ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Republican lieutenant governor candidate Edie Grunwald is withdrawing from the November election after her running mate, former Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce, was sued over allegations he sexually harassed a former borough employee.
Grunwald thanked Alaskans who supported the campaign and encouraged them to vote for fellow Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, but said “recent circumstances” surrounding Pierce had led her to make the decision to step aside.
“I support and advocate for the respectful treatment of women in politics, the workplace and the world in general,” Grunwald said in a prepared statement. “I believe my stepping down at this time is in the best interest of Alaskans and a demonstration of my support for all women, regardless of political affiliation.”
In an email, Grunwald said that her stepping aside does not mean that she is calling on Pierce to withdraw.
“Absolutely not,” she said. “That is his decision. He believes and pushes for liberty and has many accomplishments. This is all very unfortunate. My withdrawal is in no way a reflection of guilt or innocence. It was a difficult decision because people may think it is.”
Pierce appeared on a conservative radio program, “The Michael Dukes Show,” on Tuesday morning and declined to speak about the sexual harassment allegations leveled against him by a former executive assistant who worked in his office when he was borough mayor.
“My attorneys advised me to not talk about future litigation,” he said. “So today I’d like to talk about my campaign and happy to answer any questions about the campaign.”
Pierce finished fourth in August’s primary election with 6.6% of the vote. He has not responded to requests for comment from the Anchorage Daily News about his plans, but over the weekend, he told The Associated Press that “I’ll be in the race.”
Pierce and Grunwald will remain on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election after the state’s withdrawal deadline passed Sept. 5. Early voting began Monday.
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