Byron Mallott

Byron Ivar Mallott (April 6, 1943 – May 8, 2020) was an American politician, elder,[2] tribal activist and business executive from the state of Alaska. Mallott was an Alaska Native leader of Tlingit heritage and the leader of the Kwaash Ké Kwaan clan. He was lieutenant governor of Alaska from December 2014 until his resignation on October 16, 2018.[3] He also previously served as the mayor of Yakutat, the mayor of Juneau, the president of the Alaska Federation of Natives and the executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund.

Byron Mallott
12th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska
In office December 1, 2014 – October 16, 2018
Governor	Bill Walker
Preceded by	Mead Treadwell
Succeeded by	Valerie Davidson
Mayor of Juneau
In office October 4, 1994 – February 13, 1995
Preceded by	Jamie Parsons
Succeeded by	Dennis Egan
Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs
In office 1972–1974
Governor	Bill Egan
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Lee McAnerney
Mayor of Yakutat
In office 1965–1966
Preceded by	Jay B. Mallot
Succeeded by	Jerry Nelson
Personal details
Born	Byron Ivar Mallott April 6, 1943 Yakutat, Alaska, U.S.
Died	May 8, 2020 (aged 77) Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Political party	Democratic[1]
Other political affiliations	Independent (2014–2018)
Spouse(s)	Antoinette Mallott
Children	5
Education	Western Washington University

Mallott was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Alaska in 2014,[4] until he agreed to merge his campaign with that of independent candidate Bill Walker and become Walker's running mate. Walker and Mallott won the election and were sworn in on December 1, 2014. In 2018, Mallott abruptly resigned after it was discovered he made inappropriate overtures to a woman.

Early life

Mallott as DCRA commissioner in 1973

Byron Ivar Mallott was born on April 6, 1943, in Yakutat, Alaska, to Jay B. Mallott and Emma M. Brown.[5] Mallott was an Alaskan Native of the Tlingit tribe.[6] His Tlingit name was Dux̱ da neiḵ, K'oo del ta', which means "'a person who would lead us into the future'".[7] Mallott's father established a general store in a spare room of the family home in 1946. Mallott spent most of his childhood living in Yakutat.[8] As an adult, Mallott recounted that he had attended Pius X Mission, a Catholic boarding school located in Skagway, starting at age 13.[9] He graduated from Sheldon Jackson High School and studied for several years at Western Washington State College.[10]

Career in politics and government

Mallott's political career began in 1965 when his father, who served as Yakutat's mayor for the vast majority of the position's existence, died.[11] He left college and returned to Yakutat, running to replace him, and won the election.[8] He left office before the expiration of his term, taking a job in the office of Governor Bill Egan towards the end of Egan's first governorship. His job in the governor's office was focused on local government affairs, one of the few constitutionally mandated executive functions in Alaska.[8] Mallott was the first Commissioner of the Department of Community and Regional Affairs.[12]

After Egan was defeated for re-election by Walter Hickel in 1966, Mallott returned to Yakutat and served on the city council.[13]

In 1968, Mallott received the Democratic nomination for the 5th district in the Alaska House of Representatives. In the general election he was narrowly defeated by Henry E. Reeves by twenty-three votes. Mallott posted the $250 for a recount, but the vote total remained the same.[14] In 1969, Senator Mike Gravel appointed him to serve as a special assistant.[15]

Mallott became chairman of Alaska's Reapportionment Board. On September 5, 1980, he resigned from the board for personal reasons.[16]

In 1982, Mallott was appointed to the board of trustees of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation by Governor Jay Hammond to replace Elmer Rasmuson.[17] In 1985, he was selected to serve as the chairman of the permanent fund; he later served as its executive director from 1995 to 2000.[18][19][8][12]

Mayor of Juneau

Incumbent mayor Jamie Parsons declined to seek re-election in 1994 after one term in office.[20] On August 16, 1994, Mallott announced that he would run in Juneau's mayoral election.[21] He was elected mayor of Juneau in that municipality's 1994 general election. He resigned from office after he was selected to serve as the executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation.[19] Mallott faced harsh criticism when he initially announced that he could handle serving in both positions, leading to changing his mind and resigning the mayoral position. Mallott was succeeded as mayor by deputy mayor Dennis Egan.[22]

2014 election

Byron Mallott being sworn in as lieutenant governor of Alaska, 2014

Mallott announced on September 2, 2013 that he was running for the Democratic nomination for governor of Alaska in the 2014 election.[23] He won the Democratic gubernatorial primary with 80% of the vote on August 19, 2014.[4]

