Alaska Legislature

Fairbanks state Rep. Steve Thompson will not run for reelection to Alaska House

Rep. Steve Thompson, R-Fairbanks, said Wednesday that he will not run for reelection to the state House.

Thompson, 77, said in an interview that he wants to spend more time raising his 10-year-old son, Max. Thompson’s spouse runs an accounting firm, and Thompson said he looks forward to becoming a stay-at-home dad.

Since 2010, Thompson has represented a district in east Fairbanks that includes Fort Wainwright.

In 2019, he became a member of the multipartisan coalition that still controls the state House. Thompson left the coalition after the 2020 election but has continued to vote in favor of budgets and Permanent Fund dividend amounts supported by coalition members.

Rep. Bart LeBon, a fellow center-right Republican from Fairbanks, has voted similarly. LeBon said in an interview Thursday morning that he is considering his options and will decide after Christmas whether he will run for reelection.

[Anchorage Assembly member Jamie Allard will run for state House]

Thompson’s replacement and LeBon’s decision could contribute to a change in the balance of power within the House, which is currently split between the 21-member coalition and the 18-member Republican minority. (Sara Rasmussen, R-Anchorage, is not a member of either group.)

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Thompson’s district has a strong Republican lean, and its boundaries did not change significantly during redistricting. As of Wednesday evening, two Republicans — Fairbanks city councilman Aaron Gibson, and Will Stapp — have filed letters of intent for next year’s election to replace Thompson.

Thompson said he has spoken with Gibson about his decision and may endorse the councilman.

[Former Anchorage Sen. Cathy Giessel, defeated in 2020, will run again in 2022]

James Brooks

James Brooks was a Juneau-based reporter for the ADN from 2018 to May 2022.

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