Houston is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough,Alaska,United States. It is part of the Anchorage,Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located roughly 33 miles from downtown Anchorage,though it is a 57-mile drive between the two points. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census,up from 1,912 in 2000.
Thomas T. Anderson was a partner at Optima Public Relations in Anchorage,Alaska and host of the "Tom Anderson Show" radio talk show (www.TomAndersonShow.com) on KVNT 92.5 FM and 1020 AM in Anchorage and Mat-Su. Anderson,a Republican,was an Alaska state representative for District 19 representing northeast Anchorage for two terms,from 2003 to 2007. He became known for his sponsorship of legislation which expanded Alaska's DNA database to assist in forensic identification of criminal suspects through DNA testing.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Alaska may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT Alaskans. Since 1980,same-sex sexual conduct has been allowed,and same-sex couples can marry since October 2014. The state offers few legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,leaving LGBT people vulnerable to discrimination in housing and public accommodations;however,the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. In addition,four Alaskan cities,Anchorage,Juneau,Sitka and Ketchikan,representing about 46% of the state population,have passed discrimination protections for housing and public accommodations.
Jane Arliss Sturgulewski was an American 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,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 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.
Lora H. Reinbold is an American politician who is a member of the Alaska Senate. She was a member of the Alaska House from 2013 to 2019,representing District 26. In 2018,Reinbold was elected to the Alaska State Senate representing the G district. She served in the State Senate from 2019 until retiring in 2023. From 2015 to the end of her tenure,Reinbold was the only member of the Alaska State Legislature unaffiliated with a caucus organization,as she was ejected from the Republican-led majority caucus in March 2015.
Michael James Dunleavy is an American educator and politician serving since 2018 as the 12th governor of Alaska. A Republican,he was a member of the Alaska Senate from 2013 to 2018. He defeated former U.S. senator Mark Begich in the 2018 gubernatorial election after incumbent governor Bill Walker dropped out of the race. He was reelected in 2022.
On January 23,2018,at 00:31 AKST,an earthquake occurred in the Gulf of Alaska near Kodiak Island. The earthquake,measured at 7.9 on the scale,was approximately 280 kilometers (170 mi) southeast of Kodiak and happened at a depth of 25 kilometers (16 mi).
On November 30,2018,at 8:29 a.m. AKST (17:29 UTC),a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Anchorage in South Central Alaska. The earthquake's epicenter was near Point Mackenzie,about 10 miles (16 km) north of Anchorage,and occurred at a depth of 29 miles (47 km). It was followed six minutes later by a magnitude 5.7 aftershock centered 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north-northwest of the municipality. The earthquake could be felt as far away as Fairbanks.
Lidia Lippi Selkregg was an Italian geologist and professor of regional planning at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In the days following the 1964 Alaska earthquake,Selkregg helped organize a group of local geologists to gather important data about earthquake damage to inform future recommendations about building stability. She also helped promote earthquake safety,land preservation,and economic development in the Anchorage area.
Kelly Merrick is an American politician from Alaska. A Republican,Merrick was elected to the Alaska State Senate in 2022,representing District L in Eagle River. She was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. She took office as State Senator on January 17,2023.
Sarah Vance is an American politician from Alaska. Vance is a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives,representing the 6th district.
Austin Quinn-Davidson is an American politician and attorney who served as the acting mayor of Anchorage,Alaska after the resignation of Ethan Berkowitz in October 2020 until the inauguration of Dave Bronson in July 2021. Quinn-Davidson began serving on the Anchorage Assembly in 2018.
Blanche Louise Preston McSmith was an African-American civil rights activist,businesswoman and politician.
The 2021 Anchorage mayoral election was held on April 6,2021,to elect the mayor of Anchorage,Alaska. As no candidate received at least 45% of the vote in the first round,the two candidates with the highest vote share,Forrest Dunbar and Dave Bronson,advanced to a runoff on May 11. The election was officially nonpartisan. Incumbent independent acting mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson,first appointed to the position in October 2020,was eligible to run for reelection to a full term,but did not run. The deadline to register to vote in the first round was March 7. Mail-in ballots were sent out starting on March 15. On May 21,2021,after a narrow loss,Dunbar conceded the race to Bronson. Bronson was sworn in on July 1.
Jane Ruth Angvik is a politician and community organizer in Alaska. She served on the Anchorage Charter Commission and the Anchorage Assembly. Angvik was the Director of Lands in the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development. She is a member of the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame.
David Bronson is an American politician,pilot,and retired Air Force officer. A Republican,he serves as the 9th and current mayor of Anchorage,Alaska.
Katie John was an Alaska Native advocate and cultural expert. John was a plaintiff in a court case against the United States challenging the denial of Native subsistence fishing rights,known throughout Alaska as "the Katie John case." She was instrumental in developing an alphabet for the Ahtna language and preserving the culture and traditional way of life of the Ahtna Athabaskan people.
The 2022 Alaska at-large congressional district special election was held on August 16 to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Republican incumbent Don Young. Mary Peltola defeated former governor Sarah Palin in the election,becoming the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the House since 1972,the first Alaska Native elected to Congress,and the first woman elected to represent Alaska in the House.
The 2024 Anchorage mayoral election was held on April 2,2024,with a runoff election on May 14 because no candidate received more than 45% of the vote in the first round. It elected the mayor of Anchorage,Alaska. Incumbent Republican mayor Dave Bronson ran for re-election to a second term in office.
Arenza Thigpen Jr. is an American petition drive manager and international direct democracy activist based in Anchorage,Alaska.
