JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Democrats in southeast Alaska on Monday announced a list of three candidates to fill the Alaska House seat vacated by Juneau Democrat Beth Kerttula last month.
The candidates are Jesse Kiehl, Catherine Reardon and Sam Kito III.
Kiehl is an aide to Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau, and member of the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly. Reardon is a longtime legislative aide working in the office of Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage. Her resume includes service as director of the Division of Occupational Licensing. Kito is an engineering consultant and lobbyist.
They were among nine people who applied for the post. The Tongass Democrats submitted the list to Gov. Sean Parnell on Monday, after holding public interviews with the candidates during the weekend.
Under the law, the governor is to appoint a qualified replacement within 30 days of a vacancy. The law states that the appointee shall be a member of the same political party as the predecessor and, in this case, would be subject to confirmation by a majority of House Democrats.
Parnell spokeswoman Sharon Leighow has said Parnell will evaluate the candidates to replace Kerttula on competence, character and their history in the district. On Monday, Leighow said Parnell is expected to select an appointment from the list - and not advance a name of his own - and to personally interview the nominees. She said by email she didn’t have a timeframe for when the interviews will take place but said he will make his decision within the 30-day window.
Kerttula stepped down as House minority leader on Jan. 21 and resigned from the Legislature on Jan. 24 for a fellowship at Stanford University. Her departure left nine members in the minority, one shy of the number needed for a formal minority for purposes of committee assignments. House Speaker Mike Chenault last month said he would not shake up the committee structure given the pending appointment. Kiehl, Kito and Reardon all said Monday that they intended to caucus with the minority Democrats, if appointed.
Currently, four Democrats from rural Alaska caucus with majority Republicans.
Kiehl, Kito and Reardon also said that, if appointed, they intended to run for the seat later this year. Reardon and Kiehl said it was premature to say whether they would run in the primary if not appointed.
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