Ketchikan Rep. Dan Ortiz withdraws from reelection race

Rep. Dan Ortiz, I-Ketchikan, sits astatine nan Senate Finance Committee array successful nan Alaska State Capitol during a convention committee gathering connected May 14, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

Ketchikan Independent Representative Dan Ortiz will nary longer activity reelection to his House spot this fall.

Alaska House District 1 covers Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Saxman, Wrangell, Hyder, and portion of bluish Prince of Wales Island. Ortiz is simply a erstwhile Ketchikan High School coach and coach, and has represented nan territory since 2015. He revenge for reelection successful July of past year.

Ortiz said he chose to extremity his run for nan long-held spot owed to family considerations and wellness concerns. Specifically, he received a doctor’s proposal to curb his stress.

“I could proceed to tally and I tin proceed to serve. But, you know, pinch immoderate of nan revelations done immoderate humor tests and things for illustration that, there’s a imaginable for a chronic information to create that I don’t want to develop,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz said it was not an easy decision, particularly erstwhile location are important issues that he feels are near unfinished – for illustration securing much backing for nationalist acquisition and nan marine road system.

“You’re ne'er going to get everything settled nan measurement you want to spot them settled, nary matter erstwhile you spell retired of office,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz’s withdrawal from nan title leaves Ketchikan Republican Jeremy Bynum arsenic the only remaining candidate, pinch conscionable days until nan filing deadline. The deadline to record arsenic a campaigner is Saturday astatine 5 p.m.

In a connection sent to KRBD, Bynum said he respected Ortiz’s “many years of work to nan District” and that he plans to proceed conversations pinch Ortiz “when nan clip is right.”

Two different Ketchikan residents person expressed liking successful nan seat. Republican Robb Arnold entered nan title successful December but withdrew his candidacy successful February. Ketchikan Borough Assembly Member Grant Echohawk also revenge a missive of intent to tally arsenic an independent, but past called disconnected his run earlier officially filing arsenic a candidate.

It’s unclear if anyone other will subordinate nan title earlier Saturday’s filing deadline.

Ortiz plans to decorativeness retired his word arsenic District 1’s typical successful nan house, which expires January of 2025.