Samuels joins governor's race, says he'll eye oil taxes

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Former state House Majority Leader Ralph Samuels announced Tuesday he's running for governor next year. That sets up a Republican primary fight among Samuels, Gov. Sean Parnell and Anchorage attorney Bill Walker over Alaska's relationship with the oil industry.

Samuels was a big critic of the 2007 increase in taxes on oil companies pushed by then-Gov. Sarah Palin. Parnell supported it as Palin's lieutenant governor and still does.

On Tuesday, Samuels described the vote to increase oil taxes as a "feeding frenzy."

"As governor I'll work to encourage economic development. We'll look at the current tax structures to determine whether or not there's an opportunity to stem the recent rapid decline in oil production and oil exploration in Alaska," Samuels said, making the announcement after an Anchorage luncheon of the Resource Development Council.

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