Dennis Egan
Encyclopedia
Dennis William Egan is a member of the Alaska Senate
, representing Juneau
, Alaska. He previously served as its mayor from February 13, 1995, to October 3, 2000 and was a member of the local assembly
. He was manager of Alaska-Juneau Communications, Inc., which owns the Juneau-area radio stations KINY
and KSUP
; Egan hosts the program Problem Corner on KINY.
, who was a legislator of the Alaska Territory
, the presiding officer of Alaska's constitutional convention
and the state's first governor, and Neva Egan
, who was Alaska's first First Lady
. He lived in Washington, D.C. while his father lobbied for full Alaskan statehood. Dennis, then eleven years old, appeared on I've Got a Secret
when Alaska entered the Union in 1959.)
working for Caterpillar Inc.
He spent a good portion of the 1970s working in various positions for the State of Alaska government.
bid for a seat in the Alaska House of Representatives
; he lost to Bruce Botelho
.
On the suggestion of friends, Egan ran for the Assembly of the City and Borough of Juneau in 1989. He won and served nearly two full three-year terms in the Assembly from October 3, 1989, to February 1995.
Egan was deputy mayor of Juneau in 1995. He was appointed mayor when Byron Mallott
resigned in order to become executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
; Mallott had believed he could do both jobs, but his plans drew criticism anyway, and he resigned as mayor. Dennis Egan won reelection in 1995 and 1997. The 1997 race was a landslide victory
for Egan. His opponent, Cory Mann, was a "newcomer to politics", according to the Juneau Empire
, and had not filed for election until October 2, five days before the vote was held.
An effective mayor, Egan helped mediation efforts to end an August 1997 Alaska Native Brotherhood
boycott of the 51st Golden North Salmon Derby
. Bob Tkacz of the Anchorage Press
had an unfavorable view of the Empire' s support of the Derby and Egan's efforts to end the boycott. In September 1997 Egan helped keep 200 United States Forest Service
jobs from being moved from Juneau to Ketchikan
.
Egan declined to run in 2000. Instead, Sally Smith narrowly defeated Jamie Parsons, who had been mayor from 1990 to 1994, by 220 votes.
In April 2009, Egan was appointed to the Alaska Senate
by Governor Sarah Palin
to replace Kim Elton, who resigned in March 2009. Palin had refused to appoint state Representative
Beth Kerttula
, the preferred choice of Juneau-area Democrats, to the seat. The Democratic caucus in the Senate, in turn, refused to confirm Tim Grussendorf, who Palin appointed instead. Egan was offered the position as a compromise, as a political stalemate was brewing between Palin and the Democrats.
Egan was unopposed for election to a full term in 2010.
training, he worked at KINY in the 1960s. From the 1980s until January 2010, he hosted Problem Corner, a Juneau-area call-in show. He was the Alaska Broadcasters Association's Broadcaster of the Year in 1990, and selected for the association's Hall of Fame in 2001.
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...
, representing Juneau
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...
, Alaska. He previously served as its mayor from February 13, 1995, to October 3, 2000 and was a member of the local assembly
Assembly of the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska
The Assembly of the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska is the local government of Juneau, Alaska, United States, and the surrounding area. Headed by the mayor of Juneau, the assembly consists of nine members, elected in rotating tranches to three-year terms. Elections are held on the first Tuesday...
. He was manager of Alaska-Juneau Communications, Inc., which owns the Juneau-area radio stations KINY
KINY
KINY is a Full Service formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Juneau, Alaska, serving Alaska Panhandle. KINY is owned and operated by Alaska Broadcast Communications.-History:...
and KSUP
KSUP
KSUP is a commercial music radio station in Juneau, Alaska, broadcasting on 106.3 FM. The station changed from a rock format in the spring of 2007. The station is branded as MIX 106....
; Egan hosts the program Problem Corner on KINY.
Family
Born in Juneau, Dennis is the son of William Allen EganWilliam Allen Egan
William Allen Egan was an American Democratic politician. He served as the first Governor of the State of Alaska from January 3, 1959 to 1966, and the fourth Governor from 1970 to 1974...
, who was a legislator of the Alaska Territory
Alaska Territory
The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
, the presiding officer of Alaska's constitutional convention
Alaska Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Alaska is the constitution of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was ratified in 1956 and took effect with Alaska's admission as a state on January 3, 1959.-The statehood movement:...
and the state's first governor, and Neva Egan
Neva Egan
Desdia Neva Egan was an American educator who served as the first First Lady of Alaska from the state's creation in 1959 to 1966, and again from 1970 to 1974...
, who was Alaska's first First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
. He lived in Washington, D.C. while his father lobbied for full Alaskan statehood. Dennis, then eleven years old, appeared on I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
when Alaska entered the Union in 1959.)
Professions
Egan has held a number of professions in addition to politics. Among other jobs, he served in the National Guard of the United States and assisted the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline SystemTrans-Alaska Pipeline System
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System , includes the Trans Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems...
working for Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
He spent a good portion of the 1970s working in various positions for the State of Alaska government.
