Mike Dunleavy (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Dunleavy
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Official portrait, 2019
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| 12th Governor of Alaska | |
| Assumed office December 3, 2018 |
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| Lieutenant | Kevin Meyer Nancy Dahlstrom |
| Preceded by | Bill Walker |
| Member of the Alaska Senate from the E district |
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| In office January 15, 2013 – January 15, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | Mike Shower |
| Constituency | District D (2013–2015) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael James Dunleavy
May 5, 1961 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Rose Newlin |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | Misericordia University (BA) University of Alaska Fairbanks (MEd) |
Michael James Dunleavy (born May 5, 1961) is an American educator and politician. He has been the 12th governor of Alaska since 2018. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Before becoming governor, he was a member of the Alaska Senate from 2013 to 2018. He won the 2018 election for governor. He was reelected in 2022.
Early Life and Education
Mike Dunleavy was born and grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He finished high school in 1979. He then earned a degree in history from Misericordia University in 1983.
In 1983, Dunleavy moved to Alaska. His first job was at a logging camp. He later became a teacher. He earned his master's degree in education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
He worked for almost 20 years in schools in northwest Alaska. He was a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent. His wife, Rose, is from Noorvik, Alaska. They have three children: Maggie, Catherine, and Ceil.
In 2004, Dunleavy and his family moved to Wasilla. There, he owned a company that helped with educational projects. Before joining the Alaska Senate, he served on the Matanuska-Susitna Borough board. He was president of the board for two years.
State Legislative Career
In 2012, Mike Dunleavy ran for the Alaska Senate. He won the Republican primary election. He then won the general election with a large number of votes.
During his first term, he held several important positions. He led the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee. He also co-led the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) Throughput Special Committee. He was also part of the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.
In 2014, Dunleavy ran for reelection and won. During his second term, he led the Senate Education Committee. He also continued to be a member of the Senate Finance Committee.
Dunleavy worked on laws to improve public schools. He supported charter schools and homeschooling programs. He also helped create a "parental bill of rights" in Alaska. This law gives parents more say in their children's education.
In 2013, he helped create a program for homeschooling families. This program lets parents use state education funds for learning materials. This helps families choose the best education for their children.
Governor of Alaska
Elections
2018 Election
In 2017, Dunleavy announced he would run for governor. He briefly left the race due to health reasons. But he returned in December 2017. He resigned from the Senate in January 2018 to focus on his campaign.
He won the election in November 2018. He became the 12th governor of Alaska.
2022 Election
In August 2021, Dunleavy announced he would run for reelection. He won the 2022 election with 50.3% of the votes. This made him the first Republican governor of Alaska to be reelected since 1978. He was also the first Alaska governor of any party to be reelected since 1998.
Tenure as Governor
Mike Dunleavy became governor on December 3, 2018. He appointed Kevin Clarkson as the Alaska attorney general.
Earthquake Response
A large 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Alaska in November 2018. This happened just before Dunleavy took office. He and his team quickly worked to assess the damage. They worked with the outgoing governor's team.
Dunleavy asked for federal help from the President. This help was approved in January 2019. He also supported a bill to help with earthquake recovery. This bill became law in April 2019. He said it would help fix roads and bridges.
Wildfire Response
In August 2019, Dunleavy declared a disaster because of wildfires. Over 2.6 million acres burned that summer. He said the declaration would provide money to help people. This money would help victims rebuild their lives.
Budget Decisions
In June 2019, Governor Dunleavy made budget cuts. He cut $433 million from the state budget. This included a large cut to the University of Alaska.
Job Approval
Polls in 2021 and 2023 showed that Dunleavy was a popular governor. In 2023, he was the fifth-most popular governor in the U.S. His job approval rating was 63%.
Recall Attempt
In July 2019, some people tried to recall Governor Dunleavy. This means they wanted to remove him from office early. This effort started after he made cuts to public services and education.
To start the recall, they needed many signatures. They collected over 49,000 signatures. However, the state's Division of Elections first said the recall could not go forward. They said the reasons for the recall were not strong enough.
The people who wanted the recall appealed this decision. A judge later said the recall effort could continue. The Alaska Supreme Court agreed in May 2020. However, the recall effort did not gather enough signatures to force a special election. Dunleavy was later reelected in the regular 2022 election.
Political Positions
COVID-19 Response
In March 2020, Dunleavy declared a state of emergency for COVID-19. This was to make sure Alaska had resources to respond. He ordered public schools to close for a period.
He also activated the State Emergency Operations Center. This helped coordinate efforts to support the state. In May 2020, he lifted most state rules for businesses. He kept a recommended quarantine for visitors.
In June 2020, he extended the quarantine measure. Visitors to Alaska needed a negative test or had to self-quarantine. In April 2021, Alaska offered free vaccinations to tourists at major airports.
In October 2021, Dunleavy chose not to issue another COVID-19 disaster declaration. He said it was not needed. He also said that mask rules should be decided locally. In November 2021, he told state agencies to ignore federal vaccine rules. He believed these rules were not necessary for Alaska.
Environment
Dunleavy has different views on climate change. In February 2019, he ended Alaska's climate change task force. He said it was not needed.
In September 2019, he suggested that a warmer Arctic could help Alaska. He thought it could create new business chances. He has also discussed supporting renewable energy ideas. He said it makes sense to explore ways to use wind power.
In February 2022, Dunleavy disagreed with the Biden Administration. They asked to stop the Ambler Road Project. This project would help get minerals like copper. Dunleavy said stopping it would push development to other countries. He believes Alaska has good environmental practices.
Dunleavy has also supported the permit for Pebble Mine. Other Alaska politicians oppose this mine. They worry it could harm the fish in Bristol Bay.
Immigration
In May 2022, Dunleavy spoke against ending a policy called Title 42. This policy helped control who could enter the country. He said ending it would be bad for states. He also said it went against other rules about COVID-19.
Voting Rights
In January 2022, Dunleavy asked lawmakers to improve election rules. He wanted to stop automatic voter registration. He also wanted better tracking of mail-in ballots. He asked for signature checks and voter list updates. He said this would help make sure elections are fair.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2019
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Dunleavy speaking in the governor's office, May 15, 2019.
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Dunleavy meeting with residents about the Deshka Landing Fire in 2019.
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Governor Mike Dunleavy's State of the State before the Alaska State Legislature in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Mike Dunleavy (político estadounidense) para niños
