by Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, House District 38
Serving the lower Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in the Alaska State Legislature over the past five years has been a profound honor. Truthfully, it’s a job I never thought I would have. I grew up wanting to be a newspaper reporter, and I suspect if you had told 18-year old me that some day I would hold public office, I would probably not have believed you. Elected office has always been a job I have taken somewhat reluctantly, because it can feel so distant from our ways of life. But I have committed to and worked hard at it because I care passionately about the future of my home region, my state, and I’ve wanted to do my small part to fight for our future generations.
As we look to put the pandemic behind us, I have put a lot of thought into how I can best use my time for me, my family, my region, and my state. After a lot of thought and reflection, I have decided that I want to be able to spend more time closer to home, around friends and loved ones, and return to working directly for the health and well-being of the YK Delta.
While I am honored to have had the opportunity to give everything I have to the region that I love in the Alaska Legislature, it is with this in mind that I would like to share with you that I do not plan to seek re-election.
I have done my very best to represent our district with kindness, compassion and courage, and to bring Yup’ik values into the halls of the Capitol. We may not have agreed on everything I have done in this job, but I hope you know that I have always put the YK Delta first and strived to put Alaska on its surest footing moving into the future.
There are so many people to thank for making my time in the Legislature such a positive experience. Quyana to my incredibly supportive family and loved ones, my tirelessly hardworking staff and the legislative colleagues I worked alongside, my full-time employer that allowed me flexibility to do this work, the Tribes and Tribal organizations who have partnered with me on countless issues, but most of all, I would like to thank my constituents for putting their faith in me. It has truly been the honor of a lifetime and a privilege to have had the confidence of you, my neighbors, in representing our district in the Alaska State House. I look forward to seeing you at home soon.
