Who’s in charge? Succession rules for Alaska’s governor

By WESLEY LOY

(08/29/08 12:54:03)

Who will be Alaska’s governor if Sarah Palin becomes vice president?

And from a practical standpoint, who will be running the state while Palin, as well as Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell, seek election to offices that would whisk them out of Alaska and across the continent to Washington, D.C.?

Here’s a quick roadmap:

First, Palin has not resigned as governor and isn’t expected to prior to the Nov. 4 election. She remains in command of the state government.

If Palin wins election as John McCain’s vice president, Parnell would move up to governor and state Attorney General Talis Colberg would become lieutenant governor.

But what if Palin becomes vice president and Parnell, locked in a still-undecided Republican primary with U.S. Rep. Don Young, wins election to Congress?

In that situation, Colberg would take replace Palin as governor.

In an interview this morning, Colberg said that under state law, he would be required to call an election for within 60 to 90 days for Alaskans to pick a permanent replacement governor.

For now, Colberg said, “the governor remains the governor.” He said he expects Palin’s chief of staff, Mike Nizich, soon will hand out marching orders on how the state government will run while Palin and Parnell campaign.

Kris Showalter, in the lieutenant governor’s office, dispelled talk that Parnell took over today as “acting governor.”

However, Parnell will fill or some of Palin’s duties while she’s out of state, Showalter said.

No Responses to “ Who’s in charge? Succession rules for Alaska’s governor ”

Comments:

The Hanscom Family Weblog