Who’s Mike Dunleavy’s posse going to be in new government

Mike Dunleavy had a decisive victory on Tuesday. He will start serving as Alaska’s next governor on December 3. Yesterday, he announced his transition team, chief of staff, and senior policy advisor. They are:

Transition Team

  1. Tuckerman Babcock – Transition Chair
  2. Mary Ann Pruitt (Representative Lance Pruitt’s (R – Anchorage) wife) – Transition Administrative Director
  3. Sarah Erkmann Ward – Transition Communications Director
  4. Kristie Babcock (Tuckerman’s wife) – Transition Director of Scheduling
  5. Gina Ritacco – Transition Director of Boards and Commissions
  6. Stacey Stone-Semmler – Legal Counsel

A press conference was just held at Security Aviation where more names were announced. John Moller and Brett Huber will Co-Chair the Transition Policy Council. Former Governor Sean Parnell will be Special Advisor on the AKLNG project. Dick Randolph will be Special Advisor for Constitutional Reform (what is that?). Randolph served as a Libertarian in the State House from 1978-1982. And Dan Saddler as Executive Director for the Transition Policy Council. Here we go, folks!

Dunleavy’s Staff

  1. Tuckerman Babcock – Chief of Staff
  2. Brett Huber – Senior Policy Advisor

But who will Dunleavy appoint as his commissioners for the new government? Rumors have been swirling around in political circles. Here are the names I have heard so far:

  1. Former Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman for Commissioner of Department of Environmental Conservation.
  2. Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan or former Commissioner of Department of Administration, and current President of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, Curtis Thayer for Commissioner of Department of Administration.
  3. John MacKinnon (Senator Anna MacKinnon’s (R – Eagle River) husband), Executive Director at Associated General Contractors of Alaska for Commissioner of Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.
  4. Portia Babcock (Tuckerman Babcock’s sister) for Commissioner of Department of Corrections. Keeping it in the family lol
  5. Former Attorney General under Sean Parnell, Michael Geraghty, for Attorney General.

I have also heard Anchorage Assemblymember Amy Demboski’s name mentioned for Commissioner of Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, but she told me she has not spoken to anyone about taking a job in the administration, which includes anyone on the campaign or in the transition team.

I will provide more information as it becomes available.

 

 

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O Anchorage!
5 years ago

Who will head Health & Social services? Whoever it would be would have to break it to how many Alaskans that their PFD bump could potentially hurt their Medicaid qualification. Who can take the heat for that one? Or, who wants to? Republicans will celebrate if it ends up that Alaska families lose that health coverage that they detest so much.