In a news release Monday, Juneau Assembly member Debbie White condemned mayoral candidate Karen Crane’s use of an old assembly photo on campaign materials.
The photo was from the city’s homepage and shows the nine-person assembly — which included Crane at the time — seated and smiling. White said she found out when a friend mistook it as her endorsement of Crane.
“I guess my biggest concern is that wasn’t hers photo to use. She didn’t have the permission of the people in that photo to use that photo and it’s very deceiving,” White said.
White’s press release says then-Mayor Merrill Sanford, current Mayor Mary Becker, and Assemblymember Jerry Nankervis also oppose the use of the image.
The assembly decided to hold a special election after the December death of Mayor Greg Fisk. It’s estimated to cost the city around $35,000. Becker, White and Nankervis voted against it.
Crane voted in favor of the election and resigned from her assembly seat in January to run.
White endorses Crane’s opponent Ken Koelsch, and she feels like the use of her image, along with the other assembly members, could mislead voters. But Crane said that wasn’t her intention.
“There is absolutely nothing in my brochure that indicates that I am receiving any support from any person in that photograph,” Crane said. “It was just a photo of me at work.”
Crane using the image doesn’t violate city codes, according to city attorney Amy Mead. But White believes it could be a campaign violation under state law if it was paid for by public funds.
White said she plans to consult the Alaska Public Office Commission on the matter. At deadline, the commission didn’t have a complaint on record.
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Ken Koelsch’s name. We regret the error.
