Andrew Halcro a rarity in politics

By Mike Dingman
Alaska Standard Contributor

Rarely in a lifetime do we see dynamic and truly brilliant men make the sacrifice to move into public service. Andrew Halcro is one of those men. When he would stand up on the floor of the Alaska State House of Representatives, everybody would listen, because while nobody knew exactly what he was going to say, we all knew it was going to be brilliant.

A life-long Alaskan, Halcro has been business minded since the time he could walk. He worked his way up through his family’s business and earned the position of President and CEO that he currently holds. He is a business minded Republican that thinks outside of the box, which irritates many of the old guard in the Alaskan Republican Party.

Andrew has a way of reaching across the aisle and appealing to people from many different ideologies. It is impossible to tag his ideology with a label because it is born of well educated and researched critical thought rather than a blindly followed, blanketed ideology. The style in which he leads shows that he believes in the intelligence of people. He is type of man that, regardless of his status, will sit down to lunch with you and explain why he feels the way he feels. He is the same person whether he is dressed to the nines speaking directly to the heart of Alaskans or sitting in jeans on his deck drinking a beer.

Andrew has, by some, been described as a smug, silver-spoon fed “effete young chap” not grounded in the reality that you and I live out every day. This characterization could not be further from the truth. He is a champion for the little guy. During his term as a State House Representative he alienated himself from the Republican Party by speaking out against the closed caucus attitude they held. He believes that government should be open and honest. He is right.

The dedication that Halcro has for his state can be seen on the blog he maintains on his website www.andrewhalcro.com . He spends his free time engaging Alaskans on the important issues of the day. Even in his private life his passion lies in fostering discussion and debate in the public policy arena.

On Tuesday the Anchorage Daily News political blog reported that Andrew Halcro may be rethinking his run for The United State House of Representatives against incumbent Congressman Don Young. Halcro cites personal and corporate responsibilities and opportunities as potential reasons for not running.

Alaska needs leaders like Andrew Halcro. We need to keep men like him involved in the process of creating public policy. We need a man like Andrew Halcro to be our representative in Congress. He is a statesman in every sense of the world and would surely be as accessible in the US House as he was in the State House. He would bring a sense of fiscal responsibility with him that is sorely missing right now in Washington DC.
Whatever his reasons and whatever his decision Andrew Halcro will be an essential voice in local politics for a long time to come. I am confident that he will continue to be found at political fundraisers, events and on a regular basis on his website. However, the selfish part of me clings to the hope that Halcro will run for Congress. The tide has turned and it is time for Congressman Young to go. Halcro is young, enthusiastic, brilliant and the perfect candidate for the job.

There is nobody I would rather have represent me in the House of Representatives than Andrew Halcro. Having such a man as our lone Congressman would not only strengthen the state, but also have a tremendous impact on our public image. Andrew, I know you will make the decision that is best for you and your family, however, this Alaskan truly hopes you will run and represent Alaska with the dedication and proficiency which you have demonstrated that only you can do.