American politician (born 1962)
Sean Parnell
|
---|
Parnell in October 2014
|
|
|
In office
July 26, 2009 ? December 1, 2014
|
Lieutenant
| Craig Campbell
Mead Treadwell
|
---|
Preceded by
| Sarah Palin
|
---|
Succeeded by
| Bill Walker
|
---|
|
|
Assumed office
June 12, 2021
|
Preceded by
| Bruce Schultz (interim)
Cathy Sandeen
|
---|
|
In office
December 4, 2006 ? July 26, 2009
|
Governor
| Sarah Palin
|
---|
Preceded by
| Loren Leman
|
---|
Succeeded by
| Craig Campbell
|
---|
|
In office
January 13, 1997 ? January 13, 2001
|
Preceded by
| Steve Rieger
|
---|
Succeeded by
| John Cowdery
|
---|
|
In office
January 11, 1993 ? January 12, 1997
|
Preceded by
| Constituency established
|
---|
Succeeded by
| John Cowdery
|
---|
|
|
Born
| (
1962-11-19
)
November 19, 1962
(age 61)
Hanford, California
, U.S.
|
---|
Political party
| Republican
|
---|
Spouse
|
Sandra Scebold
(
m.
1987)
|
---|
Children
| 2
|
---|
Education
| Pacific Lutheran University
(
BBA
)
Seattle University
(
JD
)
|
---|
Signature
| |
---|
|
Sean Randall Parnell
(born November 19, 1962) is an American attorney and politician who was the tenth
governor of Alaska
from 2009 to 2014.
[2]
[3]
He succeeded
Sarah Palin
in July 2009, and was elected governor in his own right in
2010
with 59.06% of the vote, as the largest percentage margin of any Alaska governor since statehood.
[4]
In 2014, he narrowly lost his bid for re-election and returned to work in the private sector.
[5]
He is a member of the
Republican Party
.
Born in Hanford, California, Parnell graduated from the University of Puget Sound's School of Law (now known as
Seattle University School of Law
). He practiced law before being elected to the
Alaska House of Representatives
in 1992 and he continued to work in private legal practice while he was a member of the
Alaska House
and later, the
Alaska Senate
. He served two terms in the Alaska House from 1993 to 1997 before he was elected to one term in the
Alaska Senate
from 1997 to 2001. Parnell continued his legal career in the private sector, working as an attorney and as the state government relations director for Phillips Petroleum, now known as ConocoPhillips, and an attorney at the law firm
Patton Boggs
.
Returning to public service, Parnell won the Republican primary race for
lieutenant governor
in 2006 and became Palin's running mate in her
2006 gubernatorial campaign
, where the Palin and Parnell ticket defeated former
Democratic
governor
Tony Knowles
. Parnell was sworn in as
lieutenant governor of Alaska
in December 2006 and later assumed the governorship after Palin
resigned
in July 2009. Parnell was elected to a full term as governor in 2010, defeating former state representative
Ethan Berkowitz
in the
general election
. Parnell is the first unelected Alaska governor to be elected in his own right.
[6]
He was narrowly defeated for a second term in
2014
by the formally Independent "unity ticket" of Republican-turned-Independent
Bill Walker
and Democrat
Byron Mallott
. Parnell became chancellor of the
University of Alaska Anchorage
on June 12, 2021.
[7]
[8]
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Parnell was born in
Hanford
, California, the elder of two sons of Thelma Carol (nee Liebherr) and Kevin Patrick "Pat" Parnell.
[9]
As children, Parnell and his younger brother, Schoen (pronounced "Shane") were raised in a close-knit family. Two of his paternal great-grandparents were Norwegian.
[10]
Sean's father, Pat, was stationed at
Fort Richardson
, near
Anchorage, Alaska
, while he served in the
U.S. Army
during statehood years (1957?1959),
[11]
and returned to
Alaska
with his family in 1973, establishing residence in Anchorage. Sean Parnell was 10 years old at the time.
Parnell's mother worked as a high school teacher for more than twenty-five years. She taught at
Bartlett High School
and
East Anchorage High School
, the latter a short distance from their home. Both of Parnell's parents were entrepreneurs, owning a retail photocopy and office supply business together in Anchorage for more than twenty-five years. Parnell worked in the family business as a teenager and during his college years.
