Alaska Territory's at-large congressional district
Obsolete district
Created1906, as a non-voting delegate was granted by Congress
Eliminated1959, as a result of statehood
Years active1906–1959
Alaska Territory, 1912–1959

Alaska Territory's at-large congressional district (also District of Alaska's at-large congressional district) was a congressional district created in 1906 to represent the District of Alaska, which was reorganized into the Alaska Territory in 1912. After Alaska's admission to the Union as the 49th state by act of Congress on January 3, 1959, this district evolved into Alaska's at-large congressional district.

In the years following the Alaska Purchase, Alaskans held a series of political conventions focused on sending a representative to the U.S. Congress. The purpose was to lobby mainly for representation in the body, in similar fashion to the later application of the Tennessee Act to lobby for Alaskan statehood, but also for greater autonomy for Alaska. The first convention, held in 1881, saw a non-partisan group send a Democrat (M. D. Ball) to Washington, who worked with a Republican senator (Benjamin Harrison) to craft the organic act which created the District of Alaska. Ball and several subsequent individuals were unable to convince Congress to grant the District a delegate, however. Events changed as the population of Alaska increased around the turn of the 20th century, mainly on account of immigration due to gold rushes.

On May 7, 1906, an act of Congress gave the District of Alaska the authority to elect a Congressional delegate.[1][2][3] On August 24, 1912, the District of Alaska was reorganized into an organized incorporated territory and continued to elect delegates until Alaska became a state in 1959.[1]

List of delegates representing the district

Delegate Party Years Cong
ress		 Electoral history
District created May 7, 1906
Vacant May 7, 1906 –
August 14, 1906		 59th

Frank Hinman Waskey
(Nome)		 Democratic[lower-alpha 1] August 14, 1906 –
March 3, 1907		 Elected in 1906.
Retired.

Thomas Cale
(Fairbanks)		 Independent March 4, 1907 –
March 3, 1909		 60th Elected in 1906.
Retired.

James Wickersham
(Fairbanks)		 Republican March 4, 1909 –
March 3, 1917		 61st
62nd
63rd
64th		 Elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Lost re-election.

Charles August Sulzer
(Sulzer)		 Democratic March 4, 1917 –
January 7, 1919		 65th Elected in 1916.
Lost election contest.

James Wickersham
(Fairbanks)		 Republican January 7, 1919 –
March 3, 1919		 Won election contest.[5]
Lost re-election.

Charles August Sulzer
(Sulzer)		 Democratic March 4, 1919 –
April 28, 1919		 66th Elected in 1918.
Died.
Vacant April 28, 1919 –
July 1, 1919

George Barnes Grigsby
(Juneau)		 Democratic July 1, 1919 –
March 1, 1921		 Elected June 5, 1919 to finish Sulzer's term
and seated July 1, 1919.[6][7]
Lost election contest.[8]

James Wickersham
(Fairbanks)		 Republican March 1, 1921 –
March 3, 1921		 Won election contest.[8]
Retired.

Daniel Sutherland
(Juneau)		 Republican March 4, 1921 –
March 3, 1931		 67th
68th
69th
70th
71st		 Elected in 1920.[9]
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Retired.

James Wickersham
(Juneau)		 Republican March 4, 1931 –
March 3, 1933		 72nd Elected in 1930.[10]
Lost re-election.

Anthony Dimond
(Valdez)		 Democratic March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1945		 73rd
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th		 Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Retired to become a state judge.

Bob Bartlett
(Juneau)		 Democratic January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1959		 79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th		 Elected in 1944.
Elected in 1946.
Elected in 1948.
Elected in 1950.
Elected in 1952.
Elected in 1954.
Elected in 1956.
Ran for U.S. senator upon statehood.
District eliminated January 3, 1959

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Waskey was elected on a nonpartisan ticket[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "A history of Alaska's primary elections". Alaska Division of Elections. September 2000. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". United States Congress. Archived from the original on April 23, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  3. ↑ "House History". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on April 24, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Alaskan Delegate Here: Frank H. Waskey Pleases by Good Looks and Modest Ways". The Washington Post. October 29, 1906. p. 7. ProQuest 144691230.
  5. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AK Territorial Delegate - Recount Race - Jan 07, 1919". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  6. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AK Territorial Delegate - Special Election Race - Jun 05, 1919". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  7. ↑ "Sixty-Sixth Congress - March 4, 1919, to March 3, 1921". United States House of Representatives. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Our Campaigns - AK Territorial Delegate - Recount Race - Mar 01, 1921". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  9. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AK Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 02, 1920". www.ourcampaigns.com.
  10. ↑ "Our Campaigns - AK Territorial Delegate Race - Nov 04, 1930". www.ourcampaigns.com.

64°N 153°W / 64°N 153°W / 64; -153

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