Ben Anderson-Agimuk resigned from his position as a House District 38 legislative aide Thursday in order to dedicate more time to filling former Rep. Zach Fansler’s seat.
Anderson-Agimuk once worked closely with Fansler. Now, he’s overseeing the search for Fansler’s replacement after his old supervisor resigned following assault allegations.
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Democrats selected Anderson-Agimuk to serve as their district’s chairman earlier this week, and he said he felt that it would be inappropriate for him to hold both positions at once.
Anderson-Agimuk wants to dedicate more time to party matters, he said in an interview Thursday afternoon with KYUK. He wouldn’t be permitted to discuss his own party’s business during work hours at the Legislature.
The new district chair’s first job is to help find nominees to fill the remainder of Fansler’s term.
As part of that process, Anderson-Agimuk will pick a handful of local Democrats to serve on a selection committee that will evaluate potential candidates for the seat.
There is not an actual application process for those interested in serving on the selection committee.
Within the next three weeks, the committee will pick three potential candidates for Gov. Bill Walker’s review, though the governor might request additional nominations.
He must select Fansler’s replacement by March 14.
