Alaska labor commissioner resigns for undisclosed reasons

The head of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development unexpectedly resigned Tuesday, causing Gov. Mike Dunleavy to name Deputy Commissioner Cathy Muñoz the agency’s acting boss.

Commissioner Tamika Ledbetter’s resignation was announced in an email from the governor’s office Tuesday afternoon, and state legislators — including the chairs of the Senate and House labor and commerce committees — said they were surprised by the announcement.

The resignation, handed in Tuesday, was effective immediately and Ledbetter is no longer a member of the administration, said a Dunleavy official.

Rep. Jesse Sumner, R-Wasilla and chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee, said he had just spoken with Ledbetter a few days ago, with no sign of an impending resignation.

The statement from the governor’s office did not say why Ledbetter resigned, and officials from the office were unable to immediately provide a copy of her resignation letter.

“I am very much looking forward to spending time with my family, traveling abroad and welcoming the birth of our first grandchild,” Ledbetter said in the statement from the governor’s office.

The governor’s office did not answer a question asking whether Ledbetter resigned to spend more time with her family. A call to Muñoz’s cellphone was unanswered.

Muñoz, who replaces Ledbetter, is a Republican former state representative from Juneau who has worked as deputy labor commissioner since 2018.

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.