Janice Park

Janice Park (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Alaska State Senate to represent District F. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Janice Park was born in Lynwood, California. She earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of California in 1979. Her career experience includes working as a paralegal, as a nurse, as co-owner and operator of Alaska Water Systems, as a seamstress, and as a department store clerk. She has previously worked with the Abbott Loop House District 25 Democrats. Park has been a member of four unions, including the California Nurses Association. She also served as a member of the HIV/AIDS Train the Trainer program.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District F

Select round:

The ranked-choice voting election was won by James Kaufman in round 2 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,021
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Alaska State Senate District F

Janice Park, incumbent James Kaufman, and Harold Borbridge advanced from the primary for Alaska State Senate District F on August 20, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Janice Park (D)	48.8	2,737
✔		James Kaufman (R)	45.7	2,563
✔	Submit photo	Harold Borbridge (R)	5.5	307

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,607
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Park in this election.

2022

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District F

The ranked-choice voting election was won by James Kaufman in round 1 .

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,300
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Alaska State Senate District F

James Kaufman and Janice Park advanced from the primary for Alaska State Senate District F on August 16, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	James Kaufman (R)	54.2	5,453
✔	Janice Park (D)	45.8	4,612

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,065
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

General election

General election for Alaska House of Representatives District 25

Calvin Schrage defeated incumbent Mel Gillis in the general election for Alaska House of Representatives District 25 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Calvin Schrage (Nonpartisan)	52.1	4,595
	Submit photo	Mel Gillis (R)	47.8	4,217
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	12

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,824
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25

Incumbent Mel Gillis defeated Benjamin Rodriguez in the Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25 on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Mel Gillis	82.6	1,280
	Submit photo	Benjamin Rodriguez	17.4	269

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,549
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary election

Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25

Calvin Schrage defeated Janice Park in the Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25 on August 18, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Calvin Schrage	61.4	1,068
	Janice Park	38.6	672

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,740
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Park's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District M

Chris Birch defeated Janice Park in the general election for Alaska State Senate District M on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Chris Birch (R)	58.5	8,665
	Janice Park (D)	41.2	6,110
	Other/Write-in votes	0.3	43

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,818
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District M

Chris Birch defeated Bekah Halat in the Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District M on August 21, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Birch	77.9	3,144
	Submit photo	Bekah Halat	22.1	892

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,036
= 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.
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Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary election

Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District M

Janice Park advanced from the Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District M on August 21, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Janice Park	100.0	1,738

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,738
= 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.
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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Janice Park did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Janice Park completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Park's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

When I was 20 years old I organized the sewing sweatshop where I worked organized under Amalgamated Clothing Workers. Later I was the first and my family to attend college. I started nursing school when my son was four days old, later working at Kaiser Oakland and Ventura County Medical Center for many years.

I moved to Anchorage in the spring of 1992 driving the Alcan highway with my daughter and a cat pulling a trailer. My husband and I started Alaska Water Systems in 1994 supply North slope drillers, villages, car washes, and other businesses with commercial water treatment. I became a paralegal after going to University of Alasta Justice Center and have worked on numerous divorce and custody cases hoping Alaskan women receive settlements they deserve.

I currently have lived in the same home in Abbott Loop for over 21 years with my son and his family.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Alaskans deserve their fair share in order to provide services and environment where families will flourish. We cannot continue paying oil tax credits greater than what we earn
Cuts to both our university system and K through12 education have been devastating. We have lost population in recent years because we fail to offer opportunity to families.
The rights of Alaskans to personal privacy in health care choices must be protected and upheld pursuant to the Alaska Constitution

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

#AlaskaIsGroundZeroForClimateChange

We are losing sea ice at a dramatic rate. Our forests and fragile tundra ecosystem are falling victim to global warming.

