Arliss Sturgulewski
Encyclopedia
Jane Arliss Sturgulewski (née Wright; born September 27, 1927) is a retired businesswoman and Republican
politician
from the U.S. state of Alaska. In a political career in which she started appearing in the spotlight in 1975, she represented Anchorage in the Alaska Senate
from 1979 to 1993. Twice during off-years in re-election to her four-year Senate term (in 1986 and 1990), she won the Republican nomination for governor of Alaska against mostly conservative opposition in blanket primaries
. The second time, in 1990, she came out in third place behind behind Walter Hickel and runner up Tony Knowles
, which was the second of three times in Alaska's history a major-party nominee placed third. She won a 2000 Anchorage Athena award.
and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from University of Alaska Anchorage
in 1993.
Arliss has served on many municipal boards. She was elected to the Anchorage Charter Commission, the Anchorage Assembly, and to the Alaska State Senate from 1979 through 1993. Sturgulewski originally ran for an open Senate seat in 1978 when one-term Republican incumbent Joseph Orsini, an engineering professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage
, did not seek re-election. Sturgulewski defeated Democratic nominee Bruce Biers Kendall
, who had defected to the Democrats since leaving the legislature over a decade prior. Mostly easily re-elected ever since, she chose not to stand for re-election in 1992.
In 1986 and 1990, she won the Republican primary for governor. In 1990, her running mate Jack Coghill
, defected to the third party candidate Walter J. Hickel. There was opposition within the Republican party to her abortion rights and development positions.
She is a trustee for the University of Alaska Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Council for the University of Alaska, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, in addition to numerous other statewide boards and commissions.
Her papers are held at University of Alaska Anchorage.
Her husband, Bernard Sturgulewski, died in a plane crash in 1968. Their only child, Bernard, Jr. (nicknamed "Roe") is married to Carol Murkowski, the oldest of the six children of Nancy and Frank Murkowski
(and the older sister of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
).
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state of Alaska. In a political career in which she started appearing in the spotlight in 1975, she represented Anchorage in the Alaska Senate
Alaska Senate
The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people . Senators serve four-year terms, without term...
from 1979 to 1993. Twice during off-years in re-election to her four-year Senate term (in 1986 and 1990), she won the Republican nomination for governor of Alaska against mostly conservative opposition in blanket primaries
Blanket primary
The blanket primary is a system used for selecting political party candidates in a primary election in the USA. In a blanket primary, voters may pick one candidate for each office without regard to party lines; for instance, a voter might select a Democratic candidate for governor and a Republican...
. The second time, in 1990, she came out in third place behind behind Walter Hickel and runner up Tony Knowles
Tony Knowles
Tony Knowles is the name of:* Tony Knowles , former governor of the U.S. state of Alaska* Tony Knowles , English snooker player...
, which was the second of three times in Alaska's history a major-party nominee placed third. She won a 2000 Anchorage Athena award.
Life
Arliss Sturgulewski received a BA in Economics and Business from the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
in 1993.
Arliss has served on many municipal boards. She was elected to the Anchorage Charter Commission, the Anchorage Assembly, and to the Alaska State Senate from 1979 through 1993. Sturgulewski originally ran for an open Senate seat in 1978 when one-term Republican incumbent Joseph Orsini, an engineering professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 16,500 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage....
, did not seek re-election. Sturgulewski defeated Democratic nominee Bruce Biers Kendall
Bruce Biers Kendall
Bruce Biers Kendall is a retired American hotelier and Republican politician from Alaska.A Methodist, Kendall was born in Martinsburg, Nebraska and grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. He later moved to Alaska, living in Cordova, Valdez and Anchorage...
, who had defected to the Democrats since leaving the legislature over a decade prior. Mostly easily re-elected ever since, she chose not to stand for re-election in 1992.
In 1986 and 1990, she won the Republican primary for governor. In 1990, her running mate Jack Coghill
Jack Coghill
John Bruce "Jack" Coghill was the eighth lieutenant governor of Alaska, serving from 1990 to 1994 under Governor Walter Hickel. Both were members of the Alaskan Independence Party...
, defected to the third party candidate Walter J. Hickel. There was opposition within the Republican party to her abortion rights and development positions.
She is a trustee for the University of Alaska Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Council for the University of Alaska, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, in addition to numerous other statewide boards and commissions.
Her papers are held at University of Alaska Anchorage.
Her husband, Bernard Sturgulewski, died in a plane crash in 1968. Their only child, Bernard, Jr. (nicknamed "Roe") is married to Carol Murkowski, the oldest of the six children of Nancy and Frank Murkowski
Frank Murkowski
Francis Hughes Murkowski is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002 and the eighth Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.- Early life and career :...
(and the older sister of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. She was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski. After losing a Republican primary in 2010, she became the second person ever to win a U.S...
).