Kreiss-Tomkins beats Bill Thomas for good

54-28 today in the absentees for a 26 vote lead

It's all over but the fat lady singing


SEAS would like to congratulate the next gen politician from Sitka

And aside from some missteps in recent years and 'over the line' issues with ADFG personnel , we would like to take this opportunity to thank Bill Thomas for his years of public service.  And while we are at that, we would Also like to thank Albert Kookesh for his years of public service to Alaska and the communities of Southeast Alaska.  While we have had our differences with former Senator Kookesh, we respect his immense responsibility for the economies of many of our seine based commercial fishing communities like Metlakatla, Kake, Klawock, Craig, Hydaburg and Hoonah.  Both Kookesh and Thomas had 34 seiners along with their 140 crewmembers in their district as residents-- 90% of whom were Sealaska shareholders-- and another 30-40 Sealaska shareholder seiners along with their 150 crew members who fished the same waters but who reside outside now.

Had either gentleman won their seats, Thomas would have inherited a district where over 50% of all seine caught salmon are processed and where 65 seine boat owners and 300 crew membe live while Kookesh would have inherited a district where over 75% of seine caught salmon are processed and over 100 seine boat owners and 500 crew members reside.

We recognize their commitment to growing the SE economy and continuing to support the $40 million in wholesale value of seine-caught salmon ($16 million ex-vessel) caught by Sealaska shareholders in 2012 and the $65 million in wholesale value of seine-caught salmon ($26 million ex-vessel) caught by Sealaska shareholders in 2011.

In their role as Sealaska Board members we look forward to aiding with insight and information and following their lead in working towards a balanced economy of salmon resource development alongside responsible native lands development long into the future for our kids and grandchildren as well as the kids and grandchildren of the respectable  gentlemen from Haines and Angoon.

And likewise, in their roles as the state-recognized leaders of these same seine communities we would like to congratulate their winning opponents in the 2012 election, returning Senator Stedman and newly elected Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.


And, lest we forget, we'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Kyle Johanson for his years of service as Ketchikan's Representative.  Much as Chairman Thomas assisted with our hatchery cost recovery reform legislation, Former Majority Leader Johanson was a huge factor in shepherding our fleet consolidation legislation through the 2010 legislative session.  We at SEAS are profoundly grateful to the job he did, assisting the legislation sponsored by the Representative from Anchorage, Charisse Millette.

Now here's to 4 more years for Senator Egan and Stedman.

And 2 years to JKT, Minority Leader Kerttula, Representative Wilson and Representative Munoz.


Bobbyt