Anchorage School Board member Eric Croft may be gearing up to run for an Anchorage Assembly seat, according to paperwork he filed Friday.
Croft, a lawyer and former Democratic state legislator, filed a letter of intent with the Alaska Public Offices Commission that would allow him to start accepting campaign donations for the 2016 Assembly election. Croft did not respond to messages Saturday, but if he follows through and runs, he would be running to replace West Anchorage Assembly member Ernie Hall, who has decided not to seek a third term.
This would be Croft's second bid for municipal office. He lost to Dan Sullivan in a runoff for Anchorage mayor in 2009.
Between 1996 and 2006, Croft served as a Democratic state House representative from the Spenard area. He vied for the Democratic Party's 2006 gubernatorial nomination, losing to former Gov. Tony Knowles.
With about 10 months until the election, the West Anchorage race is shaping up to be competitive. Ira Perman, the executive director of the Atwood Foundation and an Assembly aide to Hall, announced his candidacy in May.
Three other Assembly members are up for re-election in 2016: Amy Demboski of Chugiak-Eagle River, Paul Honeman of East Anchorage and Dick Traini of Midtown. No challengers have yet emerged for those seats. So far, only Traini has officially filed paperwork indicating his plans to seek re-election.
Meanwhile, a South Anchorage Assembly seat will be up for grabs, with Jennifer Johnston forced to leave her seat under term limits.