Colleen Redman attended to better understand all the candidates, but her votes were already secure with Mark Begich, a Democrat and the mayor of Anchorage, who is running for the Senate seat contested this year, and Ethan Berkowitz, a Democrat seeking the state House of Representatives job, she said. “Begich and Ethan Berkowitz are for quality preschool, which I think is a key issue for our entire country,” she pointed out.

Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis sent Ethan several questions for her blog. The questions covered topics ranging from the war in Iraq to energy policy to veterans. Read Ethan’s answers here.

Today Congressional candidate Ethan Berkowitz released a new position statement on Veteran’s issues. The statement covers Berkowitz’s positions on health care, benefits and the new G.I. Bill, saying “Alaska has the highest per capita population of veterans in the country. It’s important to make Veterans’ issues Alaskan and American issues, and I plan to do so when I represent our state in Washington DC.”

George Washington said, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.” Ultimately, our national security and our national honor requires treating our troops like the heroes that they are. We need to serve them as honorably as they have served America. One of the commitments we make as a country is that when our troops go to war, the entire country goes with them, and when they come home, the entire country honors the promises made for their service.

The race for Alaska’s lone seat in Congress made a stop Friday in Mountain View. Four out of the five candidates talked about immigration, healthcare, education and the economy at the Hispanic Affairs Council of Alaska forum. Congressman Don Young, who told the council he had a scheduling conflict, was a no show.

All four candidates gunning for Don Young’s seat in the U.S. House made their case Friday night for why voters should choose them over the 18-term incumbent at a Hispanic Affairs Council candidate forum in Anchorage. Ethan described how he’s been “field tested” through 10 years in the state House, most of them spent as Democratic minority leader. He said he has proven his mettle, and seemed most passionate when speaking about alternative energy: “If we show the rest of the country we have a better way of getting our energy we can exert leadership and have moral authority,” Berkowitz told the audience.

“Education is the lighting of a fire, not the filling of a bucket.” – William Butler Yeats. I couldn’t agree more. As the parents of a public school student, nothing is more important to Mara and me than making sure all Alaska children receive a good education. I will work to make sure Washington supports the right changes to our schools, rather than getting in the way of progress.

Ethan spent his lunch hour in the Student Union at UAA, sharing pizza with students and answering their tough questions on everything from renewable energy to foreign policy. He looks forward to doing it again!

From Kodiak, KMXT’s Jay Barrett talks with Ethan Berkowitz, Democratic candidate for Congress. Berkowitz served several terms in the State House, representing Anchorage, and ran for lieutenant governor with Tony Knowles two years ago.