Jim Duncan (born May 4, 1942 in

Muscatine, Iowa Muscatine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,797 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, an increase from 22,697 in 2000 United States Census, 2000. It is loca ...

) is an Alaskan state and local officeholder, educator and government and union executive.

Early life and education

Duncan was born to Paul and Hazel Duncan in

on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

Duncan graduated from Rockridge High School in

Taylor Ridge, Illinois Taylor Ridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. Taylor Ridge is located at the junction of Illinois Route 94 and Illinois Route 192, north of Reynolds. Taylor Ridge has a post office with ZIP ...

in 1960, and received an A.A. from

Sheldon Jackson College Sheldon Jackson College (SJC) was a small private college located on Baranof Island in Sitka, Alaska, United States. Founded in 1878, it was the oldest institution of higher learning in Alaska and maintained a historic relationship with the Pr ...

, in

Sitka, Alaska Sitka (; ) is a municipal home rule, unified Consolidated city-county, city-borough in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was under Russian America, Russian rule from 1799 to 1867. The city is situated on the west side of Ba ...

in 1962; attended

Seattle University Seattle University (Seattle U or SU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and grad ...

and got a B.A. degree from

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

in 1965, and a master's degree in Business Administration from

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

, in 1970.

Career

Duncan was an accountant and taught at Sheldon Jackson, Sitka (Islands) Community College, and the Juneau-Douglas Community College. He was the controller for the tribal Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority. He was a supervisor in Alaska's Department of Revenue, the Commissioner of Administration during the Tony Knowles governorship, and was the Business Manager of the Alaska State Employees Association, an AFSCME affiliate, the state's largest union.Jim Duncan
''

Vote Smart Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is an American non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected offic ...

''. Retrieved May 4, 2021.Jim Duncan
''Alaska Legislature''. Retrieved May 4, 2021. From 1972 to 1974, Duncan was appointed and elected as a member of the City and Borough Assembly Juneau in Alaska. He was a Democratic party candidate for Alaska U.S. Representative in the general election of 1998, running against incumbent Representative

Don Young Donald Edwin Young (June 9, 1933 – March 18, 2022) was an American politician from Alaska. He is the List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service, longest-serving Republican Party (United States), Republican in House ...

, who was then in his 13th term. Duncan was the Executive Director of the Alaska State Employees Association, an AFSCME affiliate, the state's largest union, from February 2003 through December 2017.

Tenure

Duncan served on the Juneau-Douglas Borough Assembly, in the Alaska House of Representatives 1975-1986 (Speaker, 1981–1982), and Alaska Senate 1987–1998, including a term as Minority Leader. He was Alaska's 1998 Democratic congressional candidate, running against incumbent Representative

, who was then in his 13th term.

Personal

Jim and his wife Carol Jean Acevada, who was a

Tlingit The Tlingit or Lingít ( ) are Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. , they constitute two of the 231 federally recognized List of Alaska Native tribal entities, Tribes of Alaska. Most Tlingit are Alaska Natives; ...

tribal member, business owner and educator from

Kake, Alaska Kake (, like 'cake') is a first-class city in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 557 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Tlingit word ''Ḵéix̱ʼ'' (Northern Tlingit) or ''Ḵéex̱ʼ'' (Sou ...

had seven children: Jim Jr., Desiree, Michelle, Derek, Jon, Marc, Caron, and, by his second wife Charlotte, stepdaughter Kathy.Charlotte Duncan
'' Legacy.com'', November 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Jim 1942 births 20th-century members of the Alaska Legislature Borough assembly members in Alaska Democratic Party Alaska state senators Oregon State University alumni Educators from Alaska Living people People from Muscatine, Iowa People from Sitka, Alaska People from Juneau, Alaska Politicians from Anchorage, Alaska Speakers of the Alaska House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives