Republicans nominate 3 to fill Gatto’s seat

PALMER — House District 13 Republicans met Saturday morning to review applications and hear from candidates looking to fill the state House seat left vacant by the recent death of Rep. Carl Gatto.

District 13 committee members reviewed applications from seven candidates who applied to fill the vacancy. Five of the seven attended the meeting, gave speeches and answered questions from committee members and the general public.

Members voted to submit the names of David Eastman, Shelley Hughes and Marvin Yoder to Gov. Sean Parnell for his consideration.

This process was triggered by Gatto’s death. The person appointed by the governor will fill the seat for the remainder of his term.

David Eastman

Eastman is a Palmer resident and former U.S. Army Captain stationed at Fort Richardson.

He deployed with the 164th Military Police Company from Fort Rich in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was named a 2010 Alaska Volunteer of the Year.

In addition to other volunteer work, he also serves on the board of the Mat-Su Chapter of the Alaska Peace Officers Association.

He recently joined Lt. Gov Mead Treadwell and Rep. Mia Costello in being named an Abraham Lincoln Fellow by the Claremont Institute for Statesmanship and Political Philosophy. He studied law at West Point and is an admissions representative for West Point candidates in Alaska.

Shelley Hughes

Hughes has been an Alaskan for 36 years and has lived in Palmer 22 years. She and husband Roger raised four children, and they now have four grandsons. Her first career as a busy stay-at-home mom involved work with schools, church, campaigns and nonprofits, with occasional project contracts. Her second career started off with work as a legislative aide followed by work in the private sector as government affairs director for a statewide organization. Her legislative experience spans the last decade and includes extensive work in Juneau and Washington, D.C. She also has served in numerous capacities as a leader in statewide partnerships and projects. She is also a candidate for state House District 8.

Marvin Yoder

Yoder is retired and lives in Palmer with his wife, Patsy. He has 20 years of experience in the utility industry and 25 years of experience in municipal government administration in seven communities around the state. He is particularly well-versed in the realities of power generation.

He was elected mayor of Craig in 1975. Yoder worked in the private sector as manager of fish processing operations, and volunteers for the Mat-Su Business Alliance. He is also a candidate for the Matanuska Electric Association’s board of directors.

Voting members of the District 13 Committee are Dick Stoffel, John Miller, Don Benson, David Eastman, Sally Pollen, Grace Van Diest, Candy Miller, Amy Walker, Noel DeVries, Marvin Yoder, Amy Thomas and Linda Menard.