Republican officials in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have proposed a field of six conservative Alaskans for two vacant seats in the Alaska House of Representatives.
On Sunday, local Republican Party officials delivered their suggestions to replace Cathy Tilton and George Rauscher, whom Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed to fill two vacancies in the Alaska Senate.
Those Senate vacancies occurred when Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, resigned to run for lieutenant governor and Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, resigned to run for governor.
To replace Tilton, the Republican leaders of House District 26 nominated Chickaloon tribal police chief Donna Anthony, veterinarian Sean McPeck, and a former Tilton aide, Steve St. Clair.
Anthony, McPeck and St. Clair have each filed to run for the seat in next year’s elections.
For Rauscher’s former seat, Republican leaders for House District 29 picked Chikaloon tribal police officer Lucas Howard, local community council member Gerald Garret Nelson, and former police officer John James.
Nelson had previously filed a letter of intent to run for the seat next year.
The nominations are advisory only; Dunleavy may pick anyone who is a Republican, lives in the appropriate district and meets the constitutional requirements for state House.
Under state law, the governor has until Dec. 29 to make his picks. Anyone he chooses must be approved by a majority of the House’s 21 Republicans in order to be seated.
The governor is expected to act well before the deadline in order to allow time for that confirmation vote and for the new legislators to hire staff and prepare to move to Juneau for the five-month regular legislative session, which begins Jan. 20.
House Minority Leader DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, is in charge of the House’s all-Republican minority caucus.
Through a spokesperson, Johnson said the timing of a confirmation vote is dependent upon the governor, but that she is tentatively planning a vote for the upcoming weekend.