On Tuesday, North Slope independent Rep. Josiah Aullaqsruaq Patkotak resigned his seat in the Alaska Legislature after handily winning his race for mayor of the North Slope Borough.
His departure and status as an independent will give Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy near free rein in deciding a replacement to fill the remainder of Patkotak’s term in office, which runs through 2024. The law gives the governor 30 days to nominate a replacement.
On Tuesday, the governor’s office opened an online application for people interested in serving in the position, which will be open through Oct. 31.
Typically, the replacement must belong to the same political party as the departing legislator. But because Patkotak’s an independent, the governor can appoint anyone who meets the requirements of being a legislator: They’re at least 21, a qualified voter and have lived in House District 40 for at least three years.
The governor could, for example, appoint a Republican to fill the vacancy, though it should be noted that Patkotak is already the most conservative independent in the Legislature and has been a key member of the Republican-led House Majority.
That House Majority will be the only significant check on the governor’s appointment. Under the rules, the 22-member Majority will ultimately need to confirm the governor’s appointment. The remaining House Majority includes 19 Republicans, 2 Democrats and an independent. Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman is not a member of the House Majority.
In his resignation letter, which was republished by the Alaska Beacon, Patkotak thanked his colleagues for his time in the Legislature.
“It has been a great honor to serve District 40 in this role, and I will forever treasure my time working with you and all members of the Legislature and staff,” he said. “I have great faith that the challenges and opportunities our state faces are going to be met head-on by this Legislature, and I am here to provide support in whatever way I can.”
Matt Acuña Buxton is a long-time political reporter who has written for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and The Midnight Sun political blog. He also authors the daily politics newsletter, The Alaska Memo, and can frequently be found live-tweeting public meetings on Twitter.
