On a snowy December day, Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom were sworn into a four-year term by Judge Paul Roetman of Kotzebue. They each took turns standing before the crowd of about 150 gathered at the Alaska Airlines Center on the campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage and recited their oaths of office. Another 70 watched the ceremony on YouTube.
Roetman had just left the Alaska Judicial Council meeting, where he was being interviewed for the position of Alaska Supreme Court justice, and after swearing in the governor and lieutenant governor privately, in order to meet the constitutionally set noon deadline, swore them in ceremonially at the public ceremony.
Then, Dahlstrom and Dunelavy each gave brief remarks, thanking the people in the room who performed, organized, and who serve Alaskans in various capacities.
Dunleavy spent over 90 seconds thanking his wife Rose and his daughters for their steadfast support. “I couldn’t do this job without her,” he said, adding that Rose is strong, supportive and relaxed, even when times get difficult. He gave her a bouquet of flowers and noted that they recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.
Dunleavy mentioned that there had been fires, earthquakes, a pandemic, and at times his commissioners probably wondered “what’s next, locusts?” He thanked his staff and the 22,000 workers of the State of Alaska. He said he hoped to have a grandchild to bounce on his knee someday, and that he would be able to look at that child and know he had left the state in great shape for future Alaskans.
The attendance was dwarfed by the size of the venue, but spotted in the crowd were very few legislators, including Rep. Cathy Tilton, Rep. Kevin McCabe, Sen. Mike Shower, Sen. Gary Stevens, Anchorage Mayor Dave and Deb Bronson, Alaska Energy Authority Executive Director Curtis Thayer, Alaska Republican Party Chair Ann Brown and National Committeewoman Cynthia Henry. Nick Begich, who ran for Congress in this election cycle, was in attendance.
Not in attendance was Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, who is finishing out a 29-year career of public service and who was thanked by Gov. Dunleavy for his service to Alaska.
For Gov. Dunleavy, it was his second swearing-in. His first, four years ago, took place in Kotzebue at the high school gymnasium. It was scheduled to take place in Noorvik, Rose Dunleavy’s hometown, but the planes couldn’t fly due to fog, and so the swearing in was an impromptu event, and a party was held in Noorvik.
