By STEPHANIE TAYLOR
I am a 51-year resident of Alaska, with 46 of those years in Anchorage. I am on the ballot for Anchorage Assembly in District 5, currently being represented by Forrest Dunbar.
My dad was stationed at Elmendorf AFB in 1970 and retired a few years later. I graduated from Dimond-Mears High School and earned my BA in Apparel Merchandising at Seattle Pacific University.
My first several years after college were spent working in the fashion industry; one year in Seattle at the Bon Marche’ in their Fashion Office, and four years at Nordstrom Anchorage. During that time, I worked as the Advertising, Sales Promotion, and Fashion Coordinator. My tasks included scheduling newspaper advertisements, calculating annual advertising budgets for each department, and producing fashion shows and events. My brief career ended shortly after I married. I had determined years prior that I wanted to set aside my career to focus on my family.
My husband, Mike, and I met and married in 1989 after a 4-month whirlwind courtship. I’ve lived in east Anchorage ever since. We have been members of Anchorage Grace Church for decades and have 5 children, ages 29, 28, 27, 23, and 18. I have spent the last 30 years raising and homeschooling our children and doing all sorts of volunteer work both in and out of the political arena. I have always leaned toward serving others, so being a political candidate in the limelight is very different for me.
I’ve always seen Anchorage as a great place to raise a family. All our children were born and raised here. I’ve seen Anchorage go through a lot of ups and downs over the years. I decided to run for Anchorage Assembly because of the particularly high levels of dysfunction and division we have been experiencing the last few years. The trajectory that we have been on since my opponent took office is not the direction I’d like to see us go. I have considered running for Assembly for many years on and off, but never articulated it to anyone until recently. My life had been very busy and full, so the timing had never been right for me or our family, prior to last year.
I have volunteered on various political campaigns, served as Alaska State Coordinator for TeenPact Leadership Schools for four years, instructed homeschool students in addition to my own; established and continue to oversee our Neighborhood Watch; served as secretary to our Republican House district, among other things.
I consider my greatest achievement to be my children. Charlotte (from Charlotte’s Web) referred to her offspring as her “magnum opus”, which means “life’s most important work”. I take great pride in our children; they are all amazing people, with great careers and purposeful lives. They enjoy beautiful friendships with one another, and they have stellar reputations among their peers and colleagues.
Being a full-time homeschooling mom is no small task and, although it comes with great rewards, it also carries significant challenges. It requires you to be great at time management, proficient at conflict resolution, know how to prioritize, meet deadlines, provide crisis management, understand risk management, implement budgets, have skills in human resources, and execute project management– just to name a few. The family is a microcosm of society, so well-functioning families are vital to the success of society.
Anchorage has always felt like a small town to me. Having lived here for so long, it is rare for me not to encounter someone I know when I am out and about. As I look around the city of Anchorage, there are times when it is barely recognizable to me. The biggest and most concerning difference I see is in the division and polarizing attitudes among residents. I believe this is a direct result of the assembly’s words and actions towards the people of Anchorage.
Several issues are of great concern to me: the mandates and lockdowns, increased taxes, assembly power grabs and political games, mail-in elections, and the homeless crisis. The harsh Covid-19 mandates and lockdowns were very detrimental to individuals and to our city as a whole. Hundreds of businesses, both large and small, were lost. People suffered and died alone. Others were forced to delay medical screenings, treatments, and procedures because of lockdowns. It was particularly harmful to children and teens as they were cut off from friends, teachers, and others in their community as those key relationships were confined to computer screens.
In an effort to wield more power and control over the residents of Anchorage, the Assembly voted to alter the Charter to usurp powers enumerated to the executive branch. These types of actions destroy the balance of power and checks and balances established in the Charter.
I believe in limited government, fiscal responsibility and personal liberty; freedom over force. We need to treat taxpayers’ hard earned dollars like the precious resource they are. I hope to bring much needed diversity to the assembly; not only racial diversity, but diversity of thought and experiences. I am eager to listen to people with different viewpoints and backgrounds. I don’t just pretend to care, but I sincerely want the best for my neighbors here in Anchorage. There is something about being a community member outside the “political elite” that gives you a unique perspective and connection to residents.
