Rep. Dan Saddler bumped into Lora Reinbold in the lobby of the Division of Elections on Thursday, as he filed for Senate Seat G, which is an open seat representing a military-heavy portion of Eagle River.
Saddler is the current House representative for District 13, and has lived in Eagle River since 1992, with roots in Alaska that stretch back to the 1970s. He has served in the House since winning his seat in 2010. His prior experience includes being a legislative aide in the Senate, and as House Republican majority press secretary. He was a newspaper reporter for the Anchorage Times, and worked as a special assistant to the Department of Natural Resources. He has a career in journalism, and in public relations with a Native Corporation.
Saddler, who was unopposed in his House race in 2016, will compete against Rep. Lora Reinbold of District 14, who had filed just minutes earlier in the day.
Saddler served on the Community and Regional Affairs committee this session. When the House was run by Republicans, he served on Finance, Education, Labor and Commerce, Resources, Military and Veteran Affairs, Energy, and Joint Armed Services (co-chair for six years). He was co-chair of Resources during the highly charged SB 21 oil tax reform (which passed).
Legislation he has gotten through to law includes the Veterans’ Driver License bill, where you can prove your veteran’s status without having to carry discharge papers. He sponsored the digital fishing license law, so sports fishers don’t have to carry papers on them. Saddler won passage of legislation to allow disability savings accounts, allowing families to take care of their disabled family members without those disabled Alaskans losing their benefits.
Fred Dyson, longtime senator who had served this district (before reapportionment it was District F) from 2003-2015, has endorsed Saddler.
Saddler’s District 13 seat could be filled by Craig Christenson, a Republican who filed for it earlier this year.
[Read: Lora Reinbold files for District G Senate]
