The Alaskans for Clean Elections campaign swept through Kodiak Wednesday evening, making their pitch for a ballot measure to create a voluntary program of public funding for candidates running for state public office.

Ballot measure 3, or the Clean Elections Act, which will be on the Aug. 26 primary ballot, aims to reduce the influence of large corporations and special interests in the elections process.

Campaign chair Tim June, who presented the measure to Kodiakans at Fisherman’s Hall, said clean elections laws have been adopted in seven states including Maine, Arizona, North Carolina, New Mexico, Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut.

June believes Alaska should be next.

“It’s apparent to me that of all states that would benefit, Alaska would be No. 1, because we’ve always been subject to some major, powerful industry that’s always dominating decisions that get made in Alaska,” he said. “This would be a way to give that distance that legislators and elected leaders need to make decisions on behalf of the people and not the industries that donate to them.”

The model for Alaska, June said, is based on the best parts of each of the seven states with the law.

“We were so lucky that we had 10 years of hindsight,” he said, referring to the 10 years since Maine first adopted the law. “We took all the seven bills that are currently in place, and we pulled out those parts that fit Alaska most closely. I think we have probably the best clean elections language in the whole country right now.”

Under the proposed law, candidates who opt to run a clean election campaign would be required to gather between 200 and 3,000 signatures, depending on the seat or office they are running for, along with $5 contributions.

The money from the contributions goes into a pool in the state savings account, and the state adds additional money to fund candidates’ campaigns.

Once signatures and contributions are obtained, candidates would be required to pledge to not accept private contributions. They would then qualify for public funding ranging from $16,000 to $250,000 for primary elections, and $24,000 to $500,000 for general elections. They also would qualify for up to three times the public funding amount if they were outspent by opponents not participating in the program, in both the primary and general elections.

June said a clean elections law could potentially pave the way for more people to run for public office, especially those who might otherwise not be able to afford to run.

Based on the campaign’s most recent polling data, there is widespread support for the measure across Alaska, with an estimated approval rating of about 70 percent.

June said the campaign has received endorsements and support from both sides of the political aisle.

“It’s a bipartisan thing,” he said. “It doesn’t favor one party over another.”

June said he’s seen little resistance or opposition to the measure, aside from people not wanting to provide public financing to candidates they don’t necessarily agree with.

“One of the rhetorical arguments I’ve heard is that it’s welfare for politicians. That’s kind of a classic argument that’s been used,” June said. “So there is some undercurrent resistance to it, but very little in-state opposition.”

June has worked tirelessly for the grassroots campaign, volunteering his time and spreading the word across Alaska for the past 18 months.

“I got involved just as a concerned citizen,” he said. “It’s been a passion of mine for about six years.”

June is currently a candidate for public office, running as a Democrat for Alaska House District 5. However, he said he wants to keep the clean elections campaign and his own campaign separate “just to be fair to my opponent.”

“I’m trying to keep the two campaigns separate, because I don’t want to gain an unfair advantage as the chair of clean elections,” he said.

June said Alaskans will have only one chance to vote for the Clean Elections Act, the Aug. 26 primary.

“This will be the only opportunity we have. It’s not going to be on the general ballot,” June said.

After successfully raising $65,000 for the signature gathering necessary to get the measure on the ballot, the campaign’s next challenge is to raise money for a print and TV advertising campaign.

“We’re hoping to raise money for our media campaign,” June said. “There’s no question in my mind that we can get this message out. I have no doubt that this thing will pass with flying colors. We just want better government, something that is more representative, more democratic, something the people of Alaska could control.”

Mirror writer Erik Wander can be reached via e-mail at ewander@kodiakdailymirror.com.