Alaskan independent candidate Margaret Stock is one of 5 candidates running to unseat Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R). Recognizing the challenges of running against an incumbent, Stock still believes that she can win the race if she can build strong enough name recognition before November 8.
Stock's resume boasts work at the Pentagon, service as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Military Police, U.S. Army Reserve, and teaching at both the United States Military Academy at West Point and the University of Alaska.
Her experience in the military and defense sector could end up giving her a leg up on the competition, but Stock admits that running against a Republican incumbent in Alaska is not easy.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has an undeniable advantage in terms of name recognition and funding. However, Stock is convinced that if she can get her name out enough before the election, the majority of voters will favor her over Murkowski.
In an interview with IVN, Stock put it this way:
“The independent label shows voters that I will not put the interests of Alaskan corporations over those of Alaskans.”
With over half of registered voters in Alaska identifying as independent, Stock remains hopeful that her lack of party affiliation will win her a seat in the senate.
A poll from mid-October reveals the tall hurdle she has to overcome as it found her at a little over 7 percent. But October polls are never an exact prediction of how voters will cast their ballots on Election Day.
When asked the most important thing she wished to address upon her potential election into the U.S. Senate, Stock replied:
“Partisan Gridlock in Washington. There should be three functioning branches in the government, but right now there is really only one. Congress is not doing its core job. All the partisan system has done is give us the two most unpopular presidential candidates in U.S. history. The executive branch is the only one attempting to solve problems and actually doing its job. But it is becoming too powerful.”
Stock also mentioned that as an independent candidate, she is endorsed by The Centrist Project, which aims at electing enough independents to form a caucus which could ultimately serve as "a power broker between parties to get things done.”
Currently, just two seats in the Senate are held by independents. With the general elections less than a week away, Stock hopes to change that.