History of Mike Dunleavy (politician) in Timeline

Mike Dunleavy is the current governor of Alaska, serving since 2018. A Republican, he previously served in the Alaska Senate from 2013 to 2018. Dunleavy won the 2018 gubernatorial election against Mark Begich after the incumbent Bill Walker withdrew. He secured reelection in 2022, continuing his leadership in the state.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

May 5, 1961: Birth of Michael James Dunleavy

On May 5, 1961, Michael James Dunleavy was born. He is an American educator and politician who has served as the 12th governor of Alaska since 2018.

1978: First Re-election of a Republican Governor since Jay Hammond

In 2022, Mike Dunleavy was reelected becoming the first incumbent Republican governor of Alaska to be reelected since Jay Hammond in 1978.

1979: Graduated from Scranton Central High School

In 1979, Mike Dunleavy graduated from Scranton Central High School.

1983: Graduated from Misericordia University and moved to Alaska

In 1983, Mike Dunleavy earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Misericordia University and subsequently moved to Alaska where his first job was at a logging camp in Southeast Alaska.

1998: First Alaska Governor of any Affiliation to be Reelected since Tony Knowles

In 2022, Mike Dunleavy was reelected becoming the first Alaska governor of any political affiliation to be reelected since Tony Knowles in 1998.

2004: Moved to Wasilla and Started Educational Consulting Firm

In 2004, Mike Dunleavy and his family moved to Wasilla, Alaska, where he owned an educational consulting firm and worked on statewide educational projects.

August 28, 2012: Won Republican Primary for District D

On August 28, 2012, Mike Dunleavy defeated incumbent state senator Linda Menard in the District D Republican primary with 2,802 votes (57.42%).

2013: Became Member of the Alaska Senate

In 2013, Mike Dunleavy became a member of the Alaska Senate, a position he held until 2018.

2013: Sponsored Legislation for Correspondence School Allotment Program

In 2013, Mike Dunleavy sponsored legislation (SB100) to create Alaska's correspondence school allotment program, which allowed parents of students in homeschool programs to use state education funds for educational materials and services.

2014: Re-elected to the Alaska Senate

In 2014, Mike Dunleavy ran unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Democratic nominee Warren Keogh in the November general election with 64.65% of the vote to be re-elected to the Alaska State Senate.

2014: Correspondence School Allotment Program Passed

In 2014, the correspondence school allotment program, sponsored by Mike Dunleavy, was passed via an omnibus education package, HB278, aiming to increase educational flexibility for families.

September 2017: Abandoned Gubernatorial Race Due to Heart Problems

In September 2017, Mike Dunleavy abandoned his campaign for governor due to heart problems.

December 2017: Announced Return to Gubernatorial Race

In December 2017, Mike Dunleavy announced his return to the race for governor after previously abandoning it due to health concerns.

January 15, 2018: Resigned from Senate to Focus on Gubernatorial Campaign

On January 15, 2018, Mike Dunleavy resigned from his seat in the Alaska Senate to focus on his campaign for governor.

November 2018: Elected as Governor and Lieutenant Governor

In November 2018, Mike Dunleavy and Kevin Meyer were elected as the Republican nominees for governor and lieutenant governor of Alaska.

December 3, 2018: Sworn in as Governor and Appointed Attorney General

On December 3, 2018, Mike Dunleavy was sworn in as the governor of Alaska and appointed Kevin Clarkson as the Alaska attorney general.

2018: Elected as Governor of Alaska

In 2018, Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, was elected as the 12th governor of Alaska, defeating Mark Begich after incumbent Bill Walker withdrew from the race.

January 3, 2019: Requested Presidential Disaster Declaration

On January 3, 2019, Governor Dunleavy requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for federal assistance to Alaska.

January 2019: Announcement to Repeal SB91

In January 2019, Governor Dunleavy announced plans to repeal and replace Senate Bill 91 (SB91) and declare "war on criminals" by proposing bills to increase criminal penalties and reduce parole.

February 2019: Abolishment of Climate Change Task Force

In February 2019, Governor Dunleavy abolished Alaska's climate change task force, a team that was originally instated by Bill Walker, deeming it unnecessary.

April 5, 2019: Disaster Relief Act Signed Into Law

On April 5, 2019, the Disaster Relief Act of 2019, sponsored by Governor Dunleavy to assist with earthquake recovery efforts, was signed into law.

June 28, 2019: Exercised Line-Item Veto Authority

On June 28, 2019, Mike Dunleavy exercised line-item veto authority as governor to make cuts of $433 million, including a cut of $130 million (41%) of state contributions to the University of Alaska.

July 8, 2019: Signing of HB49 into Law

On July 8, 2019, Governor Dunleavy signed House Bill 49 (HB49) into law, which repealed many of the reforms made in 2016 by SB91.

July 15, 2019: Recall Effort Began

On July 15, 2019, an effort to recall Governor Dunleavy began after a public backlash over his cuts to public assistance, education and the University of Alaska.

July 2019: Veto of Abortion Funding

In July 2019, Governor Dunleavy vetoed $334,700 from the court system's budget that was allocated for the state to pay for abortions.

August 2019: Issued Disaster Declaration Due to Wildfires

In August 2019, Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration as a result of multiple wildfires in Alaska, which burned 2.6 million acres.

September 5, 2019: Recall Petition Signatures Submitted

On September 5, 2019, volunteers submitted 49,006 petition signatures in an effort to recall Governor Dunleavy. To have the petition certified by the Division of Elections, the petitioners were required to submit 28,501 signatures.

September 2019: Comments on Arctic Warming Benefits

In September 2019, during a meeting at the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds with Mark Gordon, Governor Dunleavy stated that warming the Arctic could be beneficial for Alaska, as it could lead to further business opportunities.

October 2019: Clash over Green New Deal

In October 2019, Governor Dunleavy clashed with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter regarding the Green New Deal proposal, asserting that it would significantly impact our civilization.

November 4, 2019: Recall Petition Declined

On November 4, 2019, the Division of Elections declined to certify the recall petition against Governor Dunleavy, following a legal opinion by Attorney General Kevin Clarkson stating that the allegations did not meet the grounds for recall.

2019: Introduction of Bills to Restore PFD

In 2019, Governor Dunleavy introduced bills to restore the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividends (PFD) and repay Alaskans for the previous reduced payments.

January 2020: Judge Rejected Decision Not to Certify Recall Petition

In January 2020, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth rejected the division's decision not to certify the recall petition against Governor Dunleavy.

March 11, 2020: State of Emergency Declaration

On March 11, 2020, Governor Dunleavy's office declared a state of emergency to ensure that all entities had the necessary resources to respond to the impending arrival of COVID-19 in Alaska.

May 2020: Response to George Floyd Murder and Protests

In May 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Governor Dunleavy called the act "horrific" and thanked Alaskans for their peaceful protests, while also expressing concern about the potential spread of COVID-19 during the protests.

September 2020: Support for Renewable Energy Ideas

In September 2020, Governor Dunleavy expressed support for renewable energy ideas, including pumped hydro and wind energy.

September 2020: Agreed to Reimburse State for Partisan Advertisements

In September 2020, Mike Dunleavy agreed to reimburse the state $2,800 for allegedly partisan advertisements that were paid for with state funds.

November 2020: Recall Effort Failed to Trigger Election

In November 2020, the "Recall Dunleavy" effort failed to submit enough signatures to trigger a recall election.

2020: Budget Amendment for PFD

In 2020, Governor Dunleavy submitted a budget amendment to the legislature to fully fund the 2019 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD).

2020: Announced Alaska Reads Act

In 2020, Mike Dunleavy announced a bipartisan initiative called the Alaska Reads Act, focused on enhancing interventions for struggling readers and offering targeted school-improvement in the state's lowest performing schools

2020: Established Alaska Development Team

In 2020, Mike Dunleavy established the Alaska Development Team to promote business growth and attract new investments to the state.

March 2021: "Unlocking Alaska" Initiative Announced

In March 2021, Governor Dunleavy announced the "Unlocking Alaska" initiative to assert state control over approximately 800,000 miles of Alaska's navigable waters, aiming to reduce federal interference and enhance state management.

April 2021: Free Vaccinations for Tourists

In April 2021, Governor Dunleavy announced that Alaska would offer free COVID-19 vaccinations to tourists at major airports starting June 1, as part of the United States' vaccination campaign.

