Alaska leaders reflect on the life of Don Young

The following is a collection of statements made by Alaska leaders following the death of Rep. Don Young earlier this month.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski

For those who didn’t have the privilege of knowing Congressman Young, as so many Alaskans did, he was all of the things that have been written and said about him these past several days. He was all of that—and more. He was larger than life, as colorful as they come. He was tough, gruff, and very feisty.

But he was also warm and engaging. He was charming. But most of all, he was passionate; he was a passionate man about Alaska, and Alaskans, to his very core. And he was loyal and devoted—to his family, friends, and staff who served him. And he was loyal to the state and the people he loved so dearly.

Congressman Don Young was larger than life, as is the legacy he leaves behind. He devoted 49 years to the service of Alaska and the nation. In that time, he shepherded critical, generational legislation into law and became Dean of the House—the longest-serving Republican of all time. He became a close friend to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Being a Congressman for Alaska requires every last bit of you. It requires tremendous sacrifice, from you and your family. If you doubt that, just ask Anne Walton Young. Since they married in 2015, she has been by his side literally every day—in the office and traveling.

She knows the work ethic of this man and the heart of this man and how hard he worked for all Alaska. From his first day through his last, Don Young gave it his all. And, as a true man of the people, he was the perfect Alaskan to serve in the people’s chamber.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan

Like all Alaskans, my wife, Julie, and I were shocked and devastated by Don’s sudden passing. His spirit—tenacious, indomitable, rugged, a man of the people—epitomized our state to such a degree that there was a sense that he would always be with us, that he’d live forever. And he was such a fixture in the House—remember, he was here when every member who currently serves arrived—that I imagine all of you feel the same.

It is also because Don Young was so authentic in an age of overly-coached politicians. He was a throwback, a throwback to a time and a place where people were respected, not so much for how they talked or how they looked, but for what they could do. And boy did he do a lot in life and for Alaska. He was a teacher, a tugboat captain, a gold miner, a mayor and, of course, he was a relentless fighter here in the House for our state—the great state of Alaska.

He could hold his own in debates with the best minds in the world and even hold a knife to the throat of the Speaker of the House. Not you, Madam Speaker. We know that was Speaker Boehner who later would become Don’s best man when he married his beloved Anne.

He was authentic and tough but he was also a man with a big heart. And, of course, he was a man of the people and he belonged in the people’s House, the place where bills move fast, where elections are right around the corner, and where the action is. He realized when he served in the Alaska state Senate that it wasn’t for him.

Don once said all those senators, they just stand around with their hands behind their backs and all they do is talk. His attitude about the U.S. Senate wasn’t much different. “You senators are always late,” he would often growl at me and Lisa. And we were late when we had our frequent Alaska delegation meetings.

But, even as senators, we knew our place with Congressman Don Young, Dean of the House. All those Alaska delegation meetings were over in his office.

One of my favorite things I did with Don Young—and I did it a lot whenever I saw him, particularly in public in Alaska—I would say, “Look! It’s the Dean of the House.” Then I would grab his hand, take a knee and kiss his ring. Now, he would always say to me, “Oh Dan, would you stop that?” But I saw the smile and the twinkle in his eye and I knew he actually liked it.

Don Young’s sudden death leaves a major void here in Congress, in Alaska, in the hearts of his family, and in all of us who knew and loved him. It leaves a very real void in our small but mighty Alaska delegation. There has always been three of us doing battle for our big, beautiful, unique state, and now there are just two. Alaska will be without a congressman for over five months. That’s going to be tough on the people of our state. I think it’s going to be tough on the House of Representatives.

Rest in peace, Don Young.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy

Congressman Don Young has been a great friend of mine for many years. I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of this amazing man who, in many ways, formed Alaska into the great state it is today. Hours after being sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives, he was leading the historic battle for approval of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. Shortly after, he was impressively honored in 1973 as the ‘Freshman Congressman of the Year. This is the Congressman whom Alaska will remember forever. Alaska is a better place because of Don Young. Rose and I offer our prayers to his family during this difficult time.

The Governor orders that Alaska state flags and the United States flags fly at half-staff immediately until interment.

Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries

I am deeply saddened to hear of Rep. Don Young’s passing. Dom worked tirelessly on behalf of all Alaskans for so many years. Rep. Don Young was doing what he loved and finished his race well. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time. I’m very appreciative of all that Don has done and all that he meant to the state of Alaska.

Municipality of Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson

Deb and I were shocked when we heard the news of the passing of Don. Our hearts and prayers go out to Anne. As the longest serving U.S. Congressman and Dean of the House, he was one of Alaska’s biggest champions. His tireless work for Alaska over the last 49 years has made a tremendous impact across generations.

Rep. Don Young’s staff

It has been a tough few days for our office. Our hearts are still heavy, but the sheer outpouring of love and support for our boss, Congressman Don Young, has meant the world to us. As a boss, he was unlike any other. Congressman Young wasn’t just an unrelenting advocate for Alaska, but also the biggest supporter of his staff in both Alaska and D.C.

The relationship between a Member of Congress and their staff is vital for the people they serve. With Congressman Young, there was never a question of whether or not he had our backs. He saw talent within each of us and built a second-to-none team to serve his constituents.

Congressman Young empowered his staff every day to get the job done on behalf of Alaskans. For 49 years, Congressman Young stood strong for the 49th State, and across this incredible career, his staff became a family. We are especially grateful to Senators Murkowski and Sullivan for honoring Congressman Young and his tremendous record of accomplishments on the Senate Floor.

Current and former Alaska Delegation staff have stood by us in this difficult moment, and we could not be more thankful. Like so many others whose lives he touched, we loved our boss. There will never be another Don Young. We take comfort in knowing that his legacy will inspire future generations of public servants to stand up for Alaska just as passionately as he did.