Paul Seaton
Paul K. Seaton (born October 1, 1945) is a former Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, who represented the southern Kenai Peninsula between 2003 and 2018.[1]
Paul K. Seaton | |
|---|---|
 Seaton at the Alaska Legislature's annual shooting competition (2015) | |
| Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 31st district | |
| In office January 20, 2003 – January 15, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Drew Scalzi |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Vance |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1, 1945 Oxnard, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Tina |
| Children | Rand, Tawny |
| Residence | Kachemak City, Alaska |
| Alma mater | University of Alaska, Fairbanks |
| Occupation | Fisherman/Educator |
Political career
In 2002, Seaton ran in the Republican primary against incumbent Drew Scazi, winning with 60% of the vote.[2]
Since then, he has chaired the Education Committee, State Affairs Committee, Health & Social Services Committee, Resources Committee and the Special Committee on Fisheries. He also served on the Commerce, Community & Economic Development, Education & Early Development, Environmental Conservation, and Law Finance Subcommittees, for the 26th Legislature.[3]
2016 election
Seaton won his 2016 Republican primary with 48% of the vote, followed by John Cox with 27%, and Mary Wythe with 25%.[4] After being elected without general election opposition to his 7th term in the state house, Seaton joined a majority coalition of Democrats, Independents and two other Republicans, with an avowed goal of ameliorating the state's budget deficit, the latter a product of declining oil revenues, budgeting, and prior taxation restructuring. Seaton was chosen to co-chair the house finance committee. Tuckerman Babcock, chair of the Alaska Republican Party, informed Seaton by letter that the party will recruit and support a primary opponent against him in 2018.[5][6] While campaigning early in 2016, Seaton said he doubted the Legislature could continue to successfully organize "simply on partisan grounds," and that legislators needed to address the budgetary crisis.[7]
2018 election
Seaton filed to run for re-election as a nonpartisan candidate and ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Three Republicans filed to challenge him in the general election: Jon Cox, Sarah Vance, and Hank Kroll. He lost to Sarah Vance the general election on November 6, 2018, after advancing from the primary on August 21, 2018.[8]
Personal life
Seaton has a wife, Tina, and two children, Tawny and Rand. Seaton graduated from Ventura College with an A.A. in 1965; from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks with a B.S. in 1966 and an M.A. in 1969, respectively; and from the University of California, San Diego with an M.S. 1972. He completed his graduate studies in crustacean population ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 1974 - 1976. He also graduated from AVTEC (Alaska's Technology Institute) in Diesel Mechanics in 1979.[9]
References
- http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Paul_Seaton
- Chambers, Mike (August 28, 2002). "Primary knocks out House speaker candidate, another still hanging". Juneau Empire. Juneau, Alaska. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
- http://housemajority.org/seaton/index.php
- Election Summary Report, Alaska Division of Elections, August 16, 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- Musk Ox revolt: How Republicans lost control of the Alaska House for first time in years, Alaska Dispatch News, Nathaniel Herz, November 13, 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- Alaska Republican Party, Tuckerman Babcock, November 9, 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- Alaska Republican Party formally pulls support from three of its own, Alaska Dispatch News, Annie Zak, December 10, 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- https://ballotpedia.org/Paul_Seaton
- http://house.legis.state.ak.us/rep.php?id=san
External links
- Alaska State House Majority Site
- Alaska State Legislature Biography
- Project Vote Smart profile
- Paul Seaton at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
- Paul Seaton at Ballotpedia