In 1980, Pat Parnell, a Democrat, ran against incumbent
Don Young
for Alaska's sole seat in the
United States House of Representatives
, taking 25.82% of the vote.
[12]
Parnell graduated from East Anchorage High School in 1980. He earned a
BBA
in 1984 from
Pacific Lutheran University
and a
Juris Doctor
in 1987 from the
University of Puget Sound
School of Law (now known as
Seattle University School of Law
).
Career
[
edit
]
He is admitted to the bar in both Alaska and Washington, D.C.
[13]
Parnell worked as an attorney in the private sector from 1987 to 2003, 2005 to 2006, and in 2015 after his term as governor. For nine years of the time he owned his own law practice.
In the 1990s, he continued in private practice while he served in the
Alaska House
and the
Alaska Senate
.
Legal career
[
edit
]
When Parnell left the Alaska Senate, he became director of government relations in Alaska for Phillips Petroleum, which later became
ConocoPhillips
.
[14]
In 2005, he joined the law firm
Patton Boggs
and practiced law.
[15]
Patton Boggs represented
ExxonMobil
in the
Exxon Valdez
oil spill litigation, though Parnell had no role in that representation or litigation.
[16]
Parnell left Patton Boggs less than two years later on December 3, 2006.
Alaska Legislature
[
edit
]
Parnell was first elected to the
Alaska House of Representatives
, in 1992 at the age of twenty-nine. He represented a district in Anchorage that included at that time, Independence Park, Dimond Blvd., and the Southport/Bayshore areas of Anchorage. After his first year in the state house, Parnell was named the "Most Effective Freshman Legislator" by his colleagues and those who worked in the State Capitol.
[17]
This recognition arose because Parnell was known for taking the time to help other legislators hone and pass their legislation and in doing so, learned the legislative process and developed relationships with his colleagues. In 1994, Parnell was re-elected to represent South Anchorage in the Alaska House. Throughout his four years in the
Alaska House of Representatives
, Parnell was known for his work on the House Finance Committee and in the fight against domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska. During those years he sponsored and passed seminal legislation known as the Domestic Violence Prevention Act of 1996 that was Alaska's first consistent, comprehensive statewide policy on this issue.
In 1996, Parnell ran for and was elected to a seat in the
Alaska Senate
and became a member of the Energy Council and served on the powerful
Senate Finance Committee
.
[18]
In 1999 and 2000, he became a member of the Senate Republican Majority's Leadership when his Senate colleagues chose him to serve as the co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
In 2000, Parnell finished his first and only term in the state senate, choosing not to seek re-election. He cited his commitment to his family as his reason and returned to work in the private sector.
[17]
Six years later, in 2006, Parnell was elected lieutenant governor of Alaska, along with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
[19]
In July 2009, when Governor Palin resigned her position, Parnell became governor and finished the term of office.
[20]
In 2010, Parnell won a four-year term as governor in his own right.
[21]
Lieutenant governor
[
edit
]
In 2005, Parnell ran and won in the Republican primary to become lieutenant governor. Afterward, in the general election, he was paired with Sarah Palin as her running mate. In Alaska, the lieutenant governor candidates run separately from the governor candidates in the primary election race, but after the primaries, the nominees for governor and lieutenant governor run together as a
slate
. Palin and Parnell were elected with 48.33% of the vote over former governor Tony Knowles and State Representative Ethan Berkowitz's 40.97% share of the vote.
[22]
2008 congressional campaign
[
edit
]
On March 14, 2008, Parnell began his campaign to take on embattled 18-term member of Congress
Don Young
in the August 26 Republican primary.
[23]
Parnell was endorsed by Sarah Palin,
National Review
magazine, and the fiscally conservative
501(c)4
organization
Club for Growth
.
[24]
[25]
[26]
On July 31, 2008, Parnell told
Roll Call
he would not drop out of his race against Young to run against U.S. Senator
Ted Stevens
, who had been indicted.
[27]
Parnell lost the
primary
for the U.S. House seat. The margin between incumbent Young and Parnell was narrow, and the winner was not immediately clear. The result released on September 18 showed Young winning by 304 votes. Parnell said he trusted the integrity of the work of the Division of Elections, an agency he oversaw as Alaska's lieutenant governor. He said in a statement, "While a recount could change the outcome of this exceedingly close election ? normal human error being what it is ? such a result is unlikely. As such, I do not believe it justifies an expenditure of taxpayer funds."
