Breaking: Democrat Challenging Giessel Drops Out

Hillary Morgan has sent an email to supporters saying she will be dropping out of her run for the  East Anchorage/Hillside state senate seat. Morgan was running to unseat Senator Cathy Giessel and had received the support of the Alaska Democratic Party, who gave Morgan the maximum allowable annual donation of $5000 just before the end of the year.

Here is Morgan’s email to supporters:

“Thank you so much for your campaign contributions and faith in me but it is with a heavy heart that I am officially withdrawing my letter of intent to run for Alaska State Senate in the 2016 election.  It has become clear to me over the past couple of weeks that the professional obligations I have to YWCA Alaska will be directly and negatively impacted by a Senate run at this time.  The work that I’m doing at the YWCA Alaska on behalf of all Alaskans requires me to be non-partisan, apolitical and grassroots to gain the broad support needed to achieve our 10-year initiative to eliminate the gender pay gap in Alaska and our work on changing the conversation around race and intercultural interactions.

To all those who have helped me get this campaign off the ground, I cannot thank you enough.  I am extremely appreciative of your help and the confidence you have placed in me.  I will continue to work to make Alaska a great place to live for all and hope someday, perhaps when retired, I can return to public service through political office. “

Morgan’s withdrawal may open the door for Harry Crawford, who lost handily to Geisel two years ago, to take her on against this year. Crawford filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission to run for a state office, but didn’t specify which one.  The only two state offices he could run for are state house and state senate.