Loren Leman
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Loren Dwight Leman (; born December 2, 1950) is an American politician who served as the eighth
lieutenant governor of Alaska The lieutenant governor of Alaska ( Iñupiaq: ''Alaskam Kavanaata Ikayuqtiksrautaa'') is the deputy elected official to the governor of the U.S. state of Alaska. Unlike most lieutenant governors in the U.S., the office also maintains the dut ...
, from 2002 to 2006. Before that, he served in both houses of the state legislature, and was elected as the Senate Majority Leader by the end of his term.Politics: "Loren Leman"
Russian-American Heritage Museum
He served in office in electoral politics from 1989 to 2006. When Leman was elected as lieutenant governor in 2002, he was the first person of
Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
ancestry to be elected to statewide office in Alaska. He also has
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
-
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
ancestry.


Early life and family

Leman was born in
Pomona, California Pomona ( ) is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population was ...
, and grew up in
Ninilchik, Alaska Ninilchik ( Dena'ina: ''Niqnalchint'', , Alaskan Russian: ''N'in'íl'chik'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 883, up from 772 in 2000. It is considere ...
, in a Russian-speaking family of
Alutiiq The Alutiiq (pronounced in English; from Promyshlenniki Russian Алеутъ, "Aleut"; plural often "Alutiit"), also called by their ancestral name ( or ; plural often "Sugpiat"), as well as Pacific Eskimo or Pacific Yupik, are a Yupik ...
,
Russian Creole Alaskan Creoles () are the descendants of ethnic Russians in colonial Alaska, known as Russian Creoles (), who intermarried with Aleut, Yupik, Inuit, and other Alaskan Native peoples. Russian Alaska In Russian Alaska, the term Creole was not ...
, and
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
ancestry. They were commercial fishermen. He watched his father operate a fish trap during Territorial days, before this fishing method was outlawed by referendum in 1959. He subsequently has worked the family salmon setnet operation on
Cook Inlet Cook Inlet (; Sugpiaq language, Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding ...
near Ninilchik. He longlined for
halibut Halibut is the common name for three species of flatfish in the family of right-eye flounders. In some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish are also referred to as halibut. The word is derived from ''haly'' (holy) and ...
in Cook Inlet and harvested herring roe on kelp in
Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the ...
. Leman traces his long family history in Alaska to the marriage in Kodiak in 1798 between a Russian shipbuilder and an
Alutiiq The Alutiiq (pronounced in English; from Promyshlenniki Russian Алеутъ, "Aleut"; plural often "Alutiit"), also called by their ancestral name ( or ; plural often "Sugpiat"), as well as Pacific Eskimo or Pacific Yupik, are a Yupik ...
woman from
Afognak Afognak (Alutiiq: ''Agw’aneq''; ) is an island in the Kodiak Archipelago north of Kodiak Island in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is long from east to west and wide from north to south and has a land area of , making it the 18th largest i ...
. He graduated from Ninilchik High School in 1968. He received his bachelor's degree in
civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
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 1972 and master's degree in civil/environmental engineering from
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
in 1973. He and his wife Carolyn raised three children; Rachel, Joseph, and Nicole. Their younger daughter, Nicole, died in a hiking accident in New Zealand in December 2015.


Political career

Leman joined the Republican Party in Alaska and became politically active. He was elected in 1988 to the Alaska state house, representing west
Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
and serving until 1993. He was known as a social conservative, pro-development, pro-business, environmentally-conscious, a supporter of Alaska's military and taxpayer-friendly. In 1992 he was elected to represent northwest Anchorage in the State Senate, serving from January 1993 to December 2002. In addition to other assignments, he chaired the Senate State Affairs, Labor & Commerce and Resources committees, and served on its Finance Committee. In his last term, he was elected as Senate Majority Leader.


