A 56-year-old Mendenhall Valley resident has filed to run for the Assembly seat being vacated by Jerry Nankervis this fall.
Michelle Bonnet Hale recently retired from the Alaska Department of Conservation’s water division after six years as its director.
A trained chemist, Hale has 30 years experience working in both the public and private sector including at the Kensington Mine.
She said Wednesday there isn’t any single issue that made her want to run.
“I’m not really an issues candidate,” she said. “I’m more a candidate that just wants to be able to help and I want to be able to apply some of what I’ve learned through the years to helping us kind of address the issues that we all face.”
Hale is the first newcomer to emerge in the Assembly race, which will have at least three open seats.
Assemblyman Jerry Nankervis is running for state House and won’t be seeking re-election. The District 2 Assembly seat represents the Mendenhall Valley, Auke Bay and points north.
The local election is Oct. 2.