[28]
Governor of Alaska
[
edit
]
Ascent to office
[
edit
]
On July 26, 2009, halfway through her term as governor, Palin resigned. Parnell replaced her, becoming Alaska's tenth governor, in accordance with the
Alaska Constitution
.
[2]
Craig Campbell
, commissioner of Alaska's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, succeeded Parnell as lieutenant governor after Palin first named Joe Schmidt,
commissioner of corrections
, as a replacement for Parnell, and Schmidt resigned from the second-in-line position on July 6, 2009.
[29]
[30]
2010 campaign
[
edit
]
Parnell ran for a full term as governor in 2010. In the primary he faced off against
Bill Walker
, a former mayor of
Valdez, Alaska
and aide to former governor
Walter J. Hickel
, and
Ralph Samuels
, a retiring member of the
Alaska House of Representatives
. Although Walker seemed to gain traction towards the end based on the issue of building a natural gas pipeline, Samuels and Walker split the anti-Parnell vote
[
citation needed
]
and Parnell won the nomination. He and
Mead Treadwell
, who had won the August primary for lieutenant governor, faced off against the Democratic ticket of former House majority leader and 2008 congressional nominee
Ethan Berkowitz
and
Diane Benson
.
[31]
Parnell-Treadwell eventually defeated Berkowitz-Benson by over ten points.
[32]
2014 campaign
[
edit
]
Parnell ran for re-election in 2014.
[33]
Former Republican
Bill Walker
challenged Parnell as an
independent politician
, and merged his campaign with Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee
Byron Mallott
, who became Walker's
running mate
as an independent.
[34]
Parnell conceded the election to Bill Walker on November 15, 2014.
Parnell drew criticism during his re-election campaign over his support of billions in tax reductions for the petrochemical industry as well scandals regarding accusations of coverups of sexual abuse scandals, cronyism, corruption and whistleblower suppression, within the
Alaska National Guard
.
[35]
[36]
[37]
Out of 19 incumbent Republican governors running for re-election, Parnell and
Pennsylvania
's
Tom Corbett
were the only ones who lost the 2014 elections.
[38]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Parnell married his college girlfriend Sandy in 1987; the couple then returned to
Anchorage
where Parnell began practicing law. The Parnells' daughters, Grace and Rachel, were born and raised in Anchorage.
[39]
Grace is a professional photographer and Rachel is a university student pursuing a history degree.
[40]
[41]
In October 2015, Parnell and his wife Sandy, moved to Palmer, Alaska. He returned to working as an attorney in private practice and opened a law firm, specializing in business law, contracts, and real estate.
[42]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
3PA-20-01089MO State of Alaska vs. Parnell, Sean Randall
(Traffic Magistrate Judge- Palmer 02/27/2020),
Text
.
- ^
a
b
Palin stepping down this month
.
CNN
, July 3, 2009.
- ^
Blumenthal, Mitchell L.; Phillips, Kate (July 3, 2009).
"Palin to Resign as Governor of Alaska"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
"State of Alaska Division of Elections 2010 General Election Results"
.
State of Alaska Division of Elections
. November 30, 2010. Archived from
the original
on September 23, 2015
. Retrieved
August 3,
2015
.
- ^
"State of Alaska Division of Elections 2014 General Election Results"
.
State of Alaska Division of Elections
. November 25, 2014. Archived from
the original
on September 23, 2015.
- ^
Election 2010: Alaska Results ? NPR 10-3-2010
Archived
November 3, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Aina, Mayowa; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (May 12, 2021).
"Former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell selected to lead University of Alaska Anchorage"
.
Alaska Public Media
. Retrieved
May 25,
2021
.
- ^
"Sean Parnell selected as next UAA Chancellor"
. May 12, 2021.
- ^
Metcalfe, Peter M., ed. (1991). "Legislative Branch".
Alaska Blue Book
(Tenth ed.).
Juneau
:
Alaska Department of Education
,
Division of State Libraries, Archives and Museums
. p. 111.
- ^
Sean Parnell genealogical profile
, genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com; accessed November 7, 2014.
- ^
"Parnell 2014"
. Retrieved
August 5,
2015
.
- ^
[1]
, Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1980, page 3, Clerk of the House of Representatives; retrieved October 9, 2014.
- ^
Governor Sean Parnell profile
, gov.state.ak.us; accessed November 7, 2014.
