MY TURN: Sullivan a consistant voice for Alaska

Published 4:30 am Saturday, October 24, 2026

“Don’t switch horses in midstream” — Abraham Lincoln

I supported and voted for Dan S. Sullivan in 2014 and 2020 and will again this year.

Here’s what impressed me initially about Dan S. Sullivan:

Sullivan is a scholar.

Sullivan graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Next Sullivan went to Georgetown University. There he pursued both a law degree and a master of science in foreign service (MSFS). The dual degrees required four years of full-time study with 74 hours of Law Center courses and 39 hours of MSFS work. Sullivan was a member of the Georgetown Law Journal and received the MSFS Award for academic excellence.

Sullivan is a statesman.

Sullivan was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2006 as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. Sullivan worked with Condoleezza Rice. For the next two years, Sullivan immersed himself in economic and security issues. He is a recipient of the National Security Council Outstanding Service Award.

Sullivan is a veteran.

Sullivan was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve with decades of service as an infantry and reconnaissance officer. While Sullivan served with the reconnaissance battalion in Anchorage, Alaska, he was recalled to active-duty three times: 2004-2006, 2009, and in July 2013, a six-week tour in Afghanistan. Dan Sullivan is the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Sullivan is tireless and intelligent.

I continue to be impressed with Dan S. Sullivan and again suggest you consider voting for him.

Southeast Conference recently gathered in Ketchikan. Sullivan was there. He shows up.

One of the featured conference speakers presented “Southeast Alaska by the Numbers 2026.” Data was projected out to 2055. It was shocking to see Southeast Alaska population projected to lose 15,690 (-22%). Even more shocking was a Juneau projected population decline of 7,593 (-24%).

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) Assembly has indicated that stopping the population decline and growing our population will be their immediate focus. Protecting the housing we have now and promoting additional housing to stimulate population growth is critical over the next years. Sullivan is strategically placed as a member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee.

On Aug. 7, 2024, Sullivan flew to Juneau after the largest glacial outburst to that date ever recorded on the Mendenhall river system and spoke with homeowners and local leaders. Aug 8, Sullivan engaged the FEMA administrator for emergency response to the flooding. A meeting with CBJ and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) followed on Aug. 16.

In September the Corps authorized eight miles of HESCO barriers and 60,000 sandbags.

Sullivan followed through with meetings and phone calls in October, November and December. Sullivan requested and secured millions of dollars in 2024 and 2025 in funding for the Mendenhall Glacier flood recovery (immediate and long term) and mitigation and restoration in areas of the flooding. Currently Sullivan and his office are working to secure language in the Water Resources Development Act to authorize funding for a solution to the glacial outburst flooding. Sullivan and his office have focused continually on the flooding and they have been successful in keeping it at the forefront of federal agencies.

Sullivan is also chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the Coast Guard. Sullivan’s advocacy through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act was critical in securing $25 billion for the Coast Guard. In July 2025, Sullivan also secured $300 million to homeport the icebreaker Storis in Juneau. Juneau’s population will gain several hundred Coast Guard members and their families through Sullivan’s efforts.

Abraham Lincoln, at the time of the Civil War, in a 1864 speech directed to a delegation from the National Union League pointed out that he was running again, “…because it was best not to swap horses when crossing streams.”

Juneau is smack in the middle of several critical issues now and we need our federal partners. Sullivan shows up, he speaks up, he works tirelessly for Juneau and Alaska.

We have an important choice to make in the next two weeks. Our security and economic future ride on our choice.

Daniel S. Sullivan is the right choice

Ken Koelsch was a City and Borough of Juneau Assembly member from 1997 to 2003 and mayor from 2016 to 2018.