Matthew W. Claman (born 1959) is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of the

Alaska Senate The Alaska State Senate is the upper house in the Alaska State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or reje ...

since 2023, 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 ...

. Claman previously served as a member of the

Alaska House of Representatives The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people pe ...

from 2015 until 2023; the acting

mayor of Anchorage This is a list of mayors of Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage was incorporated as a city (Alaska), city on November 23, 1920. The Greater Anchorage Area Borough, which encompassed the city, was created in January 1964. ...

from in 2009 (after

Mark Begich Mark Peter Begich ( ; born March 30, 1962) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he ...

resigned from the position to serve in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

), and a member of the

Anchorage Assembly The Anchorage Assembly is the governing body of Anchorage, Alaska. The Assembly has twelve members elected to three-year terms from six districts. It is responsible for creating and approving the city's annual budget, appropriating municipal fund ...

from 2007 until 2010.

Early life and education

Claman was raised in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from

Colorado College Colorado College is a private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory, the college offers over 40 majors a ...

. Claman moved to

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

in 1980, working as a prep cook at a mining camp. Claman returned to

to earn

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Texas School of Law The University of Texas School of Law (Texas Law) is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Texas at Austin, a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas. According to Texas Law’s American Bar ...

. He then returned to Alaska and began to practice law.

Career

Claman is a trial and appellate attorney with Lane Powell, a regional law firm, and is past President of the

Alaska Bar Association The Alaska Bar Association (ABA) is a mandatory bar association responsible for the Alaska Supreme Court and for the admission and discipline process of attorneys for the state of Alaska. Governance The association is governed by a Board of ...

. Claman served on the Anchorage Assembly beginning in 2007 and became its chair in 2008. He became the Acting Mayor of Anchorage in 2009 when then-Mayor Mark Begich was elected Alaska's United States Senator in the 2008 general election. As Acting Mayor during the

2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...

, he led efforts to reduce the municipal budget by $20 million, approximately 5%, and negotiated concessions to achieve a balanced budget. Claman was elected to the

in 2014, and joined the Democratic minority. During his first term, he sat on the Judiciary Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Energy Committee. He is a strong advocate for a responsible action plan to address Alaska's financial challenges. In 2016, Claman was re-elected to the State House. Following the election, he joined the Alaska House Majority Coalition of 22 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are committed to working together to put Alaska first. His peers selected him to chair the House Judiciary Committee, where he previously served as a committee member. He is also the Vice Chair of the Rules Committee and a member of the Legislative Council, Energy Committee, Transportation Committee, and Criminal Justice Commission. Claman has introduced legislation for a statewide vote to amend the

Constitution of Alaska The Constitution of the State of Alaska was ratified on April 4, 1956 and took effect with Alaska's admission to the United States as a U.S. state on January 3, 1959. History and background The statehood movement In the 1940s, the movement fo ...

and limit the session to 90 days. In response to reports about incidents of inappropriate conduct between undercover police officials and alleged sex workers, which revealed a legal loophole (not only in Alaska, but in all U.S. states) that allows police officers to engage in sex acts with prostitution suspects prior to their arrest, Claman introduced legislation (Alaska HB 112) to make it illegal. In

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, Claman was elected to the

, defeating Republican incumbent Mia Costello.

Personal life

Claman is married to Lisa Rieger, who works for Cook Inlet Tribal Council, one of Alaska's most successful non-profit corporations. Matt and Lisa have two adult children. Claman is a licensed EMT and professional wilderness guide.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Claman, Matt 1959 births Alaska lawyers Anchorage Assembly members Colorado College alumni Date of birth missing (living people) Living people Mayors of Anchorage, Alaska Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Alaska Legislature Place of birth missing (living people) University of Texas School of Law alumni