The Alaska State Legislature
The Legislature consists of two chambers: a 20-member Senate and a 40-member House of Representatives. The most recent election for the state legislature was on November 6, 2018. The Alaska State Legislature maintains age requirements for candidacy; Senate: 25 years of age, House: 21 years of age.
Alaska Demographic Background
The largest generations in Alaska are the Millennial Generation and the Baby Boomer Generation, each consisting of about 25% of the population. The smallest generation is the Silent Generation, consisting of about 7% of the population. 1,2 About 62% of people in Alaska are White/Caucasian, 14% are Indian/Native American, 7% are Hispanic or Latino, and 3% are Black or African American.3
Generational Breakdown of the Alaska State Legislature
About 20% of members of the Alaska House of Representatives are Millennials, while there are no Millennial members in the Alaska State Senate. The largest generation represented in the Alaska State Legislature is the Baby Boomer Generation, comprising about 50% of the Alaska House of Representatives and 60% of the Alaska State Senate. The largest generation represented in the Alaska State Legislature is the Baby Boomer Generation, comprising only of about 18% of the Alaska population. The Millennial Generation is underrepresented in the Alaska State Legislature. The average age of an Alaska state legislator is 55. There are 3 Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger in the legislature.
Generational Composition of the Alaska State Legislature
Generational Breakdown of the Alaska House of Representatives
| Generation | Number of Members | % of Total Members |
| Millenial Generation | 8 | 20.00% |
| Generation X | 7 | 17.50% |
| Baby Boomer Generation | 51 | 52.50% |
| Silent Generation | 1 | 2.50% |
| NA* | 3 | 7.50% |
Note: *Indicates state legislators for whom there is no birth date on record.
- The average age of a member in the Alaska House of Representatives is 52
- The youngest member is 28/29 years old (Sara Rasmussen)
- The oldest member is 74 years old (Steve M. Thompson)
- Three individuals are Young Elected Leaders
- Sara Rasmussen, age: 28/29
- Jothan S. Kreiss-Tomkins, age: 30
- William Zachary Fields, age: 34/35
Generational Breakdown of the Alaska Senate
| Generation | Number of Members | % of Total Members |
| Millenial Generation | 0 | 0.00% |
| Generation X | 5 | 25.50% |
| Baby Boomer Generation | 12 | 60.00% |
| Silent Generation | 1 | 5.00% |
| NA* | 2 | 10.00% |
Note: *Indicates state legislators for whom there is no birth date on record.
- The average age of the Alaska Senate is 59
- The youngest member is 42/43 years old (Jesse Kiehl)
- The oldest member is 77 years old (Gary Lee Stevens)
- There are no Young Elected Leaders in the Alaska State Senate
Gender Breakdown of the Alaska State Legislature
Twenty-three of the 60 legislators are female. On average, female legislators are a year younger than their male colleagues. There is one female Young Elected Leader in the Alaska House of Representatives.
Approximately 43% of members of the Alaska House of Representatives and about 30% of members of the Alaska Senate are women.
Gender Composition of the Alaska House of Representatives
Gender by Generation in the Alaska House of Representatives
Gender of Young Elected Leaders in the Alaska House of Representatives
There are 2 male and 1 female Young Elected Leader in the Alaska House of Representatives.
Gender of the Alaska State Senate
Gender by Generation in the Alaska Senate
Ethnic Breakdown of the Alaska State Legislature
Seventy percent of state legislators are White/Caucasian. There are 2 Black/African-American members in the Alaska State Senate, and one Black/African-American member in the Alaska House of Representatives. Blacks/African-Americans and Indian/Native Americans are underrepresented in the Alaska State Legislature compared to the Alaska state population.
Ethnicity of Young Elected Leaders in the Alaska House of Representatives
There are 3 White/Caucasian Young Elected Leaders in the Alaska House of Representatives.
Ethnicity by Generation in the Alaska State Senate
Partisan Breakdown of the Alaska State Legislature
A majority of the members of the Alaska House of Representatives and Alaska State Senate are Republican. Out of the 3 Young Elected Leaders in the Alaska House of Representatives, 2 are Democrats and one is a Republican.
Partisanship of the Alaska State Legislature
Partisanship by Generation of the Alaska House of Representatives
Partisanship by Generation of the Alaska State Senate
Notes
- The Young Elected Leaders Project collects and analyzes data on young elected officials across the country. We define Young Elected Leaders as officials 35 years and younger. We define the generations following the Pew Research Center:
- Generation Z: 1997-2012
- Millennial Generation: 1981-1996
- Generation X: 1965-1980
- Baby Boom Generation: 1946-1964
- Silent Generation: 1928-1945
2. Single Years of Age and Sex, 2010, US Census.
3. Geographic and Housing Estimates (Age, Sex, Race, Households and Housing, …) 2017, US Census.
This analysis is based on data from January 2019 and was conducted on May 8, 2019.
Our previous analysis of the Alaska state legislature in 2016 can he found here.