Anchorage businessman Scott Hawkins was one of the early entrants in to the Republican field for governor, but never seemed to gain much traction in the months since his entry and has now withdrawn from the race.
According to KTVA, which broke the news, Hawkins said the last-minute entrance of Mead Treadwell forced him out of the race. The departure leaves former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy and Treadwell, a former lieutenant governor, as the last serious contenders for the Alaska Republican Party’s nomination.
“I have concluded that recent developments in the race, particularly the last-minute entry of Mead Treadwell, significantly diminished my ability to win the primary,” Hawkins said in a prepared statement.
“I was looking forward to facing Sen. Mike Dunleavy, head-to-head,” he said. “The two of us offered Republican primary voters different visions for Alaska as we engaged in a friendly, respectful airing of our ideas on the campaign trail. Mead’s entry into the race significantly complicated this contrast.”
Hawkins’ campaign had been mostly self-funding according to the Feb. 28 campaign disclosure documents filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. Of $217,170 raised, Hawkins had contributed $200,000 of his own money. As of the filing of that report, he had spent just $32,892.59 on his campaign.
In early May, Hawkins also announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but planned on staying in the race while undergoing treatment.
Be the first to comment on "Hawkins drops out of GOP race for governor, citing Treadwell’s entrance: Report"