Randall Kowalke was in his church’s parking lot at 8:30 a.m. when he got a call from Gov. Bill Walker.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t the call he was hoping for.<\/p>\n
In a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning, Alaska Senate Republicans rejected Walker’s pick of Kowalke for a senate seat vacated by the resignation of Wasilla’s Mike Dunleavy<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I went into the service, and I prayed for the governor, I prayed for the Senate, I prayed for the people of District E, and I prayed for Alaska,” Kowalke said of his reaction to the governor’s news.<\/p>\n Walker now has 10 days to name another candidate for the job. In the meantime, the Senate continues operating with 19 members.<\/p>\n State law and the Alaska Constitution give a sitting governor 30 days to select someone to fill a legislative vacancy. That person must then be confirmed by those of the same political party who are already in the appropriate Legislative house. The governor can select anyone who is of the same political party as the person being replaced, as long as they meet the constitutional qualifications for the job.<\/p>\n The Republican and Democratic parties in Alaska have come up with procedures to help the governor choose someone acceptable. Those procedures allow local Republicans and Democrats to select a short list of candidates. That list is then forwarded to the governor.<\/p>\n Kowalke, a Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assemblyman, wasn’t among the three nominees suggested to the governor by District E Republicans.<\/p>\n