Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
Scott Kawasaki
2023 - Present
2029
2
Scott Kawasaki (Democratic Party) is a member of the Alaska State Senate, representing District P. He assumed office on January 17, 2023. His current term ends on January 16, 2029.
Kawasaki (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Alaska State Senate to represent District P. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Kawasaki is a former Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing District 1 from 2007 to 2019. Prior to his election to the House, he served on the Fairbanks City Council from 1999 to 2005.
Biography
Scott Kawasaki was born in Tokyo, Japan, and lives in Fairbanks, Alaska. Kawasaki graduated from Lathrop High School. He earned a B.S. in biomedicine from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His career experience includes working as a senior patient representative at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and a legislative aide in the Alaska State Legislature.[1][2]
Kawasaki was a member of the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce and the American Council of Young Political Leaders. He also served as a councilman on the Fairbanks City Council.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Kawasaki was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Resources Committee
- Senate State Affairs Committee, Chair
- Armed Services Committee, Co-Chair
- Legislative Budget and Audit Committee
2021-2022
Kawasaki was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Kawasaki was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Finance |
| • Armed Services, Chair |
| • Legislative Budget and Audit |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Kawasaki served on the following committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Finance |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Kawasaki served on the following committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Finance, Alternate Chair |
| • Legislative Budget and Audit |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Kawasaki served on these committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Education Funding District Cost Factor |
| • Fisheries |
| • Legislative Budget and Audit, Alternate Chair |
| • Resources |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Kawasaki served on these committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Resources |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Alaska State Senate District P
The ranked-choice voting election was won by Scott Kawasaki in round 1 .
|
Total votes: 11,506 |
|||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Alaska State Senate District P
Leslie Hajdukovich and incumbent Scott Kawasaki advanced from the primary for Alaska State Senate District P on August 20, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Leslie Hajdukovich (R) | 51.4 | 1,764 | |
| ✔ |  | Scott Kawasaki (D) | 48.6 | 1,671 |
| Total votes: 3,435 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kawasaki in this election.
2022
See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Alaska State Senate District P
The ranked-choice voting election was won by Scott Kawasaki in round 1 .
|
Total votes: 8,357 |
|||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Alaska State Senate District P
Incumbent Scott Kawasaki, Jim Matherly, and Alex Jafre advanced from the primary for Alaska State Senate District P on August 16, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Kawasaki (D) | 48.8 | 2,664 |
| ✔ | Jim Matherly (R) | 44.4 | 2,426 | |
| ✔ | Alex Jafre (R) | 6.8 | 370 | |
| Total votes: 5,460 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Alaska State Senate District A
Scott Kawasaki defeated incumbent Pete Kelly in the general election for Alaska State Senate District A on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Kawasaki (D) | 50.8 | 4,577 |
 | Pete Kelly (R) | 48.8 | 4,398 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 37 | ||
| Total votes: 9,012 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District A
Incumbent Pete Kelly advanced from the Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District A on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pete Kelly | 100.0 | 1,497 |
| Total votes: 1,497 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary election
Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District A
Scott Kawasaki advanced from the Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District A on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Kawasaki | 100.0 | 1,206 |
| Total votes: 1,206 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Alaska House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 16, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.
