Alaska Legislature

Juneau state Sen. Dennis Egan, citing health problems, won’t run for re-election

Juneau Democratic state Sen. Dennis Egan said Tuesday he won't seek re-election, citing health problems.

"The main thing is, I don't think it's fair for my constituents," he said on a Juneau talk radio station, 800 KINY. "It's not fair to them because I have a heck of a time traveling."

Egan, 70, has multiple sclerosis and says he has vertigo around water, making it hard for him to visit the coastal towns in his district, which include Haines, Skagway and Excursion Inlet.

His father, Bill Egan, was the state's first elected governor.

Dennis Egan was appointed to the state Senate in 2009; he was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.

A Juneau fishing and economic development executive, Larry Cotter, has filed to run for Egan's seat as an independent, the Juneau Empire reported.

Nathaniel Herz

Anchorage-based independent journalist Nathaniel Herz has been a reporter in Alaska for nearly a decade, with stints at the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. Read his newsletter, Northern Journal, at natherz.substack.com

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