LOREN D. LEMAN BORN–1ST PERSON OF ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE (ALUTIIQ) ELECTED STATEWIDE
Raised in a commercial fishing family in Ninilchik, Alaska, his ancestry included a marriage in Kodiak in 1700s between a Russian shipbuilder and an Alutiiq woman from Afognak. In 1968, he enrolled into Oregon State University and later transferred to Stanford University, where he received a Master of Arts degree in Civil Engineering in 1973. While in office, representing Anchorage in the State House from 1989 to 1993 and in the State Senate from January 1993 to December 2002, he became known as a prominent social conservative, pro-development, pro-business, environmentally-conscious, and a supporter of the military in Alaska. He became Senate Majority Leader by the end of his term. In 2002, Leman became a Lieutenant Governor, the first person with native American ancestry to hold such a high position in Alaska. During the nomination procedure within the ranks of the Republican Party, he defeated Sarah Palin.
Source: Politics: “Loren Leman,” Russian-American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7/22/2019, http://russianheritagemuseum.com/en/RHM_Loren_Leman/
Photo: L. D. Leman, 2/1/2003. Public domain. Released into Public Domain by the author for any purpose and with no limitations.