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Berta Gardner
Alberta "Berta" Gardner (b. March 12, 1954) is a former Democratic member of the Alaska State Senate, representing District I from 2015 to 2019. At the start of the 2018 legislative session, Gardner served as state Senate minority leader. She previously represented Senate District H from 2013 to 2015.
Gardner served in the Alaska House of Representatives, representing District 24 from 2005 to 2013.
Biography
Gardner's professional experience includes working as an office manager with Brown Bear Software, a Guardian ad Litem Contract with the State of Alaska and an office manager with Mad Al Distributors/Boscos.
Committee assignments
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Community & Regional Affairs |
| • Labor & Commerce |
| • Rules |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Gardner served on the following committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Rules |
| • Senate World Trade |
| • Administrative Regulation Review |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Gardner served on the following committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Senate World Trade |
| • Senate Taps Throughput |
| • Legislative Ethics |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Gardner served on these committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Community & Regional Affairs |
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Gardner served on these committees:
| Alaska committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Community & Regional Affairs |
| • Education |
| • Rules |
Issues
Political courage tests
2008
Gardner's answers to the Alaska State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test are available. The test informs voters how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected. When asked her legislative priorities she replied:
"The biggest issue before us is to get our immense volumes of gas to market. When that goal is accomplished we will be able to do fully address the problems facing this state: high school graduations rates, lack of access to health care, high energy costs and inadequate law enforcement in many areas of the state. We will be able to invest in renewable energy research and to build a real university system, drawing the best and brightest from outside to study here....and perhaps remain to continue moving Alaska forward."[1]
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
2014
- See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Alaska State Senate 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. District H incumbent Berta Gardner was unopposed in the Democratic primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[2][3][4][5]
2012
- See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2012
Gardner won election in the 2012 election for Alaska State Senate District 8 (H). She ran unopposed in the August 28, 2012, Democratic primary and defeated Don Smith (R) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[6][7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Berta Gardner |
59.5% | 6,950 | |
| Republican | Don Smith | 40.5% | 4,730 | |
| Total Votes | 11,680 | |||
2010
Gardner won re-election to the 24th District seat in 2010. She had no opposition in the primary or the general election.[9]
2008
In 2008 Gardner was re-elected to the Alaska House of Representatives District 24. Gardner (D) finished with 3,992 votes while her opponent, Uwe Kalenka (R), finished with 2,560 votes.[10]
| Alaska House of Representatives District 24 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Berta Gardner (D)
|
3,992 | |||
| Uwe Kalenka (R) | 2,560 | |||
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.
2018
In 2018, the 31st Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 16 through May 13.
- Legislators are scored by the Alaska Business Report Card on "how supportive they are of Alaska’s private business sector."[11]
- Legislators are scored on their votes on specific legislation.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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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.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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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.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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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.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 28th Alaska State Legislature was in session from January 21 to April 20.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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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]. |
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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.
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Gardner and her husband, Michael, have three children.
She is a member of the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children.[12]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Berta + Gardner + Alaska + Senate"
See also
- Alaska State Legislature
- Alaska State Senate
- Alaska Senate Committees
- Alaska State Senate District I
External links
- Berta Gardner's personal website
- Profile from Open States
- biography
- Campaign contributions via OpenSecrets
- Alaska's Democratic Caucus - Berta Gardner profile
Footnotes
- ↑ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Gardner Issue Positions
- ↑ 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 Election Division, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ Alaska Election Division, "Official 2008 General election results," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Alaska Business Report Card, "About ABRC," accessed September 11, 2014 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 Johnny Ellis (D) |
Alaska State Senate District I 2015–2019 |
Succeeded by Elvi Gray-Jackson (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Alaska State Senate District H 2013–2015 |
Succeeded by Bill Wielechowski (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Alaska State House District 24 2005–2013 |
Succeeded by Charisse Millett (R) |
