Republicans confirm Wilson for House seat in Fairbanks
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Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell will lead Wilson’s swearing in ceremony today in Fairbanks.
Wilson will replace John Coghill, who Gov. Sean Parnell appointed this fall to the state Senate. Parnell appointed Wilson from a list of three finalists.
Wilson’s swearing in ceremony will be at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge at 3 p.m.
“I’m just thrilled and honored to get to work for District 11,” Wilson said in a news release from House majority leaders. “I look forward to the challenges ahead.”
Wilson won’t receive committee assignments until the first day of the coming legislative session, Jan. 19, a spokesman for House Republicans said.
Speaker Mike Chenault and Majority Leader Kyle Johansen, Republicans from Nikiski and Ketchikan, praised the confirmation.
“I am pleased to welcome Tammie Wilson to the caucus,” Johansen said in the same release. “I am confident she will continue the effective leadership from District 11. Her experience will add to our diverse caucus membership.”
Wilson is still technically a member of the Borough Assembly, which she joined just more than one year ago. Mona Drexler, the borough’s clerk, said she expects the assembly could formally declare Wilson’s municipal post vacant next week following a letter of resignation from Wilson. That declaration would open the window for applicants seeking to fill her assembly seat.
Replacement appointments have been a part of Alaska for quite a while, and replacement appointments have been a part of American government since our founding. Some states and communities have expensive special replacement elections, most states and communities have a system of appointments for replacing elected officials that either die, take another job, or go to jail. Other states, like Massachusetts, do whatever the Democratic machine says to do on a case by case basis.
Remember earlier this year when a US Senator from Illinois took a new job. His replacement appointment caused quite a stir, since evidently in Illinois the practice is to sell the appointment to the highest bidder. Then, after that went public, they had to replace the governor. Thank God, we are a little more honest than that up here.
Good luck, Tammie Wilson.
Who knows, the whole replacement thing is a gamble. There is more scrutiny the higher up you go, and things that are trivial become relevant and important.
In the highest seats, even a screwy relative can cost you. Remember Billy Carter? Granted Billy might not have cost Carter the election, but Carter lost credibility due to Billy.
I think being qualified, goes beyond just experience, it goes into an area that a person has little control of.
I wish Tammie the best
If you had listened to Tammie at any of the Assembly meetings, or, her weekly appearances on KFAR 660 between 11am and noon on Wednesday, you would know she is totally qualified.
In Juneau - Tammie is going to answer her phone and call you back. We never got that from Coghill - unless you were on his donation list.
If you have the opportunity - stop and chat with her. Be at Pikes today around 2pm before the swearing in. Talk with her.
Politics have almost always irritated me, but this year has been ridiculous...not to mention expensive. Am I the only one who wonders why we keep appointing people who are already in office to yet another position leaving their position now open and needing to be filled?
Gov Parnell (who also stepped in when Gov Palin resigned, leaving his position as Lt. Gov in need of filling) appoints Therriault to his staff leaving his senate seat open and needing to be filled, but then fills it with another individual, Coghill, whose seat will have to be filled, and now Tammie Wilson, probably one of the least qualified, not to mention only living in Alaska for 7 years, is selected to fill Coghill's seat leaving her Assembly seat open and needing to be filled. This in addition to needing to fill Mayor Hopkins' recently vacated seat on the Assembly.
I do understand the natural desire to aspire to higher things, but this political musical chairs this year has been ridiculous, not to mention expensive and time consuming, to vet and interview all of these "candidates" for another office when ALL of them accepted votes from their constituents to represent them for the term of office they were voted for. Don't any of these elected officials think they owe a sense of duty to the people who elected them into offices they are just walking away from?
And more to my original point, what exactly qualified Tammie Wilson to be appointed to this office? Again, she has only lived in Alaska for 7 years, is unemployed, and is now representing District 11 in the state legislature? I don't know that anyone with such short tenure in our great state should be representing us or our State.
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