Sen. Stoltze announces he’s stepping down

WASILLA — Sen. Bill Stoltze, a Republican who represents the Palmer and Chugiak areas in the Alaska Senate, has announced he won’t seek re-election this year.

The 54-year-old Chugiak native made the announcement on Wednesday on the Senate floor, where he told colleagues he would be stepping down due to health reasons. He said during the announcement that he’s “not dying,” but that he doesn’t feel he can give the job the attention it deserves.

“I wouldn’t be representing my district if I did half-speed,” Stoltze was quoted as saying in the Alaska Dispatch News.

Stoltze graduated from Chugiak-Gruening Jr/Sr High in 1979 and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1984. He’s been active in numerous community and civic groups, including the Special Olympics, Chugiak Lions, Elks, Chugiak Senior Center and the National Rifle Association. He’s also a highly visible supporter of the Alaska Baseball League, frequently attending Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks or Mat-Su Miners baseball games — wearing different hats depending on which of his district’s two ABL stadiums he’s visiting.

Stoltze is a longtime Juneau fixture. Before getting elected to the State House in 2002, he served for two decades as a legislative aide. A frequent contributor to state budget negotiations, Stoltze was elected to the State House in 2002 and moved to the Senate in 2014.

As of Thursday, no candidate had filed to fill Stoltze’s seat in the Senate.

The legislative session is scheduled to end April 17.