William Martin Walker (born April 16, 1951) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 11th governor of Alaska, from 2014 to 2018. He was the second Alaska-born governor, after William A. Egan.
Walker ran as an independent in the 2014 election, merging his campaign with that of Democratic nominee Byron Mallott, who became Walker's running mate. Both candidates' prior respective running mates withdrew from the race and the Walker/Mallott ticket defeated Parnell and his running mate, former Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan. Walker ran for reelection in 2018, but facing low polling numbers and Lieutenant Governor Mallott's resignation, he dropped out of the race on October 19, 2018, and endorsed DemocratMark Begich. Walker ran in the 2022 election as an independent, but lost to Republican incumbent Mike Dunleavy and Democratic candidate Les Gara.
From 1977 to 1979, Walker served on the Valdez city council.[6] He later was elected mayor of Valdez, serving from 1979 through 1980. At 27, he was Valdez's youngest mayor.[7][2]
Walker and his wife, Donna, owned a law firm;[8] he became a prominent oil and gas attorney.[9] The firm represented the city of Valdez[3][8] and the Alaska Gasline Port Authority.[8][10][11] Walker "represented the city of Valdez in lawsuits that charged [oil] companies with lowballing the property tax valuation of the industry-owned Trans-Alaska pipeline system". He also attempted to build a gas pipeline in Alaska.[9]
In 2013, Walker announced his intention to run in the 2014 gubernatorial election as a Republican.[13] Later that year, he decided to run as a nonpartisan candidate instead, taking the advice and encouragement he had received prior to his 2010 campaign from former Alaska governor Wally Hickel.[4][14]
Walker selected Craig Fleener, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, to run for lieutenant governor on his ticket.[15] He campaigned on a centrist platform, mixing traditionally conservative and liberal positions. Walker opposed the construction of the Pebble Mine and acknowledged the existence of climate change and the need to adopt energy policies to help mitigate its harmful effects, but supported increasing oil and gas pipeline capacities and new drilling for petroleum in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also supported gun rights, a degree of state sovereignty for Alaska, and the Medicaid expansion made possible by the Affordable Care Act.[16][better source needed]
On September 2, 2014, Walker held a press conference with Byron Mallott, the Democratic nominee for governor, announcing that they would merge their campaigns, with Mallott replacing Fleener as Walker's running mate.[17] Mallott's Democratic running mate, attorney and State Senator Hollis French, also stepped aside, leaving no official Democratic candidate in the election. Before their announcement the merger was met with resistance from the Alaska Republican Party, but it was ruled valid by the Alaska Supreme Court.[18]
Walker led in polls taken weeks before the November 4 general election.[19] Parnell was widely criticized for his support of billions in unpopular tax reductions for the petrochemical industry and the development of a scandal featuring five years of alleged cover-ups of rampant sexual abuse, cronyism, corruption and whistleblower suppression in the Alaska National Guard, for which Parnell served as Commander in Chief.[20][21][22] Following Election Day, the race was considered too close to call. On November 7, Walker and Mallott held a 3,165-vote lead.[23][24][25][26][27] On November 14, after Walker and Mallott extended their lead to 4,634 votes,[28] media outlets called the race.[29][30] Two days later, Parnell conceded.
Walker sought reelection in 2018. He initially ran with incumbent lieutenant governor Byron Mallott as his running mate, but after a revelation of inappropriate comments, Mallott resigned on October 16. He was replaced by State Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson, who was sworn in the same day.[31] Though Davidson replaced Mallott as Walker's running mate, Mallott remained on the ballot. On October 19, facing low polling numbers, Walker suspended his campaign and endorsed the Democratic candidate, Mark Begich.[32][33][34] Begich lost by 7.03% to Republican nominee Mike Dunleavy. Despite his withdrawal, Walker received 2.03% of the vote.
On August 17, 2021, Walker announced his candidacy in the 2022 gubernatorial election as an independent.[35] As his running mate he named Heidi Drygas, who served as his commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development from 2014 to 2018.[36] He lost the election to Republican incumbent Mike Dunleavy.[37]
Tenure
Walker with President Barack Obama in 2015Walker and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, May 2017
Walker took the oath of office on December 1, 2014. He faced a Republican-controlled legislature, but the Republican majorities were not enough to override a gubernatorial veto. With the Republican legislature opposed to Walker's attempts to expand Medicaid, Walker decided to use his executive authority to do so.[38]
In 2015, due to low oil prices, Alaska anticipated a $4 billion budget deficit. Budget cuts and raised taxes were proposed to reduce it. In December 2015, Walker proposed reinstating a statewide income tax as well as reducing annual payments to qualified state residents from the Alaska Permanent Fund.[39] His June 2016 partial veto of legislation pertaining to the APF resulted in annual payments to state residents being cut by more than half.[40]The New Yorker later wrote that this "deeply unpopular" move "doomed" Walker's chances of reelection.[41]
In July 2018, Walker signed into law a legislative ethics bill.[42] The bill prevented a stronger ballot measure, which would have prohibited foreign corporations from donating to statewide campaign candidates, from appearing on the fall ballot.[43]
In September 2018, the office of Anchorage District Attorney Richard K. Allen entered into a controversial plea bargain in the case of a former FAA air traffic controller who allegedly kidnapped a native Alaskan woman, choked her until she passed out and then masturbated over her.[44][45] In response to citizen outrage at the reduced sentence, Walker issued a statement saying that the sentence was insufficient and that he would propose legislation making unwanted contact with semen a sex crime.[46]
Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott resigned on October 16, 2018, citing "inappropriate comments" that he and Walker did not detail. A new lieutenant governor, Alaska Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson, was sworn in.[47]
Personal life
Before becoming governor and moving to Juneau, Walker and his wife Donna resided in Anchorage. As of 2017, the couple had two sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren.[48][13]
In November 2016, Walker announced that he had developed prostate cancer, for which he would have routine, out-patient surgery the following month.[49]
^Byron Mallott was replaced by Valerie Davidson on October 16 but Mallott remained on the ballot.
Footnotes
^Suspended her campaign and endorsed Dunleavy on October 25, 2022 after allegations of sexual harassment against Pierce but remained on the ballot.[56]
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