Bill Thomas (Alaska politician)

Bill Thomas began working as a lobbyist in Juneau ca. 1991, mostly representing small community concerns throughout Southeast Alaska. He also spent four years apiece on the Haines Borough assembly (legislative body) and school board.

In 2004, Democrat Georgianna Lincoln, who represented the sprawling, rural District C in the Alaska Senate (Lincoln hailed from the Yukon River village of Rampart), did not seek reelection. 5th District member of the Alaska House of Representatives, Albert Kookesh, filed to run for the Senate, eventually winning. Thomas ran for the 5th District House seat, citing his experience as a lobbyist as being beneficial to the position. Thomas won election in 2004 by 59 votes over Tim June, a fellow commercial fisherman from Haines, who was active in environmental and watershed issues for many years. Thomas would be reelected mostly easily thereafter, including defeating June by an approximately 61 to 38 percent margin in 2008.

In the 24th Alaska State Legislature, Thomas served as co-chair of the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee, as well as co-chair of the Fisheries Committee. He also served on the Education, Military and Veterans' Affairs and the Transportation Committees in the House.

2007-2008

• Member, Finance Committee

2005-2006

• Commerce, Community & Economic Development
• Fish & Game
• Transportation

2007-2008

• Chair, Administration
• Chair, Fish & Game

since 2004.[5] He served as co-chair of the Finance Committee and was a member of the Legislative Budget & Audit Committee. He also chaired the Governor and the Legislature Finance Subcommittees for the 27th Legislature.[6]

Due to an Alaskan Supreme Court order, the redistricting board has redrawn the district lines for the 2012 election based on state constitutional requirements. Major changes have been proposed to the Southeast region, including Thomas's district.[7][8] The proposed plan combines the 5th District with Juneau, the state capital directly to the south. Constituents from Haines Borough have objected to the new map, town mayor Stephanie Scott stated "we do not believe that we are socio-economically integrated with the Mendenhall Valley, we don't have the same concerns, the same needs."[9] Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka was the Democratic challenger to Thomas.

Kreiss-Tomkins subsequently defeated Thomas by 32 votes, following a recount. As ballot-counting continued beyond election day, the lead went back and forth, even tying at one point.[10]