This resulted in a decrease in number and size of our salmon run as the water becomes too warm to support their lifecycle. We are approaching the point of no return and must take responsibility for securing a clean energy future, training Alaskans for new clean energy jobs as the importance of oil dwindles.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

No

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think elected officials should be willing to listen to both sides of an argument and gain as much information as possible before making a decision impacting the lives of their constituents

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The willingness to compromise it’s more important than ego for a legislator.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the Nixon Kennedy debates. I was 10 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a telephone operator at Pacific Bell Telephone in Southern California. This was my first job as a union member with Communication Workers of America. I worked there for about a year and a half.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

I believe there should be significant give-and-take between the executive and the legislative branch in order to reach the best use of resources for the citizens of the state..

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our biggest challenges are in budget and climate change.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

For the same reason that the United States has a bicameral legislative system, I believe that is also best for the states. A unicameral system may be more easily overcome by fleeting fads to the detriment of the citizens.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I don’t think it is necessary. I believe that legislators should come from a variety of backgrounds and views.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely! I would be working with other legislators closely on a daily basis and an atmosphere of mutual respect is essential.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would like to be on Rules committee, and also health and education.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

None I can think of now.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There are members of my district who have been impacted by the opiate epidemic. Without going into much detail I support treatment programs to bring persons with substance use disorders into treatment.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

It would depend upon the situation. Certainly that was necessary during the initial impact of the Covid pandemic.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Janice Park completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Park's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up near Disneyland in Southern California, the daughter of Marine and former United Auto Workers member. I worked at Pacific Bell, first of her union jobs. With a degree in nursing, experience in public health, a water treatment business owner in Anchorage for 14 years, and a paralegal for the last 12 years, I have a perspective on important issues in state government. I have a passion for early childhood education, public health, and sustainable jobs. I recognizes that climate crisis is a threat to Alaska, and that we must act swiftly before it is too late.

I ran for Alaska Senate District M in 2018 as a virtual unknown. I garnered 41% of the vote in a Republican majority district. With a track record as a hard worker and a fighter, I will fight for you-to protect the Permanent Fund Dividend, to fund education, and to bring Alaska new jobs for a bright economic future.

I have a son and three daughters and love spending time with my grandchildren. I am now semi retired, and live with my son and two labradors in my South Anchorage home of nineteen years.

I will work hard for your vote, and work hard for you in Juneau.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Alaska has a Constitutional obligation to provide an education for its future.
Medicaid expansion and strong public health infrastructure are essential to controlling health care expenses, and will promote a healthier Alaska .
Alaska is at the forefront of the climate change emergency, and must embrace clean energy development.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about public health infrastructure. Over the years public health has been cut first with disastrous results. We need to invest in public health particularly in the middle of the current crisis.

Early public health education and outreach empowers citizens to take charge of their health and creates better outcomes. In turn this lowers health costs. Medicaid expansion and early child health and education will help our kids grow to their full potential.

Alaska has a promise to keep for a vital economy, health, and education. I believe Alaska should keep its promise to our children for the future.

KeepingPromises

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity and willingness to work with others are the most important assets for an elected official. We have seen the folly of electing someone to hide position who lacks integrity in both public and private life.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe that the ability and willingness to follow through enable me to be a successful legislator. This ties in closely with struggles in life. I entered college with a toddler and a four day old baby. Despite working and taking care of children as a full-time student I was able to graduate.

Later, when I almost lost my home as the result of a faulty property division I was required to argue for my home in the Alaska Supreme Court. I had very little legal experience and attended University of Alaska in the Paralegal/Justice program while researching and writing my Supreme Court brief. Ultimately after over a year and a half I prevailed in my case.