Alaska National Guard receives new commanding general

Independent candidate Bill Walker and Mallott merged their campaigns on September 2 to appear on the November ballot as one independent campaign, which the Alaska Democratic Party endorsed. On this ticket, Walker ran for governor with Mallott as his running mate. Both candidates' respective prior running mates withdrew.[24] They won the election on November 4, 2014, as there was a recount due to a close election result.[25]

2018 election

In 2017, Walker and Mallott registered to run for re-election on an independent ticket. Despite running for reelection as an independent, Mallott maintained his Democratic Party registration.[1] Walker and Mallott faced a Republican ticket headed by state senator Mike Dunleavy and a Democratic ticket headed by former senator Mark Begich. Mallott resigned from office on October 16, and Walker--after briefly continuing his campaign with acting Lieutenant Governor Valerie Davidson as his running mate--suspended his campaign on October 19.[26]

Tenure

Mallott signed state marijuana regulations into effect in January 2016.[27] In 2016, Raven Radio reported that Mallott had logged 280,000 Alaska Air Miles in the first two years of his tenure as lieutenant governor.[28]

Mallott resigned his post as lieutenant governor on October 16, 2018, citing "inappropriate comments" that he had made to a woman whom Governor Walker refused to name. He was succeeded as lieutenant governor by Valerie Davidson, the former commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.[29]

Business career

In 1972, Mallott became a member of the newly formed Sealaska Corporation and was elected director. He served as chairman of the board from 1976 to 1983. In 1982, he was selected to serve as the CEO and kept his position until retirement on July 1, 1992.[30][31] He also established a permanent fund for Sealaska shareholders. The fund had grown to a net worth of $100 million by the late 1990s.[32] Mallott served on the board of Sealaska until 2014.[9]

Mallott was also a founding director of the Alaska Commercial Fisheries and Agriculture Bank. He was also a director of the Seattle Branch Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and he served on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. He served as a director of Alaska Air Group and served on the board of the National Alliance of Business.[12]

Other community involvement

Mallott was a clan leader of the KwaashKiKwaan clan of the Raven tribe of Yakutat.[12][9] He served as President of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN)[12] and received a "Citizen of the Year" award from AFN.[32] Mallott served as president and CEO of the First Alaskans Foundation.[12]

Mallott was appointed by Governor Tony Knowles as a co-chair of the Alaska Commission on Rural Governance and Empowerment.[12] He also chaired the Nature Conservancy of Alaska and served as a director of the Alaska Public Radio Network.

Personal life and death

Mallott was married to Antoinette (Toni) Mallott,[13] a retired schoolteacher who spent most of her career teaching elementary grades in the Juneau School District. They had five children. The Mallotts lived in the West Juneau neighborhood of Juneau, located on Douglas Island near downtown Juneau.

Mallott suffered a heart attack at his home in Juneau on May 7, 2020, and was flown by a medical charter to Anchorage. He died the following day at the age of 77.[33][34]

Electoral history

1968 Alaskan House of Representatives 5th district election[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Henry E. Reeves	696	50.84%	+50.84%
	Democratic	Byron Mallott	673	49.16%	-50.84%
Total votes			10,421	100.00%

1994 Juneau mayoral election[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Nonpartisan	Byron Mallott	7,968	76.46%
	Nonpartisan	Genji League	1,223	11.74%
	Nonpartisan	Alan Wicks	1,141	10.95%
	Nonpartisan	Write-ins	89	0.85%
Total votes			10,421	100.00%

2014 Alaska Democratic-Libertarian-Independence gubernatorial primary[37]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Byron Mallott	42,327	66.89%
	Democratic	Phil Stoddard	10,514	16.62%
	Libertarian	Carolyn Clift	10,436	16.49%
Total votes			63,277	100.00%

2014 Alaska lieutenant gubernatorial election[38]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Byron Mallott	134,658	48.10%	+48.10%
	Republican	Dan Sullivan	128,435	45.88%	-13.18%
	Libertarian	Andrew C. Lee	8,985	3.21%	+2.16%
	Constitution	Maria Rensel	6,987	2.50%	+2.50%
	Independent	Write-ins	893	0.32%	-0.04%
Total votes			279,958	100.00%

2018 Alaska lieutenant gubernatorial election[39]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Kevin Meyer	145,631	51.44%	+5.56%
	Democratic	Debra L. Call	125,739	44.41%	-3.69%
	Independent	Byron Mallott (incumbent)	5,757	2.03%	-46.07%
	Libertarian	Carolyn F. Clift	5,402	2.03%	-1.30%
	Independent	Write-ins	605	0.21%	-0.11%
Total votes			283,134	100.00%

