Months before Alaska’s state elections, the Legislature is set for major turnover.
At least 17 of the Legislature’s 60 members will be in a new position or out of office entirely by next January — and that doesn’t count anyone who loses their seat in this fall’s elections.
The deadline to file for this year’s legislative elections is June 1, but many candidates have already made up their minds.
Because a steep learning curve awaits new legislators, several departing incumbents said the turnover will slow the progress of complicated legislation, such as a long-awaited state fiscal plan.
“We’re continuing to lose experience, and I think that’s extremely harmful for our state and the Legislature,” said Anchorage Rep. Calvin Schrage. “I find one of the big challenges is just getting everyone on the same page, as far as basic facts about the budget, how the legislative process works, and we’re gonna have to start at ground zero for a lot of new folks.”
Others said the turnover may result in changes in leadership of the state House and Senate, including the possibility of a Republican-controlled House or a bipartisan coalition-controlled Senate.
By the end of the day last Friday, 10 incumbents had declared that they will not seek reelection.
Another five members of the House are running for Senate or governor, and at least one more is considering a similar jump. Redistricting will claim another two House incumbents by forcing them to run against other incumbents in newly redrawn districts.
In the 20-person Senate, four legislators aren’t running for re-election, including Senate President Peter Micciche, of Soldotna, a 10-year veteran of the Senate. The others are Sens. Lora Reinbold, of Eagle River; Josh Revak, of Anchorage; and Natasha von Imhof, of Anchorage. Revak is running for Congress.
“It’s incredibly unusual. In my lifetime in the Senate, I don’t remember that many incumbents retiring,” said former Senate President Cathy Giessel. She spent 10 years in the Senate before losing in the 2020 Republican primary. She is now running again.
Anchorage Rep. Ivy Spohnholz decided against running for re-election in order to address an unspecified family issue.
“There is a lot of turnover this year. I think that legislative years are like dog years in some respects,” Spohnholz said, referring to the demands they place on individual lawmakers.
Over the past two years, lawmakers were in session at the Capitol for 338 days, more than any other two-year term in state history.
Some of the departing legislators described days away from their families, deeply polarized political arguments and the financial strain that comes from having to maintain two households.
“I think some of the people that have been there have either felt that they can’t get things done, or their personal life is calling them back for whatever reason, whether that’s personal, financial or the other challenges of dedicating your life to public service,” said Anchorage Rep. James Kaufman, who is running for state Senate.
Schrage attributed the turnover to “a difficult work environment,” which includes the stress of COVID, legislators separated from their families by long sessions, “and I think it’s also a result of the fact that, frankly, you have to make a huge financial sacrifice to serve in the Legislature.”
“It’s really difficult for a lot of people, and I’m just not surprised to see the level of turnover that we’re seeing,” he said.
Anchorage Rep. Sara Rasmussen isn’t seeking re-election. She described being away from her young children, including her son, who began kindergarten this year.
In the state House, the departing incumbents include Reps. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, of Sitka; Geran Tarr, of Anchorage; Ken McCarty, of Eagle River; Kelly Merrick, of Eagle River; Christopher Kurka, of Wasilla; Steve Thompson, of Fairbanks; Adam Wool, of Fairbanks; Tiffany Zulkosky, of Bethel; and Kaufman, Rasmussen and Spohnholz.
Kaufman, Tarr, McCarty and Merrick are seeking seats in the Senate. Kurka is running for governor. Wool is running for U.S. House.
The Alaska Beacon.com is a donor-funded independent news organization in Alaska.
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