Hallway of the third floor of the Alaska State Capitol in May 2019. Signage points the direction to the lieutenant governor's office.

The lieutenant governor of Alaska (Iñupiaq: Alaskam Kavanaata Ikayuqtiksrautaa) is the deputy elected official to the governor of the U.S. state of Alaska. Unlike most lieutenant governors in the U.S., the office also maintains the duties of a secretary of state, and indeed was named such until August 25, 1970.[1] Prior to statehood, the territorial-era Secretary of Alaska, who was appointed by the president of the United States like the governor, functioned as an acting governor or successor-in-waiting. Currently, the lieutenant governor accedes to the governorship in case of a vacancy.[2] The lieutenant governor runs together with the governor in both the primary and the general election as a slate.

Lieutenant governors of the State of Alaska
No. Lieutenant Governor[a] Term in office Party Election Governor[b]
1   Hugh Wade
(1901–1995) 		January 3, 1959
–
December 5, 1966
(lost election) 		Democratic[4] 1958   William A. Egan
1962
2 Keith Harvey Miller
(1925–2019) 		December 5, 1966
–
January 29, 1969
(succeeded to governor) 		Republican[5] 1966 Wally Hickel
3 Robert W. Ward
(1929–1997) 		January 29, 1969
–
December 7, 1970
(lost election) 		Republican Succeeded from
commissioner of
administration 		Keith Harvey Miller
4 H. A. Boucher
(1921–2009) 		December 7, 1970
–
December 2, 1974
(lost election) 		Democratic[6] 1970 William A. Egan
5 Lowell Thomas Jr.
(1923–2016) 		December 2, 1974
–
December 4, 1978
(did not run) 		Republican[7] 1974 Jay Hammond
6 Terry Miller
(1942–1989) 		December 4, 1978
–
December 6, 1982
(did not run)[c] 		Republican[8] 1978
7 Steve McAlpine
(b. 1949) 		December 6, 1982
–
December 3, 1990
(did not run)[d] 		Democratic[9] 1982 Bill Sheffield
1986 Steve Cowper
8 Jack Coghill
(1925–2019) 		December 3, 1990
–
December 5, 1994
(did not run)[e] 		Alaskan
Independence[10] 		1990 Wally Hickel
9 Fran Ulmer
(b. 1947) 		December 5, 1994
–
December 2, 2002
(did not run)[f] 		Democratic[11] 1994 Tony Knowles
1998
10 Loren Leman
(b. 1950) 		December 2, 2002
–
December 4, 2006
(did not run) 		Republican[12] 2002 Frank Murkowski
11 Sean Parnell
(b. 1962) 		December 4, 2006
–
July 26, 2009
(succeeded to governor) 		Republican[13] 2006 Sarah Palin
— Vacant July 26, 2009
–
August 10, 2009 		Office vacated
by succession to governor[g] 		Sean Parnell
12 Craig Campbell
(b. 1952) 		August 10, 2009
–
December 6, 2010
(did not run) 		Republican Nominated by
governor and
confirmed by
legislature
13 Mead Treadwell
(b. 1956) 		December 6, 2010
–
December 1, 2014
(did not run)[h] 		Republican[15] 2010
14 Byron Mallott
(1943–2020) 		December 1, 2014
–
October 16, 2018
(resigned)[i] 		Independent[17] 2014 Bill Walker
15 Valerie Davidson
(b. 1967) 		October 16, 2018
–
December 3, 2018
(withdrew)[j] 		Independent Appointed by
governor
16 Kevin Meyer
(b. 1956) 		December 3, 2018
–
December 5, 2022
(did not run)[19] 		Republican[20] 2018 Mike Dunleavy
17 Nancy Dahlstrom
(b. 1957) 		December 5, 2022
–
Incumbent[k] 		Republican[21] 2022

Notes

  1. ^ The office of lieutenant governor was named secretary of state until 1970.[3]
  2. ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  3. ^ Miller instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
  4. ^ McAlpine instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.
  5. ^ Coghill instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
  6. ^ Ulmer instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
  7. ^ Parnell succeeded to the governorship upon Palin's resignation. Joe Schmidt, commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Palin's designated replacement for Parnell, refused the position. Campbell was appointed as "Temporary Substitute Lieutenant Governor" on July 26, 2009, and was confirmed by the Alaska Legislature on August 10, 2009.[14]
  8. ^ Treadwell instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate.
  9. ^ Mallott resigned, citing inappropriate comments he had made to a woman; Davidson, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, was appointed to succeed him.[16]
  10. ^ Davidson withdrew from the election on October 19, 2018, after the deadline of September 4, and so remained on the ballot.[18]
  11. ^ Dahlstrom's first term expires on December 7, 2026.

References

General
  • Kallenbach, Joseph Ernest (1977). American State Governors, 1776-1976. Oceana Publications. ISBN 978-0-379-00665-0. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
Specific
  1. ^ AK Const. amendments
  2. ^ "The Constitution of the State of Alaska". Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. ^ Kallenbach 1977, pp. 41–43.
  4. ^ "End of Campaign Trail Puts Choice Up to Alaska Voters". The Nome Nugget. AP. November 24, 1958. p. 10. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Sims, Ward (November 7, 1966). "68,000 Alaskans to Decide Tight Governor's Race". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. AP. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  6. ^ "Big Turnout at Polls Here". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. November 3, 1970. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Greeley, John (November 6, 1974). "Egan, Hammond Race for Governor Seesaws As Votes Trickle In". Daily Sitka Sentinel. AP. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "Teamsters Get Behind Hickel Write-In Try". Daily Sitka Sentinel. AP. November 2, 1978. p. 5. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Bartley, Bruce (October 4, 1982). "Gubernatorial Candidates Hold Pre-Debate Debates". Daily Sitka Sentinel. AP. p. 10. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  10. ^ "Independence Party Wants Coghill's Seat". Daily Sitka Sentinel. AP. November 15, 1990. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Pagano, Rosanne (November 9, 1994). "Governor's Race Still Up in the Air". Daily Sitka Sentinel. AP. p. 1. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  12. ^ "Leman leads GOP race for lt. governor - UPI Archives". UPI. August 28, 2002. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Elmer, Patti (November 3, 2010). "Parnell will keep his job as Alaska governor". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  14. ^ Forgey, Pat (August 11, 2009). "Campbell answers concerns, wins strong approval: New lieutenant governor no longer temporary, acting". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  15. ^ Demer, Lisa (October 16, 2010). "Treadwell spent big during primary to get name recognition". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  16. ^ DeMarban, Alex (October 17, 2018). "Valerie Davidson, Alaska's new lieutenant governor, has a long history fighting for Native issues". Anchorage Daily News. Anchorage, Alaska. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  17. ^ "Primary Election Breakdowns for Alaska, Wyoming". Arizona Daily Star. AP. August 20, 2014. pp. A16. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Hsieh, Jeremy; KTOO, Andrew Kitchenman and David Purdy (October 19, 2018). "Updated: Gov. Walker suspends re-election campaign and backs Begich". KTOO. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  19. ^ Brooks, James (December 28, 2021). "Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer will not run for reelection in 2022". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  20. ^ Kitchenman, Andrew (November 6, 2018). "Meyer, Call bring different backgrounds as lieutenant governor candidates". KTOO. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  21. ^ George, Kavitha (December 13, 2022). "Nancy Dahlstrom has spent most of her 20-year political career out of the spotlight. Now she's second in command". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved December 6, 2023.

External links

United States lieutenant governors by political division
Lieutenant governors of Alaska
Lieutenant governors in the United States
Categories