Incumbent Scott J. Kawasaki ran unopposed in the Alaska House of Representatives District 1 general election.[3][4]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 1 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic |  Scott J. Kawasaki Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: Alaska Secretary of State | ||
Incumbent Scott J. Kawasaki ran unopposed in the Alaska House of Representatives District 1 Democratic Primary.[5][6]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 1 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Scott J. Kawasaki Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Alaska House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 19, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 2, 2014. Incumbent Scott J. Kawasaki was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Greg Bringhurst defeated Jomo L. Stewart in the Republican primary. Kawasaki defeated Bringhurst in the general election.[7][8][9][10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Scott J. Kawasaki Incumbent |
55% | 2,973 | |
| Republican | Greg Bringhurst | 45% | 2,434 | |
| Total Votes | 5,407 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Gregory Don Bringhurst |
72.1% | 1,229 |
| Jomo Stewart | 27.9% | 476 |
| Total Votes | 1,705 | |
2012
Kawasaki won re-election in the 2012 election for Alaska House of Representatives District 4. He ran unopposed in the August 28, 2012 Democratic primary and defeated David Pruhs (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[11][12][13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Scott Kawasaki Incumbent |
51.4% | 3,160 | |
| Republican | David Pruhs | 48.6% | 2,992 | |
| Total Votes | 6,152 | |||
2010
Kawasaki won re-election to the 9th District seat in 2010. He had no opposition in the August 24 primary.[14] He defeated Joseph A. Michel in the November 2 general election.[15]
| Alaska House of Representatives District 9 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Scott Kawasaki (D)
|
2,605 | 53.77% | ||
| Joseph A. Michel (R) | 2,223 | 45.88% | ||
2008
In 2008, Kawasaki was re-elected to the Alaska House of Representatives District 9. Kawasaki (D) finished with 3,304 votes while his opponent, Sue Hull (R), finished with 3,014 votes.[16]
| Alaska House of Representatives District 9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Scott Kawasaki (D)
|
3,304 | |||
| Sue Hull (R) | 3,014 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Scott Kawasaki did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Scott Kawasaki did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2014
Kawasaki's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[17]
Energy
- Excerpt: "For Fairbanks to thrive we must lower the cost of energy, and soon. I've worked to advance our natural gas options, the Susitna Dam, and renewables. I've helped bring Fairbanksans together to prioritize next steps. Until there is a lasting solution, I support helping to offset household energy bills."
Jobs
- Excerpt: "Fairbanks is blessed with strong economic engines like natural resources, the military and University. To create new, good jobs for Fairbanks, I will continue to support these drivers, to fight for a fair return on our resources, and to invest in our people."
Education
- Excerpt: "A quality education is key to getting the good jobs of tomorrow. From Pre-K to higher ed., I've worked to bring Alaskans the educational opportunities they need to pursue the jobs they deserve."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Alaska scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2024, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 16 to May 15. |
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2023, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 17 to May 17.
|
2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2022, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 18 to May 18. |
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2021, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 19 to May 19.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2020, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 21 to May 20.
|
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 15, 2019, through May 14, 2019.
|
2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2018, the 31st Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 16 through May 13.
|
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2017, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 17 through May 17. The legislature held a special session from May 18 to June 16, a second special session from June 16 to July 15, a one-day special session on July 27, and a fourth special session from October 23 to November 21.
|
2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2016, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 19 through May 18 (extended session). The Legislature held a special session from May 23, 2016, to June 19, 2016. The Legislature held a second special session from July 11 to July 18.
|
2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2015, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 20 through April 27 (Session extended). The first special session was held from April 28 to May 21. The second special session was held from May 21 to June 11. A third special session was held from October 24 to November 5.
|
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the 28th Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 21 to April 20.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 15 to April 14. Ballotpedia staff did not find any state legislative scorecards published for this state in 2013. If you are aware of one, please contact editor@ballotpedia.org to let us know. |
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the 27th Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 17 to April 15. It was in special session from April 15 to April 30.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
He is a member of Rotary Golden Heart, American Council of Young Political Leaders, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity Board, American Red Cross, Big Brothers/Sisters of America and the National Rifle Association.[19]
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Alaska State Senate District P |
Officeholder Alaska State Senate District P |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Alaska State Legislature, "Senator Scott Kawasaki," accessed January 29, 2023
- ↑ Scott Kawasaki 2022 campaign website, "About Scott," accessed January 29, 2023
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 General Election Candidate List," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "General Election Official Results 2016," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "August 16, 2016 Primary Candidate List," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "2016 Primary Election results," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed June 4, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed January 1, 2015
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "Official general election candidate list," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "Official General Election Results," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "2012 Primary Candidate List," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Official 2012 Primary Results," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Election Division, "Official 2012 General election results," accessed November 16, 2012
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Official 2010 Primary election results," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "Official 2008 General election results," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ alaskascott.com, "Issues," accessed October 21, 2014
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Alaska Business Report Card, "About," accessed November 5, 2019 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "abrc" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "abrc" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "abrc" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "abrc" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "abrc" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed March 12, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gary Stevens (R) |
Alaska State Senate District P 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Pete Kelly (R) |
Alaska State Senate District A 2019-2023 |
Succeeded by Bert Stedman (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Alaska House of Representatives District 1 2007-2019 |
Succeeded by Bart LeBon (R) |
