Longtime Anchorage Rep. Chris Tuck, facing fellow Democrat, will not seek reelection

Longtime state Rep. Chris Tuck said Wednesday that he will not seek reelection, bowing out of a race that pitted two Democrats against each other in a Midtown Anchorage House district that was redrawn by the state redistricting board this year.

Tuck, in a phone interview Wednesday, said he withdrew from the race at the request of his 7-year-old daughter — a decision that leaves an opening for the other Democratic incumbent, Andy Josephson.

There are two others vying to represent the slightly liberal-leaning district: Timothy Huit, who is listed as the Alaskan Independence Party candidate, and Republican Kathy Henslee.

Tuck, who’s also worked as a contractor and union organizer, was first elected in 2008. He said he’s looking forward to having a garden.

“It’s bittersweet — I got choked up,” he said. “At the same time, it’s going to be a relief.”

He announced his withdrawal at a Wednesday meeting of the state’s campaign finance agency, the Alaska Public Offices Commission, which has proposed a $56,500 fine against Tuck for failing to report $500 in campaign income that he received just before the 2020 election.

Tuck said Wednesday that the contribution was disclosed in another report and wasn’t required in the report that’s subject of the proposed penalty; he said the fine wasn’t a factor in his decision not to run.