Michael Risinger (Alaska)
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Michael Risinger (independent) ran for election to the Alaska House of Representatives to represent District 14. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Risinger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2020
See also: Alaska House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Alaska House of Representatives District 10
Incumbent David Eastman defeated Monica Stein-Olson in the general election for Alaska House of Representatives District 10 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | David Eastman (R) | 73.7 | 7,659 |
| Monica Stein-Olson (D) | 25.9 | 2,693 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 40 | ||
| Total votes: 10,392 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Patricia Faye-Brazel (Nonpartisan)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 10
Incumbent David Eastman defeated Jesse Sumner in the Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 10 on August 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | David Eastman | 52.8 | 1,589 |
 | Jesse Sumner | 47.2 | 1,420 | |
| Total votes: 3,009 | |||
| = 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 10
Monica Stein-Olson advanced from the Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 10 on August 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Monica Stein-Olson | 100.0 | 910 | |
| Total votes: 910 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Michael Risinger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Risinger's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I'm an Alaskan raised educator looking to improve my great state. I'm also a Soldier in the Alaska Army National Guard. On top of being an educator and a Guardsman, I also running a photography business. I love having the opportunity to converse with people and listen to their unique stories.
- I believe that party politics put party ahead of people which is why I'm running as an independent. I'm for solutions that work for Alaska.
- Our education system is one of the most vital things for Alaska's future. I seek to improve our system.
- We need to solve our budget deficit by diversifying our industries and revenue options while also ensuring that we have proper oversight over our expenses.
As someone with over 15 years of experience as an educator, I am super passionate about education policy.
I look up to people who care for those around them. I look up to leaders who lead by example and take the time to listen to their people. I don't really have famous people I try to model myself after as I don't know the real them. I can only know the public versions of them and that doesn't tell the entire story. I have had many people in my own life who inspire me through their day to day actions as they overcome their own personal struggles. Success without adversity isn't nearly as impressive as success with adversity.
By nature and by training I'm a chess player. By that I mean I'm very good at understanding a set of complex rules and procedures, evaluating what others are trying to do, and devising a plan to lead to a desired outcome. I can be very methodical and strategic.
My core responsibilities when I'm in office will be to be as educated as possible on the issues facing Alaska and particularly Eagle River. This education can come through review of policy, review of budgets, briefings, relationships with other politicians, and most importantly through talking directly to constituents. Once I am informed I can work to craft positives solutions.
The first historical event that happened in my lifetime that stands out to me is September 11, 2001. I was 17 at the time. I didn't really understand what had happened or what its significance would be but it is shaped all of our lives since then.
My first job was working with my brother and mother to deliver newspapers for the ADN. I was in elementary school so I'm not certain but I think we had our routes for about a year.
The song currently stuck in my head is Think About Things by Daði Freyr. It is the song he was going to use to represent Iceland in the 2020 Eurovision contest.
Experience in government and politics can be beneficial but it can also be a hindrance. Politicians are supposed to be representative of the people and the longer someone is involved in politics the further removed from the people they get. There is something to be said for experience in government but there is also something to be said about a fresh perspective.
Politics should be all about building relationships. Relationships help build channels of communication that can help conversations occur to create meaningful solutions. Building a common trust and seeing everyone as a partner versus an ally helps us make progress. This is why I'm running as an independent as it is easier to build relationships without being seen as a traitor to party.
I had a conversation with one resident who started the conversation off by saying Eagle River isn't the same as it was 40 years ago and that it is such a different place than when she raised her kids here. I asked her what things she sees as being different and was expecting an answer involving all the criminals moving in, it being unsafe, etc. Instead she explained to me that Eagle River used to be a unified community. You care about your neighbors because they were your neighbors. She expressed that these days everyone cares about your political leanings and that is more important to them than being your neighbor. She missed the feeling of community.
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.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
Current members of the Alaska House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Bryce Edgmon
Majority Leader:Dan Saddler
Minority Leader:Calvin Schrage
Representatives
District 1
Jeremy Bynum (R)
District 2
District 3
Andi Story (D)
District 4
Sara Hannan (D)
District 5
Louise Stutes (R)
District 6
Sarah Vance (R)
District 7
Justin Ruffridge (R)
District 8
Bill Elam (R)
District 9
Ky Holland (N)
District 10
Charles Kopp (R)
District 11
Julie Coulombe (R)
District 12
Calvin Schrage (N)
District 13
Andrew Josephson (D)
District 14
Alyse Galvin (N)
District 15
Mia Costello (R)
District 16
Carolyn Hall (D)
District 17
Zack Fields (D)
District 18
David Nelson (R)
District 19
Genevieve Mina (D)
District 20
Andrew Gray (D)
District 21
Donna Mears (D)
District 22
Ted Eischeid (D)
District 23
Jamie Allard (R)
District 24
Dan Saddler (R)
District 25
DeLena Johnson (R)
District 26
Cathy Tilton (R)
District 27
District 28
Elexie Moore (R)
District 29
George Rauscher (R)
District 30
Kevin McCabe (R)
District 31
Maxine Dibert (D)
District 32
Will Stapp (R)
District 33
Glenn Prax (R)
District 34
District 35
Ashley Carrick (D)
District 36
Becky Schwanke (R)
District 37
Bryce Edgmon (U)
District 38
Nellie Jimmie (D)
District 39
Neal Foster (D)
District 40
Robyn Burke (D)
Republican Party (21)
Democratic Party (14)
Nonpartisan (4)
Undeclared (1)
