Jenny Di Grappa

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Jenny Di Grappa

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 2, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Alaska, Anchorage, 2014

Graduate

University of Alaska Southeast, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Fairbanks, Alaska

Religion

Christian

Profession

Fundraiser

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Jenny Di Grappa ran for election for Mayor of Anchorage in Alaska. She lost in the general election on April 2, 2024.

Di Grappa completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jenny Di Grappa was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. She attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2014, and a graduate degree from the University of Alaska, Southeast in 2019. Her career experience includes working as a fundraiser.

Di Grappa has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Food Bank of Alaska
• Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness
• JBER Civic Leader Program
• Thread Alaska
• Better Business Bureau Pacific + Northwest
• Alaska Ski for Women
• ASD School Business Partnerships
• Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
• Association of Fundraising Professionals
• Alaska Farm Bureau
• American Legion

2024 battleground election

See also: Mayoral election in Anchorage, Alaska (2024)

Ballotpedia identified the April 16 Anchorage mayoral election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here. Suzanne LaFrance won the nonpartisan general runoff election for mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, on May 14, 2024. LaFrance defeated incumbent David Bronson, 53.5% to 46.5%.

Bronson and LaFrance advanced to the runoff from the nonpartisan general election on April 2. LaFrance received 36.3% of the vote and Bronson received 35.0%. The two advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 45% of the vote.

LaFrance was a former member of the Anchorage Assembly and chaired the Assembly during the first two years of Bronson's term. LaFrance said she was running to "bring people together and get our future back on track." LaFrance said her business experience and time on the assembly gave her the necessary knowledge and skillset to turn Anchorage around. LaFrance said she would be a more effective mayor than Bronson: "My pitch is that we can get the basics right, and we can build a better future for everyone in our community."

First elected in 2021, Bronson ran on his first-term record. Bronson said he opposed the Anchorage Assembly's efforts to increase tax and spending rates and worked to reopen the city following the COVID-19 pandemic. Bronson said he had the "relentless commitment, vision, and a whole lot of heart" needed for the office. Bronson said he would act as a more effective check on the Assembly than LaFrance: "My administration is standing between single party governance in the city...and the balance that we need within our government."

Although the election was nonpartisan, Bronson was a registered Republican and LaFrance was a registered nonpartisan. The Alaska Republican Party endorsed Bronson and the Alaska Democratic Party endorsed LaFrance.

As of April 2024, 63 mayors in the 100 largest cities by population were affiliated with the Democratic Party, 25 were affiliated with the Republican Party, one was affiliated with the Libertarian Party, four were independents, five identified as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two had unknown partisan affiliations.

As of 2024, Anchorage had term limits for the position of mayor. Mayors could serve two consecutive three-year terms and could run again after a three year break.

Elections

2024

See also: Mayoral election in Anchorage, Alaska (2024)

General runoff election

General runoff election for Mayor of Anchorage

Suzanne LaFrance defeated incumbent David Bronson in the general runoff election for Mayor of Anchorage on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Suzanne LaFrance (Nonpartisan)	53.5	42,597
		David Bronson (Nonpartisan)	46.5	36,961

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 79,558
= 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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General election

General election for Mayor of Anchorage

The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Anchorage on April 2, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Suzanne LaFrance (Nonpartisan)	36.2	25,904
✔		David Bronson (Nonpartisan)	35.6	25,431
		Bill Popp (Nonpartisan)	16.7	11,968
		Chris Tuck (Nonpartisan)	7.9	5,650
		Jenny Di Grappa (Nonpartisan)	2.0	1,435
	Submit photo	Nick Danger (Nonpartisan)	0.5	326
	Submit photo	Phil Isley (Nonpartisan)	0.4	311
		Dustin Darden (Nonpartisan)	0.3	229
		Breck Craig (Nonpartisan)	0.2	154
	Submit photo	Darin Colbry (Nonpartisan)	0.1	88

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 71,496
= 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.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Election campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Alaska Public Offices Commission. Click here to access those reports.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Di Grappa in this election.

