Having assumed the office on December 1, 2014 as a successor of Sean Parnell, Bill Walker is the incumbent Governor of Alaska. Previously, he was Mayor of Valdez (1979 -1980) and Member of the Valdez City Council (1977 -1979).
Early Life and Education
Bill Walker was born on April 16, 1951 as the fourth child to father Ed and mother Frances Walker. Raised in Fairbanks, Territory of Alaska, Walker went to Valdez High School for early education. Completing high school in 1969, he joined Lewis & Clark College to do an undergraduate degree in business management. Later, Bill entered the University of Puget Sound School of Law for Juris Doctor degree. Walker completed his formal education in 1983.
Personal Life
Bill Walker is married to Donna Walker and has four children and four grandchildren. The Walker couple currently lives in Juneau.
Walker likes to fish, ski, boat, camp and ice skate with grandkids.
Career
Between the transition time between undergraduate school and graduate school, Walker established a law firm with his wife. Subsequently, he entered the Alaskan politics by serving as a member of the Valdez City Council in 1977. During this period, Walker also worked as a city attorney and Alaska Gasoline Port Authority’s general counsel. in 1979, he ascended to the office of Mayor of Valdez as a successor of Mac MacDonald.
Staying active in politics for a long time, Bill Walker decided to run for 2010 gubernatorial elections. However, he wasn’t even able to gain the Republican nomination, instead incumbent Governor Sean Parnell won the nomination with almost 50% votes. Although this was a significant defeat for Walker, he didn’t stand down – he announced his candidacy for the 2014 gubernatorial election.
Alongside running mate Craig Fleener, Bill Walker presented his centrist stances on climate change, energy policies, Obamacare and gun rights. He supported gun rights and Obamacare and called for immediate steps to tackled climate change issues. The campaign grew stronger when Walker and Democrat nominee Byron Mallott merged to run against Sean Parnell. By the time when the elections were a few weeks away, Walker and Mallott were well ahead in polls. However, the final day showed a close vote count. Later, Parnell conceded.
Taking the office on December 1, 2014, Bill Walker has done some remarkable works in his tenure so far. He made extensive visits to various parts of Alaska and tried to acknowledge people’s sentiments. In the same way, he paid a visit to the landslide-torn town of Sitka and pledged a million-dollar recovery fund. As of 2015, Walker was handy in striking the deal worth more than a billion dollar with Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas project. The deal will supposedly create employment opportunities for 10,000 Alaskans. Following 2015’s crash in oil price, Walker’s administration suffered a massive budget deficit of around $4bn.
Trump and Walker
US President Donald Trump and Alaskan Governor Bill Walker have some contrasting differences on some issues, while they both absolutely agree on some. As Republicans, the two agree on gun rights and oil drilling. However, Walker and Trump remain distinct on climate change: while Trump has frequently been inconsiderate about global warming, Walker acknowledges the intensity of imminent issue. In the same way, Trump wants to repeal Obamacare, but Walker supported this care act.
