Edgar Blatchford

Edgar Blatchford
Born 1950 (age 66–67)
Nome, Alaska, U.S.
Education Alaska Pacific University (BA)
University of Washington,
Seattle (JD)
Columbia University (MA)
Political party Democratic

Edgar Blatchford was born in Nome, Alaska in 1950 and relocated to Seward, Alaska in 1960. He has served as mayor of Seward (1999-2003) and had sought the Democratic Party nomination for United States Senator from Alaska.[1] However, he lost the nomination to Ray Metcalfe in the August 16 Alaskan primary.[2] Blatchford has been a professor at the University of Anchorage Alaska (UAA) since 1995, teaching in the Department of Journalism and Public Communications.[3] Blatchford also served as Commissioner of the Department of Community and Regional Affairs (1990-1994) under governor Walter J. Hickel and Commissioner of Community and Economic Development (2003-2005) under governor Frank Murkowski. In addition, Blatchford also served on the board of directors of Chugach Alaska Corporation on several occasions.[4]

Education

Blatchford graduated from Seward High School and holds various degrees to include a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alaska Methodist University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law. Afterwards, Blatchford received a Masters of Arts degree in Journalism from Columbia University which at the time was considered a terminal degree in the field of journalism.[5]

Summary of Education[6]
Degree School Year Awarded
Bachelor of Arts Alaska Methodist University 1973
Juris Doctor University of Washington School of Law 1976
Master of Science Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism 1988
Master of Arts Dartmouth College 2010
Masters of Public Administration Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government 2011
Doctor of Philosophy University of Alaska Fairbanks 2013

Politics

Stance on Issues

Until the 2016 Alaskan Senate race, Edgar Blatchford had been affiliated with the Republican Party switching parties due to ideological reasons.[7] He strongly supports reform of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) saying that it was an experiment that did not accomplish what it was charted to do.[8]

Gun Control

Edgar Blatchford is an advocate of background checks for gun ownership and states that his stance is in line with the intent of the Second Amendment.[9]

Illegal Immigration

Blatchford supports a path for citizenship or other legal status for those illegal immigrants without criminal records.[10]

Alaskan Economy

Blatchford believes smaller Alaskan communities would benefit from a more diverse economic base.[11]

Climate Change

Blatchford believes global warming is a scientific certainty that must be addressed.[12] He wants Alaska to increase its prominence in studying climate change and the arctic.[13]

State Government Positions Held

Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development

Blatchford was appointed commissioner of Community and Economic Development on January 2013 by governor Frank Murkowski. Murkowski cited Blatchford's prior experience as commissioner of Community and Regional Affairs under governor Hickel as a prime reason for Blatchford's selection.[14] On July 22, 2005, Blatchford resigned his position as commissioner of Community and Economic Development due to conflict of interest allegations between his official state duties and ties with Chugach Alaska Corp.[15]

Commissioner of the Department of Community and Regional Affairs

Blatchford worked as a member of governor Hickel's cabinet in developing the Community Development Quotas program aimed at providing educational and vocational opportunities to rural Alaskans in Bristol Bay and other western Alaskan communities.[16]

Business Ventures

Edgar Blatchford founded the publishing company Alaska Newspapers, Inc. (ANI) in 1983. In 1990, Blatchford partnered with Calista Native Corporation to procure a total of six rural Alaskan newspapers. ANI was chartered to serve sparsely populated regions in Alaska to include parts of the Kenai Peninsula, Bristol Bay, Prince William Sound, the Aleutian Islands and the Yukon-Kuskowim Delta. In 2011, Blatchford purchased The Tundra Drums and Seward Phoenix Log from Calista Corp.; subsequently, Calista liquidated its share in the remaining newspapers in August 2011.[17]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "About - Blatchford US Senate 2016". Blatchford US Senate 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  2. ↑ "United States Senate election in Alaska, 2016 - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  3. ↑ "Edgar Blatchford | University of Alaska Anchorage". www.uaa.alaska.edu. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  4. ↑ "SEWARD HOME OF ALASKA's FLAG STATEHOOD SYMPOSIUM" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "Edgar Blatchford Named Commissioner of Community and Economic Development By Governor Murkowski - Dollars and Sense: Northern Business and Economy - StopTheDraft". stopthedraft.com. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  6. ↑ "Edgar Blatchford Bio". Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  7. ↑ Brooks, James (2016-08-03). "In Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Blatchford and Metcalfe promote campaign reform". Juneau Empire. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  8. ↑ kpolisse (2016-06-04). "Alaska Senate Candidate Raises Questions About Native Corporate Power". Indian Country Today Media Network.com. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  9. ↑ "edgar blatchford Archives - The Midnight Sun". The Midnight Sun. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  10. ↑ "Senate candidates visit Kenai". Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  11. ↑ "Senate candidates visit Kenai". Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  12. ↑ "Senate candidates visit Kenai". Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  13. ↑ Blatchford, Edgar. "Edgar Blatchford—United States Senate—Democrat" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  14. ↑ "Edgar Blatchford Named Commissioner of Community and Economic Development By Governor Murkowski - Dollars and Sense: Northern Business and Economy - StopTheDraft". stopthedraft.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  15. ↑ VOLZ, MATT. "Blatchford resigns as commerce head | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper". juneauempire.com. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
  16. ↑ "Edgar Blatchford Named Commissioner of Community and Economic Development By Governor Murkowski - Dollars and Sense: Northern Business and Economy - StopTheDraft". stopthedraft.com. 2003-03-01. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  17. ↑ "The Bristol Bay Times". Blatchford purchases The Tundra Drums, Seward Phoenix Log. Alaska Media, LLC. 2011. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  18. ↑ "National Agricultural Library Database". agricola.nal.usda.gov. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  19. ↑ "Working together for community economic development in rural Alaska - ProQuest". search.proquest.com. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  20. ↑ "Alaska Economic Trends" (PDF). Alaska Department of Labor. January 1994. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
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