I am someone who would have been content with a quiet life well-lived. However, I refuse to stand by while the place I love deteriorates into a city people want to escape. Please know that if I am elected, I will do my best to listen to your concerns and make decisions that I believe are in the best interests of all of Anchorage.
Turn in your ballots as soon as possible (postmarked by April 5th at the latest) and if you’re in East Anchorage with “Stephanie Taylor” on your ballot, I’d be grateful for your vote!
Stephanie Taylor is a candidate for Assembly for East Anchorage.
You had me at limited government, fiscal responsibility and personal liberty; freedom over force.
I don’t know, only 46 years in Anchorage? She is a wonderful lady! And the perfect replacement for the Forrest Dunbar. Get rid of Dunbar. He is disrespectful, dishonest, and a radical that refuses to work with the mayor.
Stephanie is a great breath of fresh air….just meeting her and being around her for a brief time brightens anyone’s life… she is plain talking and positive and clearly a cut above most….That she is willing to serve her city is great and much needed….she is a rare jem…support her and vote for her
You almost had me. Then you said “diversity”.
No real conservative deals in “diversity”. We deal in opportunities and striving for excellence whenever possible. Real diversity is a bi-product of striving for excellence.
Thank God I live in Juneau. Really.
Correct!!!
I’m honored to have gotten to know Stephanie and Mike. Excellent caring people. She has my vote.
I already voted for you ma’am. I only pray my vote gets to you everyone wants oath integrity thank you ma’am. Everyone I talk to has voted for you oath integrity the citizens are looking for oath integrity. Ma’am I hope you win because integrity wins with you. Oath integrity Alaskans vote for integrity.
You’ve got my vote, the city is heading in the wrong direction and someone needs to help turn it around I think you can do that.
Years ago I used to think downtown Anchorage was a dangerous place because the sidewalks were slippery during the winter.
Her qualifications: a christian and a mom. Not enough.
After reading Mayor Bronson’s letter to the editor yesterday, it is apparent to me the voters in Stephanie’s district need to vote for her. She will work with the Mayor. The Assembly pretends to work with the Mayor when they are embroiled in a lawsuit after the Assembly attempted to grab power specifically vested in the Mayor.
OH yes in my opinion, most of the Assembly are great pretenders. Let’s get people in office who want to make this city great.
As a 50-year Alaskan resident who has lived in Spenard, Midtown, Mountain View, and Muldoon, I’m saddened to see that DumBar (sic), a Yale lawyer, has pulled the wool over the voters’ eyes, taken them to the cleaners, while using Muldoon as a stepping stone. Lawyer jokes are sadly appropriate.
I’ve been reading the municipal charter a lot lately due to multiple recent discussions where I’m told the charter says a particular thing, when in fact it doesn’t actually say that. With that in mind, could she clarify “the Assembly voted to alter the Charter to usurp powers enumerated to the executive branch”? The charter cannot be amended without ratification by voters (Section 18.01). Perhaps she meant to say that the Assembly is acting with flagrant disregard for the charter and the separation of powers?
Nope. Not fooling me.
Breath of fresh air to assembly
If I lived in her District, Stephanie would have my vote. She strikes a good tone and has a lot the same views I do regarding the direction of the Assembly. Forrest Dunbar is toxic to Anchorage and Stephanie sounds like a great replacement
2 votes for Stephanie in this household.
Unqualified.
Indeed, Derek , every one of the Marxist Nine is unqualified for office. Their routine disregard for the enumerated powers granted them, and NOT granted them, by the municipal charter is proof enough of that.
God bless this lady. Five votes from our family.
She’s going to be walked all over, if she wins.
This is a classy lady I can roll with. Votes from our family coming at you.
Count me in. A welcome and needed change. I don’t understand how anybody could support a person like Dunbar.
Ms. Stephanie,
I need to learn a lot more from you and would love to meet you. I’m in the mindset that it might be better to go with the devil you know vs. the unknown. After we meet and I’m convinced you’re the better candidate, then I’ll campaign door to door for you if need be!
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