Politics
Dennis's first attempt at politics happened in the 1980s, when he ran a primary electionPrimary 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....
bid for a seat 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...
; he lost to Bruce Botelho
Bruce Botelho
Bruce M. Botelho is an American attorney and politician in the state of Alaska. Born in Juneau, Alaska, he has served as the mayor of Juneau on two occasions and was the Alaska Attorney General for eight years. He is currently mayor of Juneau....
.
On the suggestion of friends, Egan ran for the Assembly of the City and Borough of Juneau in 1989. He won and served nearly two full three-year terms in the Assembly from October 3, 1989, to February 1995.
| Juneau, Alaska, regular election, 1989 (District 1) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
| Dennis Egan | 3990 | 57.0% |
| Joe Geldhof | 2095 | 29.9% |
| Lee Stoops | 868 | 12.4% |
| Write-in | 47 | 0.7% |
| Juneau, Alaska, regular election, 1992 (District 1) | ||
| Dennis Egan | 5193 | 62.7% |
| Sandy Harbanuk | 3063 | 37.0% |
| Write-in | 22 | 0.3% |
Egan was deputy mayor of Juneau in 1995. He was appointed mayor when Byron Mallott
Byron Mallott
Byron I. Mallott is a politician and business executive in the U.S. state of Alaska, as well as an Alaska Native leader of Tlingit heritage....
resigned in order to become executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation
Alaska Permanent Fund
The Alaska Permanent Fund is a constitutionally established permanent fund, managed by a semi-independent corporation, established by Alaska in 1976, primarily by the efforts of then Governor Jay Hammond...
; Mallott had believed he could do both jobs, but his plans drew criticism anyway, and he resigned as mayor. Dennis Egan won reelection in 1995 and 1997. The 1997 race was a landslide victory
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
for Egan. His opponent, Cory Mann, was a "newcomer to politics", according to the Juneau Empire
Juneau Empire
The Juneau Empire is a newspaper in Juneau, Alaska, United States. Mark Bryan was appointed publisher in 2009.-External links:* *...
, and had not filed for election until October 2, five days before the vote was held.
An effective mayor, Egan helped mediation efforts to end an August 1997 Alaska Native Brotherhood
Alaska Native Brotherhood/Sisterhood
The Alaska Native Brotherhood and its counterpart the Alaska Native Sisterhood are legally two nonprofit organizations which are interrelated, and which for purposes of this article are discussed as one collective organization. The organization was created in 1912 in Sitka, Alaska, under the...
boycott of the 51st Golden North Salmon Derby
Golden North Salmon Derby
The Golden North Salmon Derby is an annual salmon fishing competition held in Juneau, Alaska in August. The object of the event is to catch the largest Chinook or Coho salmon over a period of three days; pink and chum salmon are not accepted....
. Bob Tkacz of the Anchorage Press
Anchorage Press
The Anchorage Press is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska and owned by Wick Communications.Established in 1992 by Bill Boulay, Barry Bialik, and Nick Coltman as the Anchorage Bypass, it was renamed the Anchorage Press in 1994. It is published and distributed every...
had an unfavorable view of the Empire
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
jobs from being moved from Juneau to Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost sizable city in that state. With an estimated population of 7,368 in 2010 within the city limits, it is the fifth most populous city in the state....
.
| Juneau, Alaska, regular election, 1995 (Mayor) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
| Dennis Egan | 5620 | 57.53% |
| Chuck Keen | 2123 | 21.73% |
| Mark Farmer | 1847 | 18.91% |
| Write-in | 179 | 1.83% |
| Juneau, Alaska, regular election, 1997 (Mayor) | ||
| Dennis Egan | 5432 | 78.1% |
| Cory Mann | 1392 | 20.0% |
| Write-in | 129 | 1.9% |
Egan declined to run in 2000. Instead, Sally Smith narrowly defeated Jamie Parsons, who had been mayor from 1990 to 1994, by 220 votes.
In April 2009, Egan was appointed to 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...
by Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
to replace Kim Elton, who resigned in March 2009. Palin had refused to appoint state Representative
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...
Beth Kerttula
Beth Kerttula
Elizabeth J. "Beth" Kerttula is a Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing the 3rd District since 1998. She has served as the House Minority Leader since 2006. She is the daughter of Jalmar M...
, the preferred choice of Juneau-area Democrats, to the seat. The Democratic caucus in the Senate, in turn, refused to confirm Tim Grussendorf, who Palin appointed instead. Egan was offered the position as a compromise, as a political stalemate was brewing between Palin and the Democrats.
Egan was unopposed for election to a full term in 2010.
Radio
Egan has long been interested in radio. During high school and after broadcast engineerBroadcast engineering
Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering, and now to some extent computer engineering and information technology, which deals with radio and television broadcasting...
training, he worked at KINY in the 1960s. From the 1980s until January 2010, he hosted Problem Corner, a Juneau-area call-in show. He was the Alaska Broadcasters Association's Broadcaster of the Year in 1990, and selected for the association's Hall of Fame in 2001.