I am tough and have shown the ability to follow through. This will be essential in the political environment we have now, where Alaska has a severe budget problem that will require hard work.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I vividly remember the assassination of John Kennedy. I was in junior high school. This was one of the first events to impress upon me the tragedy of gun violence. The entire country was in mourning.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I love the book "A prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving. It is a story that shows even people who do not appear to have a place or fit a mold may ultimately be part of a greater plan.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

State legislators need not always always have had experience in government. While I have been active for many years in Abbott Loop Community Council and other organizations, I believe that a variety of life experience including a good education, dealing with the challenges of parenthood, building a business, or navigating the healthcare system as a caregiver seeking appropriate services for a family member all provide an insight toward how government might best serve its citizens.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Alaska's greatest challenge is going to be the reduction in oil prices and the necessity of changing to climate friendly sources of energy. Historically Alaska has funded its budget from oil revenues which are dropping dramatically even to the point of negative value. This will have the greatest impact on spending education. Funding education is an imperative because our young people are Alaska's future. The University system is in danger having lost significant funding. University of Alaska will need to be supported to allow our young people to achieve a quality education and stay here to build our future.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I am interested in health and education policy and would like to serve in a capacity that would improve the lives of families and children. Of course I would be honored to serve wherever I am needed.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2018

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

“

What is your political philosophy?

I believe that Alaska is sacrificing her children’s future, chosing to give subsidies to oil companies and sacrificing our PFD rather than to fund education. We must reduce dependence on oil, training Alaska’s youth for careers in clean energy, health care, education and technology. Alaska cannot build a strong economy without investment in education.

As a small business owner, I had to pay my bills and my employees. I could not run a business without balancing a budget. Alaska must do the same to preserve its Permanent Fund and the promise of a bright future.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I am asking for your vote, and I would be honored to serve you in Juneau. I believe in #KeepingPromises ^[3]

”

—Janice Park^[1]

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.

Janice Park campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Alaska State Senate District F	Lost general	$80,912	$79,664
2024*	Alaska State Senate District F	Won general	$80,912	$79,664
2022	Alaska State Senate District F	Lost general	$46,119	$47,956
2020	Alaska House of Representatives District 25	Lost primary	$29,868	N/A**
Grand total			$237,813	$207,283
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Candidate

Alaska State Senate District F

Personal

Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on September 29, 2018
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 31, 2020
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[show]

Current members of the Alaska State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Gary Stevens

Majority Leader:Catherine Giessel

Senators

District A

Bert Stedman (R)

District B

Jesse Kiehl (D)

District C

Gary Stevens (R)

District D

Jesse Bjorkman (R)

District E

Catherine Giessel (R)

District F

James Kaufman (R)

District G

Elvi Gray-Jackson (D)

District H

Matt Claman (D)

District I

Loki Tobin (D)

District J

Forrest Dunbar (D)

District K

Bill Wielechowski (D)

District L

Kelly Merrick (R)

District M

Shelley Hughes (R)

District N

Robert Yundt (R)

District O

Mike Shower (R)

District P

Scott Kawasaki (D)

District Q

Robert Myers (R)

District R

Mike Cronk (R)

District S

Lyman Hoffman (D)

District T

Donald Olson (D)

Republican Party (11)

Democratic Party (9)

[bio-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on September 29, 2018

[bio2020-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 31, 2020

[quotedisclaimer-3] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[1]

[2]

[3]

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	James Kaufman	52.8	8,678	498	Won (2)
	Janice Park	47.2	7,744	87	2
Submit photo	Harold Borbridge	0.0	0	-1,184	1

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	James Kaufman	48.1	8,180	0	Won (2)
	Janice Park	45.0	7,657	0	2
Submit photo	Harold Borbridge	7.0	1,184	0	1

Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
James Kaufman	54.5	7,795	0	Won (1)
Janice Park	45.3	6,476	0	1
Undeclared Write-insUndeclared write-in candidates may advance past the first round in some ranked-choice elections. If the official source reports write-in votes by candidate name, Ballotpedia displays them alongside the ballot-qualified candidates. However, if write-in votes are reported without a name, they will instead be included in the total write-in votes figure in Round 1. Please consult the official elections source for more details about unnamed write-in candidate vote totals past Round 1.	0.2	29	0

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Janice Park

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District F

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Alaska State Senate District F

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District F

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Alaska State Senate District F

2020

General election

General election for Alaska House of Representatives District 25

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25

Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary election

Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25

Endorsements

2018

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District M

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District M

Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary election

Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District M

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

2020

2018

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

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