Former Anchorage state legislator Chris Tuck has filed to run for Anchorage mayor next year.
Tuck, a Democrat, filed a letter of intent Wednesday with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. He’s the third candidate to announce his bid for mayor. Mayor Dave Bronson, a conservative, and former Assembly chair Suzanne LaFrance, who is registered nonpartisan, are also running.
In an interview, Tuck said he was concerned with the direction the city has been going the past several years.
“I just want to return back to restoring public services, making sure that people can provide for their families decently and that when we help those in need, it’s effective and productive,” he said.
Tuck served for 13 years in the Alaska House, representing parts of Midtown Anchorage. He opted not to run for reelection in 2022. He said his experience in the Legislature would help him as mayor with restoring trust in local government and bringing communities together.
“Understanding public policy and the effects that it has on your communities, building up our communities, so that their efforts succeed in bringing people together to facilitate ideas,” Tuck said.
Tuck said he’d focus on several topics if he’s elected.
“Education and workforce development,” he listed. “It would be going back to basic services, including street maintenance, snow, plowing, and public safety. And then the third thing is affordable housing, which takes care of the homelessness problem as well.”
Anchorage’s municipal election will be held April 2, 2024.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
