campaign spent only 15% as much as Young on the election.
Diane also caused a first in Alaska history when she forced the incumbent into a live televised debate. She was also the first to successfully challenge the Alaska Federation of Natives policy that prevented opponents of the Congressional incumbent to speak on the floor of the convention. Diane won the majority of votes in the town of Ft. Yukon, Don Young’s claimed hometown.
After the 2006 election, I pondered whether or not to run against Don Young again in 2008. I knew from the start that Young’s poor showing would attract more interest in the 2008 campaign. I expected at least one of a number of prominent Democratic politicians here to file for the race.
Even before the 2006 election, with the searches of Republican state legislators’ offices, and with the 2006 conviction of Young’s partner in the creation of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas sweatshop empire, Jack Abramoff, I had a feeling the corruption in Alaska politics was deeper than most realized. Over the winter of 2006-2007, I decided that I’m a candidate who offers a clean break with our state’s legislative past. I filed once again to run for a chance at Don’s seat in early 2007.
Soon afterward, Federal agents arrested several Alaska legislators. Our senior U.S. Senator’s home was searched. Every week brought new revelations about how badly our public trust had been betrayed by these men, and by those who enabled them in the corruption of our political processes.
I was more determined than ever about my decision to not only go after Don Young, but to challenge my primary opponents on important issues facing Alaskans.
