Say No to the Double Dipping Tomaszewskis
KTUU Story - 6/8/26
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - Candidates running against Rep. Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks, and his wife Harmony Tomaszewski are calling Sen. Robert Myers’ last-minute retirement and the family succession that followed “political maneuvering” — while the Tomaszewskis have not responded to Alaska’s News Source’s repeated requests for comment.
Myers said secret lieutenant governor talks forced his hand as he announced his retirement hours before the filing deadline, endorsed Rep. Frank Tomaszewski for his District Q seat, and Tomaszewski’s wife Harmony Tomaszewski filed for her husband’s House District 34 seat the same day.
Candidate William Hunt, running for the Senate seat in District Q against Rep. Tomaszewski, acknowledged the “political maneuvering” framing in a written statement to Alaska’s News Source — but said his campaign is focused elsewhere.
“Voters can decide for themselves whether they are comfortable with how the process unfolded,” Hunt said. “Ultimately, the voters of District Q will decide which vision they prefer.”
“My campaign is not built around personalities or political insiders,” Hunt added.
Republican John Anderson and Nonpartisan Joy Beth Cottle are running against Harmony, who is also registered as a Republican, in the House race. Cottle, who received 46 percent of the vote in the 2024 primary and 44 percent in the general election, said she had heard rumors about the retirement announcement and what the representative would potentially do.
Cottle said she “was not surprised that Frank (Tomaszewski) wasn’t ready to give up his seat without passing it on to someone,” and she already had some intuition that Harmony Tomaszewski might be that person.
“I’m confident it’s going to be a strong campaign,” Cottle said. “I’m out there hitting doors and getting my signs up.”
Anderson, a Republican who filed for the House seat the same day Myers made the announcement, declined to be interviewed.
Myers, in a previous interview with Alaska’s News Source, said that while he had spoken to Rep. Tomaszewski about potentially needing a successor for his Senate seat, he told him to “start looking around for a successor of your position as well.” Myers added he “wasn’t trying to influence who that would be.”
Cottle said the late announcement does create a strategic difference.
“I’ve been working since November when I filed and she’s got some catching up to do,” Cottle said. She also noted Anderson’s presence in the race and said, “we’ll see how much of a factor he plays.”
With two Republicans in the House race, Cottle said she sees an opportunity.
“I think if they split any other Republican vote, I have a pretty good chance,” she said. “I’m not going to leave any of it to chance, though. I’m going to do the work, and I’m ready to see this through.”
While Cottle stopped short of calling it political maneuvering herself, she acknowledged the view is widely shared — instead focusing on the strategic advantage of late filings within the existing rules.
“I think there’s a lot of reports statewide who also share that view,” she said. “I’m not going to comment on any intent or what maneuvering was being done there.”
Myers had also addressed the strategy element in his earlier interview with Alaska’s News Source, saying candidates are “trying to figure out... under the ranked choice voting” how running mates work together from the beginning.
On the prospect of a husband and wife potentially representing overlapping districts — Senate District Q encompasses both House Districts 33 and 34 — Cottle said, “We’ll let the voters decide if they want a family representing them or if they want a little diversity in that.”
She also raised questions about how that dynamic would play out if both were elected.
“Legislators need the support of their family and to have both parents serving in that role, I wonder about the family support that would be necessary there,” she said. “I know Harmony has played a crucial role in Frank’s success and his campaigning, all of the things that he does as legislator. She’s been right there behind him and so it’ll be interesting to see how that impacts both of their races.”
When asked whether the retirement announcement shifted her campaign strategy, Cottle was direct.
“No, I’m going to run my campaign clean, straight, and I have a plan. I’m going to stick with the plan,” she said.
Hunt kept his response brief on the broader dynamics of the race.
“Ultimately, the voters of District Q will decide which vision they prefer,” he said.
On the question of whether the last-minute retirement could set a precedent for future elections, Cottle saw it as a matter of strategy within existing rules.
“We’re all held to the same deadline. Whether we play our cards early in the game or late in the game,” she said. “You can get fundraising and start building your support base earlier. But also, if you want to hold back and play at the last minute, that’s what the rules are for. We have a deadline for a reason.”
As of publication, the Tomaszewskis had still not responded to Alaska’s News Source’s repeated requests for comment.