Alaska's Vacancy Process

When a state-level elected official in Alaska resigns, there's a process to ensure government continues functioning. While it might seem straightforward to just choose someone, the exact steps depend on which position needs to be filled. Let's walk through what happens when different state officials step down.

Let's start with the governor's office. If Alaska's governor resigns, the lieutenant governor takes over as the new governor. In fact, this is one of the primary purposes of their office. This has happened before in Alaska in 2009 when then-Governor Sarah Palin resigned to focus energies on a campaign for the Vice Presidency of the United States. When she quit, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell stepped into the role.

The new governor doesn't move up the rank alone, though. Alaska has a process in which one of the first acts a new governor does is appoint a "Next in Line" that will become lieutenant governor if they become governor. This responsibility passed to the new governor, who will appoint a "Second in Line" that the Alaska legislature consents or rejects and has the Governor select another.

Alaska's Adjutant General Torrence Saxe is that designated person today. Saxe would become lieutenant governor if the current seat holder, Nancy Dahlstrom, moves up to the higher seat. Saxe runs the state's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

For state legislators, the process works differently. When a state representative or senator resigns, the governor has the power to appoint their replacement. It isn't just anyone they want, however. If a partisan official resigns, that Party's leadership will submit names of qualified people who live in that district. The governor then reviews these candidates and has 30 days to select one to fill the vacancy. Tradition calls for the governor to pick from that list, but it is not required.

This happened in 2018 when then-Governor Bill Walker appointed Randall Kowalke to the seat vacated by Mike Dunleavy in his campaign for governor. The Senate Republicans rejected that selection. He then appointed Mike Shower, who was confirmed by the legislature.

A different process variance happened the next year when the legislature rejected Governor Dunleavy's initial appointment to a vacated seat. Despite the nominated candidate being on the list sent by the Republican Party, the Republican senators rejected Representative Shaw's appointment. Governor Dunleavy then appointed Representative Josh Revak, whom the Senate approved even though he wasn't on the list.

The appointed person serves until the next regular election, when voters get to choose who they want to represent them. Sometimes this means serving for nearly a full term, while other times it might only be for a few months, depending on when the resignation occurred and when the next election is.

For other state-wide elected positions, such as U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative, the process involves special elections. If an Alaska U.S. Senator resigns, the governor can appoint someone for the short term to ensure Alaska keeps its representation in Washington, D.C. A special election must happen 60 to 90 days after the vacancy occurs, unless the vacancy happens close to a regular election.

This has happened in Alaska's past, such as when Frank Murkowski resigned from the U.S. Senate after Alaskans elected him as governor. Governor Murkowski then used this gubernatorial authority to appoint his own daughter, Lisa Murkowski, to fill his vacancy.

Timing resignations can impact how long temporary appointments serve. If someone resigns close to a regular election, the special election might be combined with the regular election to save money and simplify the process for voters.

Alaska's state constitution and statutes have clear roles defined and processes spelled out to ensure consistency and fairness. The requirements for party membership help maintain political balance, and legislative approval helps prevent a single person from having too much control over appointments and ensuring a working relationship with the appointee.

These systems keep the government working without interruption. Deadlines make sure positions don't remain vacant for too long, which could hamper government operations or leave Alaskans without proper representation.