On Thursday, Ben Anderson-Agimuk resigned from his position as a House District 38 legislative aide in order to dedicate more time to filling former Representative Zach Fansler’s seat.
Anderson-Agimuk once worked closely with Representative Fansler. Now, he’s overseeing the search for Fansler’s replacement after his old supervisor resigned following assault allegations.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Democrats selected Anderson-Agimuk to serve as their district’s chairman earlier this week, and he said he felt that it would be inappropriate for him to hold both positions at once. In an interview with KYUK on Thursday afternoon, he said that he wanted to dedicate more time to party matters, and that he wouldn’t be permitted to discuss his own party’s business during work hours at the Legislature.
The new district chair’s first job is to help find nominees to fill the remainder of Fansler’s term. As part of that process, Anderson-Agimuk will pick a handful of local Democrats to serve on a selection committee that will evaluate potential candidates for the seat. There is not an actual application process for those interested in serving on the selection committee.
Within the next three weeks, the committee will pick three potential candidates for Governor Walker’s review, though the Governor might request additional nominations. He must select Representative Fansler’s replacement by March 14.
