JUNEAU \u2014 Luke Hopkins, who was narrowly confirmed to the board of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. last month, has resigned from that post to run for the state Senate.<\/p>\n
In a letter to Gov. Bill Walker, dated Wednesday, Hopkins said his decision to run was motivated by what he considers a lack of leadership in the Legislature.<\/p>\n
He says he remains committed to the corporation\u2019s mission and doesn\u2019t want to see that further politicized by his campaign. His resignation is effective immediately.<\/p>\n
Hopkins is a former mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The Senate seat he would be vying for is held by Republican Senate Majority Leader John Coghill.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Walker thanked Hopkins for bringing his knowledge, experience and passion for a gas line to the board. Walker says he\u2019ll start the process of finding a replacement soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"