2023

See also: City elections in Anchorage, Alaska (2023)

General election

General election for Anchorage Assembly District 4 Seat G

Incumbent Felix Rivera defeated Travis Szanto in the general election for Anchorage Assembly District 4 Seat G on April 4, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Felix Rivera (Nonpartisan)	54.0	5,724
	Submit photo	Travis Szanto (Nonpartisan)	45.5	4,821
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	50

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,595
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jenny Di Grappa (Nonpartisan)

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jenny Di Grappa completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Di Grappa'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 was born and raised in Alaska and grew up helping my mom train for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest. For 5 of the past 7 years at Food Bank of Alaska, I held the role of Chief of Philanthropy and Community Relations. I received my master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alaska Southeast and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from UAA. I serve as an Honorary Commander for JBER’s Civic Leader Program. I additionally volunteer on the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness Advisory Council, Thread Alaska board, ASD School Business Partnerships board, BBB Northwest + Pacific Advisory Committee, and for the Alaska Ski for Women. As a candidate for Mayor of Anchorage, I believe in the power of community and the potential for positive, lasting change. I have dedicated 18 years to serving Alaskans through volunteering and work with civic and nonprofit organizations, raising over $35 million dollars and understanding and impacting the important issues that impact our city and state.

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?

• I believe in a healthy, equitable and thriving city. Our current issues have been mounting, and there is much work to do. Together, I know that we can make immediate, effective and lasting change. My first priority is to ensure that early child care and learning is accessible, affordable and high-quality for all Anchorage residents. I volunteer on the Thread Alaska board, an organization committed to advancing child development and early childhood education outcomes in Alaska.
• My second priority is to champion housing initiatives that will boost the number of units, to include affordable housing for our low-to-moderate income community members as well as those living unhoused. We know of the planned increase in personnel on JBER between now and 2027, so we will need to partner with JBER leadership to support those efforts.
• My third priority is to position the MOA to creatively attract the workforce needed to fill vacant positions and increase retention. Within this effort, I would first work to fill critical departments like our street maintenance to ensure adequate snow plowing and police for the highest level of safety. Eventually all necessary positions need to be filled to effectively support our city.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about the public policy areas currently affecting Anchorage- education including pre-k and child care, environmental policy and energy security, housing, homelessness response, infrastructure and transportation.

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

I believe an elected official must be honest, have a passion for serving their community, practices good listening skills, is patient, has empathy, is a productive collaborator and is a hard worker.

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

After working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector for 18 years, I have a lot of empathy and understanding of different backgrounds and personal views. I truly care about my community and commit a lot of personal time on a weekly basis to ensure I am a part of making our city and state a better place. I am a hard worker, and no task is too small to support.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope to inspire my community to want to be more civically engaged. The results of a culmination of small tasks can move mountains, and I want to showcase just how much positive impact collective efforts can have, both in the short-term and long-term for future generations.

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

My first job was working at a local farm a couple of miles from my house during the summer before I started high school. The farm mainly grew tomatoes, so it was my job to tend to them. At the end of the summer I had earned $1,100 and I thought I was rich!

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

In 2017 I sustained a traumatic brain injury in a terrible vehicle accident where I was a passenger. This caused challenges for me in school, both in high school and in university. It caused me to pivot my degree plans and my career. To this day I experience intermittent short-term memory loss and dyslexia.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

The mayor must lead by example and showcase the attributes that are important to a functioning society.

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

The mayor should work in concert with the city council to ensure everyone's time spent as an elected official is for the greatest benefit to the community. Both entities should consult one another on matters of importance to determine how to focus time and resources.

What do you love most about your city?

My absolute favorite thing about living in Anchorage is the direct and quick access to our world-class trail system. I am an avid hiker and skier, and also enjoy cycling, jogging and walking the trails around our lakes, landmarks and mountains. A section of the Campbell Creek trail is right out my backdoor and at work, I am only steps away from Ship Creek and the ability to walk on an established trail almost all of the way to the ocean. My favorite hikes include McHugh Peak and Harp Mountain, and I love to bike the Bird to Gird trail, as well as the coastal trail. My second favorite thing about Anchorage is our diversity. I am proud of my Cuban, Italian and Norwegian heritage, and have a deep respect and appreciation for all cultures. There are numerous opportunities to experience and participate in new cultures through our various clubs and civic organizations, a wide range of incredible restaurants, annual festivals, art installations, and more.

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

I believe our most pressing challenge is our ability to retain Alaskans and attract new families. There are not currently enough people to fill the job openings we have, and the prediction is that even more Alaskans will leave Anchorage in the near future. This is why access to affordable, quality childcare and adequate housing will be needed to ensure young people stay and fill the roles that are needed to keep our community running and thriving. I see our greatest opportunity as our outdoor spaces. We have a world-class trail system for people to be active in all different types of sports, and facilities to support competitions and events. The mountains are in our backyard and allow for visitors to easily mix the usual activities of shopping, eating, and art galleries with hiking, mountain biking and more just minutes away.

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.

2023

Jenny Di Grappa did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

See also

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Mayor of Anchorage

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