Sean Parnell | |
|---|---|
 Parnell in October 2014 | |
| 10th Governor of Alaska | |
| In office July 26, 2009 – December 1, 2014 | |
| Lieutenant | Craig Campbell Mead Treadwell |
| Preceded by | Sarah Palin |
| Succeeded by | Bill Walker |
| 12th Chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage | |
| Assumed office June 12, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Bruce Schultz (interim) Cathy Sandeen |
| 9th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska | |
| In office December 4, 2006 – July 26, 2009 | |
| Governor | Sarah Palin |
| Preceded by | Loren Leman |
| Succeeded by | Craig Campbell |
| Member of the Alaska Senate from the 1st district | |
| In office January 13, 1997 – January 13, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Rieger |
| Succeeded by | John Cowdery |
| Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 17th district | |
| In office January 11, 1993 – January 12, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | John Cowdery |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sean Randall Parnell[1] November 19, 1962 Hanford, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sandra Scebold (m. 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Pacific Lutheran University (BBA) Seattle University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Sean Randall Parnell (born November 19, 1962) is an American attorney and politician who was the tenth governor of Alaska from 2009 to 2014.[2][3] He succeeded Sarah Palin in July 2009, and was elected governor in his own right in 2010 with 59.06% of the vote, as the largest percentage margin of any Alaska governor since the state's admission into the United States.[4] In 2014, he narrowly lost his bid for re-election and returned to work in the private sector.[5] He is a member of the Republican Party.
Born in Hanford, California, Parnell graduated from the University of Puget Sound's School of Law (now known as Seattle University School of Law). He practiced law before being elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1992 and he continued to work in private legal practice while he was a member of the Alaska House and later, the Alaska Senate. He served two terms in the Alaska House from 1993 to 1997 before he was elected to one term in the Alaska Senate from 1997 to 2001. Parnell continued his legal career in the private sector, working as an attorney and as the state government relations director for Phillips Petroleum, now known as ConocoPhillips, and an attorney at the law firm Patton Boggs.
Returning to public service, Parnell won the Republican primary race for lieutenant governor in 2006 and became Palin's running mate in her 2006 gubernatorial campaign, where the Palin and Parnell ticket defeated former Democratic governor Tony Knowles. Parnell was sworn in as lieutenant governor of Alaska in December 2006 and later assumed the governorship after Palin resigned in July 2009. Parnell was elected to a full term as governor in 2010, defeating former state representative Ethan Berkowitz in the general election. Parnell is the first unelected Alaska governor to be elected in his own right.[6] He was narrowly defeated for a second term in 2014 by the formally Independent "unity ticket" of Republican-turned-Independent Bill Walker and Democrat Byron Mallott. Parnell became chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage on June 12, 2021.[7][8]
- ^ 3PA-20-01089MO State of Alaska vs. Parnell, Sean Randall (Traffic Magistrate Judge- Palmer 02/27/2020), Text.
- ^ Palin stepping down this month. CNN, July 3, 2009.
- ^ Blumenthal, Mitchell L.; Phillips, Kate (July 3, 2009). "Palin to Resign as Governor of Alaska". The New York Times.
- ^ "State of Alaska Division of Elections 2010 General Election Results". State of Alaska Division of Elections. November 30, 2010. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
- ^ "State of Alaska Division of Elections 2014 General Election Results". State of Alaska Division of Elections. November 25, 2014. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
- ^ Election 2010: Alaska Results – NPR 10-3-2010 Archived November 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Aina, Mayowa; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (May 12, 2021). "Former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell selected to lead University of Alaska Anchorage". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ "Sean Parnell selected as next UAA Chancellor". May 12, 2021.