Mike Kelly (Alaska politician)
Mike Kelly | |
|---|---|
University of Alaska Board of Regents | |
| In office 1996–1998 | |
| Preceded by | Sharon D. Gagnon |
| Succeeded by | Michael J. Burns |
| Member of the University of Alaska Board of Regents | |
| In office 1991–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Ruth E. Burnett |
| Succeeded by | Brian D. Rogers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Patrick Kelly May 6, 1942 Tacoma, Washington |
| Died | December 7, 2016 (aged 74) Near Fairbanks, Alaska |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cherie |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Alaska |
Michael Patrick Kelly (May 6, 1942 – December 7, 2016) was a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 7th District from 2005 until 2011.[1] In the 26th Alaska State Legislature, he served on the Finance Committee, chairing the Corrections and the Natural Resources Finance Subcommittee. He also served on the Fish & Game Finance Subcommittee.[2]
Prior to politics
Mike Kelly was born on May 6, 1942, in Tacoma, Washington, the oldest of seven children of Halford "Hal" and Helen Kelly. Hal Kelly moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, in late 1947; his family moved to Fairbanks the following year. Mike Kelly graduated from Monroe High School in 1960.
Kelly retired as the president and
Political career
Kelly is the oldest brother of Pete Kelly, who represented Fairbanks in the Alaska House from 1995 to 1999, and the Alaska Senate from 1999 to 2003. Mike Kelly ran for an open House seat in 2004, defeating a primary opponent and 3 opponents on the general election ballot. Most of his time in office was spent dealing with solutions to problems brought on by the public employee retirement system in Alaska and the potential for future budget problems due to unfunded liabilities. This angered the old-timer and conservative constituencies who originally voted for him, as he mainly talked about building large-scale development projects. The solution he achieved, which would have resulted in lesser benefits for newer public employees than the ones who came before, also angered the public employee sector. They began to target Kelly for defeat.
2008 campaign
In 2008, Kelly faced two primary challengers. He defeated
2010 campaign
In 2010, he was defeated for reelection by Bob Miller, a former television anchor. Political action committees were formed specifically to oppose Kelly. Advertisements pointing out his actions on the public employee retirement issue, presented in contrast with his own retirement package from Golden Valley Electric Association, were a constant presence during the 2010 campaign season.
Personal life and death
Kelly and his wife Cherie had five children, Roxanne, Shannon, Erin, Cecilia and James, as well as 12 grandchildren. He graduated from
Kelly was killed in the crash of an American Champion Citabria, which was being piloted by Kelly, on Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks, Alaska, on December 7, 2016.[5][6]
References
- ^ "Mike Kelly". Ballotpedia.org. 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "Rep. Mike Kelly's 26th Legislature Information - 26th AK Legislature House Majority". Housemajority.org. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "Rep. Kelly's Biography - 26th AK Legislature House Majority". Housemajority.org. Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "Alaska State Legislature". House.legis.state.ak.us. 2016-02-14. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "Wife: Ex-state Rep. Mike Kelly dies in Alaska plane crash". Dailyprogress.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Ballard, Shannon. "Former state representative Mike Kelly killed in plane crash near Fairbanks | KTVA 11". Ktva.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
External links
- Alaska State House Majority Site
- Alaska State Legislature Biography Archived 2009-06-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Project Vote Smart profile
- Mike Kelly at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature