Former Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, left, and Gov. Bill Walker address the First Alaskans Institute Elders and Youth Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, on October 15, 2018. Photo by Kevin Abourezk

National | Politics

Native lieutenant governor resigns for 'inappropriate comments'

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

UPDATE: This post has been updated to include the Democratic campaign of Debra Call, who is Alaska Native. She is running for lieutenant governor.

Alaska's political world was rocked on Tuesday with the sudden resignation of Byron Mallott, the state's Native lieutenant governor, just three weeks before the election.

In a resignation letter, Mallott said he made "inappropriate comments" and said he was sorry for placing a person "whom I admire and respect in a position of vulnerability."

"I take full responsibility for this action and apologize to, and seek healing for, the person I hurt," Mallott, who hails from the Tlingit and Haida Tribes, said in the letter.

Mallott's departure came a day after he addressed the 35th annual First Alaskans Institute Elders and Youth Conference in Anchorage. He and Gov. Bill Walker (I) appeared together at the event on Monday, prior to the disclosure of the incident in question.

"I learned of the incident last night," Walker said in a statement on Tuesday. "Byron has taken full responsibility for his actions and has resigned."

It is with profound disappointment that we accepted the resignation of Byron Mallott as Lieutenant Governor. It is our honor to introduce Lt. Governor Valerie Davidson in her new role. We are grateful for her commitment to serve our people and our state with strength and grace. pic.twitter.com/4XrCV9H9kr
— Governor Bill Walker (@AkGovBillWalker) October 16, 2018

Speculation about the incident was rampant in Anchorage, where thousands of Native people are in town for the First Alaskans Institute conference and for the Alaska Federation of Natives convention, which begins on Thursday. Few details were available although The Anchorage Daily News provided some more information.

According to the paper, Walker said the incident occurred earlier in the week. An aide pinpointed it to Sunday and said it involved a woman who wishes to keep her identity private.

"It was not work-related," spokesperson Austin Baird told the paper. Baird said the woman was not on Mallott's staff but would not clarify whether or not she was a state government employee.

Mallott typically posts his whereabouts on social media but all of his public accounts were taken down by Tuesday afternoon.

Mallott, a Democrat, initially ran for governor in 2014 but later joined forces with Walker on a so-called unity ticket. He became lieutenant governor when Walker won the governor's race as a political independent.

The pair were running again in this year's election. But Mallott is now off the ticket and has been replaced by Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson.

Davidson, who is Yup'ik, was sworn in as the new lieutenant governor on Tuesday afternoon. She previously served as Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services in the Walker administration.

"“Alaskans deserve the highest standards of conduct by their elected officials," Davidson said on Tuesday. "While I am deeply saddened by the resignation of Lt. Governor Byron Mallott, I am profoundly disappointed by his conduct."

Davidson's presence in the campaign makes her the fourth Native woman to be running as lieutenant governor in 2018. In Alaska, the Democratic nominee is Debra Call, a state lawmaker who is Athabascan. She is on the ticket with Mark Begich, a former U.S. Senator.

In Minnesota, Peggy Flangan (White Earth Nation) and Donna Bergstrom (Red Lake Nation) are the Democratic and Republican nominees for lieutenant governor, respectively.

With the Elders and Youth conference winding down on Wednesday, attention is turning to the Alaska Federation of Natives event. Davidson is scheduled to deliver the keynote on Thursday morning, the opening day of AFN, according to the latest agenda.

Walker and Mallott were initially scheduled to appear immediately after Davidson's keynote. But the latest agenda shows just Walker on the AFN stage.

Although Mallott is gone, his name will still appear on the November 6 ballot because it has already been certified and printed, The Anchorage Daily News reported. If Walker wins the race, he will still be able to appoint Davidson as lieutenant governor, the paper said.

Mallott was the state's second lieutenant governor with Native heritage. The first was Loren Leman, who was of Aleut ancestry.

Davidson is the first Native woman to serve as lieutenant governor.

Native Americans represent 15.3 percent of the population in Alaska, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Their votes have swayed close elections.