Loren Leman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Loren Leman (born December 2, 1950) former Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, the first person with Alaska Native ancestry to be elected to statewide office in Alaska^[1] and a member of the Republican Party. Leman served in the Alaska Legislature from 1989 to 2002 as a Senator for west Anchorage.

Leman grew up in Ninilchik where he graduated from high school. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Oregon State University and a master's in civil/environmental engineering from Stanford University. Later he studied Arctic engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

He has three children with his wife, Carolyn.

[edit] Lieutenant governor

Leman and Governor Frank Murkowski were not always in agreement; in 2004 Leman endorsed conservative Republican Mike Miller, the primary opponent in the campaign for U.S. Senate of Murkowski's daughter, Senator Lisa Murkowski. There was some speculation that Leman might run for governor in 2006, either challenging Frank Murkowski in the primary or running for an open seat if Murkowski retired. Leman planned an announcement in February 2006, but postponed the news to talk more to his family about the decision. In May 2006, Murkowski announced his plans to run for reelection. A few days later, Leman declined a run for the office (saying Murkowski's decision was only one of many factors) and also opted out of a second term as lieutenant governor.^[2] Republicans Jerry Ward and Sean Parnell challenged each other for the seat that Leman will leave vacant, with Parnell winning the primary.

[edit] References

^ Office of the Lieutenant Governor. (2006-04-24). "Biography" (biography of Loren Leman). State of Alaska, Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved through through Internet Archive on 2007-05-18.
^ Sutton, Anne. (2006-05-30). "Lt. Gov Leman will not run or seek re-election". Associated Press. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-05-18.