August 2021: Announced Candidacy for Reelection

In August 2021, Mike Dunleavy announced his candidacy for reelection as governor in 2022.

January 2022: Calls on legislators to improve election integrity

In January 2022, Mike Dunleavy urged legislators to "improve election integrity" by implementing measures such as prohibiting automatic voter registration, tracking absentee balloting, requiring signature verification, and maintaining voter rolls. Dunleavy stated that these measures aimed to address concerns and worries related to the integrity of elections in Alaska.

February 2022: Denouncement of Ambler Road Project Suspension

In February 2022, Governor Dunleavy denounced the Biden administration's request for suspension of the Ambler Road Project, criticizing it as a war on Alaska and a hindrance to accessing American sources of copper and other strategic minerals.

May 2022: Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference and Nuclear Microreactor Bill

In May 2022, Governor Dunleavy sponsored the first annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage. He also signed into law a nuclear microreactor bill intended to create low-cost, reliable power and reduce reliance on volatile energy sources.

May 2022: Expresses opposition to termination of Title 42

In May 2022, Mike Dunleavy voiced his opposition to the Center for Disease Control's decision to terminate Title 42, arguing that the termination order would be detrimental to states enforcing immigration standards and that it contradicted the Biden Administration's declarations regarding COVID-19.

May 2022: Alaska Legislature Passed the Alaska Reads Act

In May 2022, the Alaska Legislature passed the Alaska Reads Act, an initiative of Mike Dunleavy that aimed to improve reading for kindergarten through third-grade students.

September 6, 2022: Complaint Filed Against Dunleavy Campaign

On September 6, 2022, a complaint was filed against Mike Dunleavy alleging that his campaign was paying staffers with state funds.

2022: Met with Japanese Energy Representatives to Promote Alaska LNG Project

In 2022, Alaska officials, including Mike Dunleavy, met with Japanese energy representatives in Tokyo to promote the Alaska LNG project, discussing the potential for exporting liquefied natural gas from Alaska's North Slope to Japan.

2022: Re-elected as Governor of Alaska

In 2022, Mike Dunleavy was re-elected as the governor of Alaska.

2023: Issued Administrative Order 343 to Address Workforce Shortages

In 2023, Mike Dunleavy issued Administrative Order 343 to address workforce shortages by removing four-year degree requirements for most state jobs.

2023: Signs House Bill 61 into law

In 2023, Mike Dunleavy signed House Bill 61 into law, preventing state and local officials from closing gun stores during declared disasters unless all other businesses face the same closures. According to Dunleavy, this action reflected Alaskans' constitutional right to bear arms by safeguarding access to both firearms and ammunition when Alaskans need it most.

2023: Fifth-Most Popular Governor

In 2023, a Morning Consult poll showed Mike Dunleavy as the fifth-most popular governor, with a job approval rating of 63%.

2023: Implementation of the Alaska Reads Act began

In 2023, implementation of the Alaska Reads Act, an initiative of Mike Dunleavy that aimed to improve reading for kindergarten through third-grade students, began.

2023: Advisor Jeremy Cubas Resigned After Inflammatory Statements

In 2023, one of Mike Dunleavy's advisors, Jeremy Cubas, resigned after inflammatory statements he made on his podcast became common knowledge.

2024: Improved Literacy Benchmarks as a Result of the Alaska Reads Act

In 2024, program outcomes showed improvement as a result of the Alaska Reads Act, an initiative of Mike Dunleavy that aimed to improve reading for kindergarten through third-grade students. At the beginning of the school year, 41% of students reached early literacy benchmarks, which increased to 57% by the end of the year.

March 2025: Progress on Alaska LNG Project Announced

In March 2025, Mike Dunleavy announced significant progress on the Alaska LNG Project, with a definitive agreement granting Glenfarne Group a 75% ownership stake. The project encompasses an 807-mile pipeline and a liquefaction facility in Nikiski.

2030: Target Date to Commence Operations of the Alaska LNG Project

In March 2025, as part of the announcement on progress on the Alaska LNG project, Mike Dunleavy highlighted the target date to commence operations as 2030.