Sen. Click Bishop, a Republican state lawmaker from Fairbanks, is retiring from the Senate.
Bishop released the following statement:
“With just a couple days remaining before the June 1st filing deadline, I am taking this opportunity to announce that I will not be running for re-election to Senate District R.
“Since the legislative session in Juneau adjourned on May 15th, my time has been spent in fellowship with family as we’ve contemplated and prayed for guidance on the things that matter most in life.
“This was a difficult decision. Senate District R comprises West Fairbanks, the Alaska Highway, Richardson Highway, and villages along the Yukon River, Tanana River, Nenana River, and Copper River. This region has been home to my family for generations.
“During my twelve years serving in the State Senate, I am proud to have served the entire time on the Finance Committee. By working with some of the finest public servants, we balanced budgets, grew the Permanent Fund, improved the state’s credit ratings, and tried to meet basic priority needs in education and deferred maintenance.
“I enjoyed sponsoring the legislation that created the Permanent Fund Dividend Education Raffle, which provides a way for people to support education while having a little fun.
“The time is right for me to prioritize and focus on family matters over the next two years. My parents recently passed on, and there are some gold mining opportunities I need to pursue. It’s also time for me to learn a few things from my grandkids as we prepare for the next chapter.
“My family and I are not done with public service. There is still a determination inside me to fix our current path of rising energy costs and the loss of our working-age population. It is clear that addressing those issues requires taking on a bigger role than serving in the legislature.
“Over these next few days, we will be out of telephone service as we head to our family cabin.”
Bishop represents the western part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough and rural communities in Interior Alaska. Before running for Senate, he was Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development from 2007 to 2012, in the administration of Gov. Sean Parnell. After winning in 2012, he had to run again in 2014, due to redistricting, then ran unopposed in 2018, and won again in 2022 against challengers Elijah Verhagen and Robert Williams. Due to redistricting, his seat is up for election this year, which makes it the fifth election for the district in 10 years.
