Fresh off a 52-47 loss to Anchorage Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel, Kathy Henslee has filed to run for Alaska Senate Seat G, a Midtown-South Anchorage seat that has no incumbent. It was created during the redistricting process that began last August.
The district may have fluid boundaries because the Alaska Redistricting Board is facing a challenge of a nearby Senate seat that may impact the lines of others, such as Senate Seat G. Right now, it encompasses Taku, Campbell, Bayshore, Klatt, Old Seward and Oceanview.
In 2020, Henslee ran against Rep. Chris Tuck for what was then House District 23, but with a third person from the Alaskan Independence Party in the race, Tuck won the race that would have gone to Henslee.
Henslee is a lifelong Alaskan, real estate professional, mom, grandmother, and now an experienced campaigner who knows the district well. She has the benefit of high name recognition and has been endorsed by many well-known Alaskans such as former Gov. Sean Parnell during her previous campaigns.
“It’s a place where we need to have a good Republican candidate and she is one,” said an Anchorage politico who has insight into the campaign. Several others said that Henslee is an excellent candidate and they were hoping she would continue to look for ways to serve Anchorage.
Mark Anthony Cox, a Republican, also filed for this seat after his loss to School Board President Margo Bellamy. Cox might have won a school board seat in April, but the anti-Margo Bellamy vote was split among two other candidates besides Cox.
Cox graduated from Eagle River High School, served in U.S. Army Medical Corps, worked in banking, and this spring graduates from University of Alaska Anchorage with a major in finance. He was president of his homeowners association and a volunteer in the homeless community. Cox launched the Family Charity of Alaska, a nonprofit organization providing food, clothing, and other short-term emergency relief to families in need in Alaska.
It’s possible that Rep. Tuck will also file for Senate Seat G, which leans Republican.