- ^
Yardley, William.
"Sean Parnell news"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
May 23,
2010
.
- ^
Fitzpatrick, Laura (July 28, 2009).
"Sean Parnell: Alaska's New Governor"
.
Time
. Retrieved
August 3,
2015
.
- ^
"Who is Sean Parnell?"
. Juneau Empire. Archived from
the original
on December 17, 2010
. Retrieved
August 29,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
"Senator Sean Parnell Leaving Legislature"
.
akrepublicans.org
. April 10, 2000. Archived from
the original
on April 14, 2019
. Retrieved
June 17,
2023
.
- ^
Alaska Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell's profile
Archived
June 20, 2006, at the
Wayback Machine
, ltgov.state.ak.us; accessed November 7, 2014.
- ^
"State of Alaska ? 2006 General Election"
.
elections.alaska.gov
. November 7, 2006
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
"Palin's Resignation Shocks Alaska and Nation"
.
Anchorage Daily News
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
"Parnell Wins His Own Term as Alaska Governor"
.
Anchorage Daily News
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
"State of Alaska ? 2006 General Election"
.
elections.alaska.gov
. November 7, 2006
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
Josh Kraushaar,
"Alaska Lieutenant Governor Announces Primary Run Against Young"
, CBS News, March 14, 2008.
- ^
Josh Kraushaar,
"Club for Growth endorses challenger to Young"
, politico.com, June 6, 2008; accessed August 4, 2008.
- ^
R.A. Dillon,
"Washington Anti-Earmark Group Endorses Parnell"
[
permanent dead link
]
,
Daily News Miner
, Fairbanks, AK, June 6, 2008; accessed November 7, 2014.
NOTE: Partially accessed by archives search on January 5, 2011; full access requires registration and fee.
"He also has the backing of fiscally conservative Gov. Sarah Palin."
- ^
"Don Young's Wrong Way"
,
National Review
, April 1, 2008; accessed August 4, 2008.
- ^
Shira Toeplitz,
"Parnell Won't Switch to Alaska Senate Race"
Archived
June 9, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
,
Roll Call
, July 31, 2008; accessed August 4, 2008.
- ^
"No recount in Young-Parnell primary race | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper"
. The Juneau Empire. September 19, 2008. Archived from
the original
on February 6, 2016
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
http://juneauempire.com/stories/070709/sta_460684529.shtml#.VcmxrkV9s7A
Archived
February 6, 2016, at the
Wayback Machine
; The Juneau Empire, July 7, 2009; Retrieved January 27, 2016
- ^
[2]
, State of Alaska Department of Law, July 10, 2009; Retrieved January 27, 2016
- ^
MSNBC.
"Gov Palin to resign her office"
.
KTUU-TV
. Retrieved
July 3,
2009
.
- ^
"Election Night 2010: Incumbents Parnell and Young Re-Elected, Possibly Murkowski"
, APRN.org, March 10, 2010.
- ^
Pat Forgey;
Alaska Dispatch
(May 4, 2013).
"Neither Democrats nor Republicans shocked Parnell is running again"
. alaskadispatch.com. Archived from
the original
on March 8, 2014
. Retrieved
September 4,
2014
.
- ^
"Walker, Mallott to join forces in governor's race"
. Alaska Dispatch News. September 1, 2014
. Retrieved
September 2,
2014
.
- ^
Jill Burke and Richard Mauer,,
"Parnell defends handling of Alaska National Guard dysfunction, plans more firings"
,
Alaska Dispatch News
, October 2, 2014; retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^
Jill Burke and Richard Mauer,
Parnell waited years to take direct action on National Guard misconduct
,
Alaska Dispatch News
, October 1, 2014; retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^
Caslon Hatch,
"Debate draws standing-room-only crowd"
Archived
June 2, 2015, at the
Wayback Machine
,
KTUU
.com, July 23, 2014; retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ^
Prokop, Andrew (November 6, 2014).
"25 out of 28 incumbent governors on the ballot this week won reelection"
.
Vox
. Retrieved
January 5,
2020
.
- ^
[3]
; Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^
"Grace Adams"
.
GraceKAdams.com
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
"Parnell's Honesty vs Walker's Cynicism"
. The Juneau Empire
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
- ^
"Valley Newcomer Parnell Returns to Legal Roots"
. Alaska Dispatch News
. Retrieved
January 27,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]