Clark Gruening
Encyclopedia
Clark S. Gruening (born March 28, 1943) is an attorney and Democratic Party
politician from the U.S. state
of Alaska
. He is chiefly known as the second of three persons to defeat the incumbent holder of Alaska's Class 3 United States Senate seat in the primary election
.
Clark Gruening was born in San Francisco, California
, the son of Huntington Sanders "Hunt" Gruening, the second-born and (after 1955) only surviving son of Ernest Gruening
, who at the time of Clark's birth was governor of the Territory of Alaska. He grew up in Juneau, Alaska
, where his father was an airline pilot and executive. Clark graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School
in 1961. He received a B.A.
in political science
from the University of Oregon
in 1965 and a J.D.
from George Washington University
in 1969. He moved to Anchorage that same year.
Gruening, an attorney outside of politics, was elected to two terms in the Alaska House of Representatives
starting in 1974. In the 1980 U.S. Senate election in Alaska
, he ran in the Democratic Senate primary, defeating incumbent Senator Mike Gravel
. Gravel had himself defeated Ernest Gruening in the Democratic primary twelve years earlier.
Both election results were felt to have been attributed to the blanket primary
system used in Alaska, which was brand new in 1968 and eventually discontinued due to complaints by individual political parties that members of other parties had a hand in the selection of their party's nominees. Specifically, it was felt that Republicans
and supporters of Frank Murkowski
voted in large numbers for Gruening, in the hopes of eliminating Gravel. Gravel, extremely unpopular with Alaskan voters at the time, nonetheless was felt to have posed a more serious challenge to Murkowski largely on account of his incumbency.
Gruening went on to lose the 1980 general election to Republican nominee Murkowski.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. He is chiefly known as the second of three persons to defeat the incumbent holder of Alaska's Class 3 United States Senate seat in the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
.
Clark Gruening was born in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, the son of Huntington Sanders "Hunt" Gruening, the second-born and (after 1955) only surviving son of Ernest Gruening
Ernest Gruening
Ernest Henry Gruening was an American journalist and Democrat who was the Governor of the Alaska Territory from 1939 until 1953, and a United States Senator from Alaska from 1959 until 1969.-Early life:...
, who at the time of Clark's birth was governor of the Territory of Alaska. He grew up in Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
, where his father was an airline pilot and executive. Clark graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School
Juneau-Douglas High School
Juneau-Douglas High School is one of two high schools in Juneau, Alaska. It is the primary high school for the Juneau School District. The other high school, Thunder Mountain High School, is smaller, and most of its students are from the Mendenhall Valley...
in 1961. He received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1965 and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1969. He moved to Anchorage that same year.
Gruening, an attorney outside of politics, was elected to two terms in the Alaska House of Representatives
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
starting in 1974. In the 1980 U.S. Senate election in Alaska
United States Senate election in Alaska, 1980
The 1980 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Mike Gravel had earlier lost his party's primary to Clark Gruening, and Gruening lost the general election to Republican Party member Frank Murkowski.- Candidates :*Michael J...
, he ran in the Democratic Senate primary, defeating incumbent Senator Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
. Gravel had himself defeated Ernest Gruening in the Democratic primary twelve years earlier.
Both election results were felt to have been attributed to the blanket primary
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...
system used in Alaska, which was brand new in 1968 and eventually discontinued due to complaints by individual political parties that members of other parties had a hand in the selection of their party's nominees. Specifically, it was felt that Republicans
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...
and supporters of 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 :...
voted in large numbers for Gruening, in the hopes of eliminating Gravel. Gravel, extremely unpopular with Alaskan voters at the time, nonetheless was felt to have posed a more serious challenge to Murkowski largely on account of his incumbency.
Gruening went on to lose the 1980 general election to Republican nominee Murkowski.