References

1. "Walker-Mallott to run as independents again in 2018". KTUU. August 21, 2017.
2. "Sealaska community mourns the passing of Tlingit leader Byron Mallott" (Press release). Sealaska. 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
3. "Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott abruptly resigns following 'inappropriate comments'". 16 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
4. "Alaska - Summary Vote Results". ASSOCIATED PRESS. August 20, 2014.
5. Who's Who West, 1998-1999. Marquis Whos Who. January 1, 1997. ISBN 9780837909288 – via Google Books.
6. Herz, Nathaniel; Anchorage, Alaska's Energy Desk- (May 8, 2020). "Alaska Native leader and former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott dies at 77".
7. "Byron Mallott, former Alaska lieutenant governor, dies at age 77". Anchorage Daily News. May 8, 2020.
8. Germain, David (1996-10-27). "Fund Manager Gives Away Cash: Rich or Poor, Alaskans Get Dividends". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
9. KTOO, Jeremy Hsieh (May 15, 2020). "Byron Mallott: 'My friend, we also have lived life fully, made a few contributions'". KTOO.
10. "Sealaska President Begins Rebuilding". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
11. "1968 Directory – Borough & City Officials". Alaska Local Government. Juneau: Office of the Governor of Alaska, Local Affairs Agency. VI (9): 50. November 1967.
12. "Byron Mallott biography". Alaskool.org. 2004.
13. Atwood, Evangeline; DeArmond, Robert N. (1977). Who's Who in Alaskan Politics. Portland, Oregon: Binford & Mort for the Alaska Historical Commission. p. 61.
14. "Recount Begins On Several Races". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. November 25, 1968. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Sen. Gravel selects Byron Mallott". Daily Sitka Sentinel. January 17, 1969. p. 4. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Reapportionment Chief Byron Mallott Resigns". Daily Sitka Sentinel. September 8, 1980. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Mallott Named To State Dividend Board". Daily Sitka Sentinel. August 4, 1982. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Mallot Elected Fund Chairman". Daily Sitka Sentinel. August 16, 1985. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "Byron Mallott Chosen Permanent Fund Head". Daily Sitka Sentinel. February 6, 1995. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
20. Phu, Lisa (2015-12-29). "Former Juneau mayor, capital city advocate Jamie Parsons dies at 74". KTOO-TV. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
21. "Ex-Sealaska CEO Announces Candidacy for Juneau Mayor". Daily Sitka Sentinel. August 18, 1994. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 9, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Juneau Assembly to weigh costs, benefits of special election to replace mayor". KTVA. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
23. DeMarban, Alex (September 3, 2013). "Byron Mallott announces decision to run for Alaska governor". Alaska Dispatch. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
24. "Walker, Mallott to join forces in governor's race". Alaska Dispatch News. September 1, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
25. Decker, Cathleen. "Unity ticket defeats Alaska GOP Gov. Sean Parnell in drawn-out race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
26. Kelly, Caroline (October 19, 2018). "Alaska Gov. Bill Walker suspends re-election bid". CNN. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
27. Brooks, James (January 24, 2016). "Mallott signs marijuana regulations, but Department of Law warns of security gap". Juneau Empire.
28. "Mallott anticipates smooth election, budget action in 2017". KCAW.org. November 8, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
29. Zak, Annie; Hanlon, Tegan; DeMarban, Alex (October 16, 2018). "Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott abruptly resigns following "inappropriate comments"". Anchorage Daily News.
30. "Mallot to Speak At Commencement". Daily Sitka Sentinel. May 8, 1985. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
31. "Sealaska Exec Mallott Announces Retirement". Daily Sitka Sentinel. April 24, 1992. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
32. Commission on Rural Governance and Empowerment, Final Report to the Governor. Juneau: Alaska Department of Economic and Community Development. June 1999. p. 118.
33. Herz, Nathaniel (May 8, 2020). "Alaska Native leader and former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott dies at 77". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
34. Brooks, James (May 8, 2020). "Byron Mallott, former Alaska lieutenant governor, has died at 77". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
35. "AK State House 05 1968". February 6, 2010.
36. "Juneau Mayor 1994". April 29, 2009.
37. "AK Governor 2014 - ADL primary". May 22, 2016.
38. "AK Lt. Governor 2014". October 16, 2018.
39. "AK Lt. Governor 2018". November 26, 2018.

External links

• Media related to Byron Mallott at Wikimedia Commons