House Seat 7: Greater Wasilla

Rupright - Gattis

Verne Rupright

A Vietnam veteran, Rupright was mayor of Wasilla until term limits pushed him out less than a month ago. Before that he was an attorney in private practice in Wasilla.

He said he sees the budget as the biggest issue in Juneau for the next session. Rupright believes he would be able to bring a finely honed set of skills to the task of cutting spending, skills he developed as mayor.

Rupright’s running as an independent but is a registered Republican. He said he decided to make a run around the party system to avoid the divisiveness partisanship can bring.

Lynn Gattis

The incumbent in the race, Gattis is a local hay farmer, business owner and landlord who had a seat on the Mat-Su Borough School Board and in the leadership of the Alaska Republican Party before voters sent her to Juneau.

She said in an interview last month that the biggest issues she wants to address in Juneau are the natural gas pipeline, education and Mat-Su roads.

She said the gas line is hugely important economically and that the state should invest more in technology in education.