Tuckerman Babcock, a longtime influencer in Alaska conservative politics, has filed an official letter of intent to run for Senate. A resident of the Soldotna-Kenai area, he registered with the Alaska Public Offices Commission on Tuesday morning as a candidate for what is now Senate Seat D, the area of the state now served by Sen. Peter Micciche.
Babcock was born in Venezuela and moved to Alaska as a child with his parents in 1966. He graduated from high school in Anchorage and from college in 1983. He worked for three state representatives and two senators; he also worked for two governors: Gov. Walter Hickel, where he was the executive director of the Redistricting Board, special assistant for constituent services, and director of Boards and Commissions; he was chief of staff and senior policy advisor to Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Married to Kristie Babcock, he is also former chairman of the Alaska Republican Party and served as a commissioner on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and at Matanuska Electric Association, where he was manager of government and strategic affairs, director of human resources, and assistant manager.
Senate Seat D represents Nikiski, Salamatof, Kenai, Soldotna, Sterling, Cooper Landing, K-Beach, Funny River, Hope, Moose Pass and Bear Creek areas of the Kenai Peninsula.
With ranked-choice voting now the method for choosing candidates at the general election, it’s likely Babcock will sail through the August primary due to his strong reputation for hard work, family values, and strategic thinking, and then face fellow Republican Sen. Micciche on the November ballot. Micciche is Senate president and has served in the Senate since 2013, for what was then called Seat O, prior to the 2021 redistricting process. Micciche has filed for reelection for 2022.