Lieutenant governor

In November 2002, Leman became the first person of
Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
ancestry to be elected to statewide office when he won the position of Alaska's eighth lieutenant governor. In the fall of 2002 Leman had campaigned to win the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. His opponents were Gail Phillips, State Representative from Homer; Robin Taylor, State Senator from Wrangell; and
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...
, who had been a mayor of
Wasilla Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part ...
. Leman won. Palin was a close second, within 2,000 votes. She later ran for vice president on a ticket with Senator
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
for president. As lieutenant governor, Leman continued his interests in budget discipline, education accountability, promoting wise use of Alaska's natural resources, and supporting the
right to life The right to life is the belief that a human (or other animal) has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another entity. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues including: capital punishment, with some ...
. Leman was an advocate for fiscal responsibility through adopting and following a five-year plan to reduce State spending by $250 million. A
social conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional social structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institu ...
, he led efforts to require parental notification for girls seeking to have abortions and was a prime sponsor of a 1998 Alaska constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. He was active on the multi-state Energy Council, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and Pacific States Legislative Task Force. He taught the Alaska constitution and legislative process to Boys and Girls State delegates, "Winning Women" seminars, and has been a guest lecturer to high school and University of Alaska students. During his four years as lieutenant governor, Leman led Alaska's Faith-Based & Community Initiatives, to develop synergies between government and Alaska's faith communities. After the initiative had been underway for a year, the White House recognized Alaska as a "role model State" for its FBCI achievements. Lieutenant Governor Leman spoke on the role of people of faith in politics and community service. He represented the State as one of seven commissioners on the Denali Commission, a unique State-federal cooperative effort to improve health care, energy, transportation, economic opportunities and workforce development, primarily in rural Alaska. There was speculation Leman might run for governor in 2006, either challenging
Frank Murkowski Frank Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a United States Senate, United States Senator representing Alaska from 1981 to 2002 and as t ...
in the primary or running for an open seat if Murkowski retired. Leman planned an announcement in February 2006, but postponed the news to talk more with his family about the decision. In late May 2006, Murkowski announced his plans to run for reelection. A few days later, Leman declined a run for the office (saying Murkowski's decision was only one of many factors) and also opted out of a second term as lieutenant governor. Republican
Sean Parnell Sean Randall Parnell (born November 19, 1962) is an American attorney and politician who was the tenth governor of Alaska from 2009 to 2014.
succeeded Leman. Leman spoke at a pro-life event at the Alaska Capitol in 2018, stating "more and more people recognize that abortion is not a good solution. It doesn’t lead to happiness and fulfillment," and "we have lost 60 million people who could have made a difference in our world."


Transportation improvements

Loren Leman has long maintained an avid interest in transportation improvements in Alaska. He has managed projects to improve airports, was an early supporter of the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation's launch facilities on Kodiak, served on the board of directors of the Challenger Learning Center in
Kenai Kenai (, ; Dena'ina: ; , ''Kenay'') is a city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. By road, it is 158 miles southwest of Anchorage. The population was 7,424 as of the 2020 census, up from 7,100 in 2010, the fiftee ...
, and as the national chairman of the Aerospace States Association, an organization of lieutenant governors and governor-appointed delegates from space ports and academia who advise Congress on aviation and space issues. He was a sponsor of legislation to enable the
Alaska Railroad The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad that operates freight and passenger trains in the state of Alaska. The railroad's mainline runs between Seward, Alaska, Seward on the southern coast and Fairbanks, Alaska, Fairbanks, near the center of ...
to complete a track realignment and improvement project from Ship Creek to
Wasilla Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part ...
. He has championed road, port and harbor, and building improvements and served on the Legislature's Deferred Maintenance Task Force in the mid-1990s, identifying more than $1.4 billion in infrastructure improvement needs. His other work history includes consulting civil/environmental engineering and fishing. A registered
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...
in Alaska, Leman has had engineering work during the past 43 years that has spanned the entire State, from
Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a po ...
to
Kotzebue Kotzebue ( ) or Qikiqtaġruk ( , ) is a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the borough's seat, by far its largest community and the economic and transportation hub of the subregion of Alaska encompassing ...
, Unalaska to
Wasilla Wasilla ( Dena'ina: ''Benteh'') is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part ...
to Yakutat.


Legacy and honors

*In 1999 then-Senator Leman won the national Civil Government award from the
American Society of Civil Engineers The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a tax-exempt professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it is the oldest national engineering soci ...
(ASCE), the world's premier civil engineering society, for his work in improving education, developing resources and improving transportation in Alaska.


See also

*
List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States This is a list of minority governors and lieutenant state governors in the United States. In the United States, an ethnic minority is anyone who has at least one parent who is not of non-Hispanic white descent (such as African Americans, Asian Am ...


References


External links

* * – official website as of April 24, 2006, when Leman was still in office (through
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
)
Alaska's Digital Archives
– Photo of Leman, 1968, with Ernest Gruening and Tom Anderson. Leman and Anderson were Alaska's
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...
scholars that year.
Loren Leman
at ''100 Years of Alaska's Legislature'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Leman, Loren 1950 births 20th-century Alaska Native people 20th-century Alaska politicians 21st-century Alaska Native people 21st-century members of the Alaska Legislature Alaskan Creole people Alutiiq people American anti-abortion activists American civil engineers American fishermen American people of Russian descent American people of Polish descent Christians from Alaska Engineers from Alaska Lieutenant governors of Alaska Living people Republican Party Alaska state senators Republican Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives Native American state legislators in Alaska Native American Christians Oregon State University alumni Politicians from Anchorage, Alaska People from Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska University of Alaska Anchorage alumni