Dean Westlake (January 8, 1960 – August 21, 2022), or Nuna in Iñupiaq, was an American politician from

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. He served in the

Alaska House of Representatives The Alaska State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of approximately 17,756 people per ...

in 2017, representing the 40th District in Alaska's North Slope region. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, he caucused with the Democrat-led majority in the House of Representatives that includes independents and Republicans.

Political career

Westlake first ran for the House in 2014, mounting an unsuccessful Democratic primary challenge to Barrow Representative Benjamin Nageak, who caucused with the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

-led majority caucus at the time. He ran again in 2016 and defeated Nageak in a very close election that was contested in court. A lower court ruled that 50 votes cast in Shungnak, a rural community that went overwhelmingly for Westlake, had been improperly cast and should not have been counted. The

Alaska Supreme Court The Alaska Supreme Court is the state supreme court for the U.S. state of Alaska. Its decisions are binding on all other Alaska state courts, and the only court its decisions may be appealed to is the Supreme Court of the United States. The Alas ...

reversed the ruling however, making Westlake the winner. Westlake was unopposed in the general election. In December 2017, after seven female capitol staffers aired complaints of inappropriate sexual behavior by Westlake, he apologized. However, when he fathered a child with a 16-year-old in 1988 when he was 28 was about to be publicized, he tendered his resignation effective within ten days. According to procedures in such a circumstance, elected District 40 representatives of his Democratic party submitted three names of prospective replacement candidates to the governor. House Democratic members were then to make a choice regarding confirmation of his nominee.Representative Westlake, embattled by sexual harassment allegations, will resign
''

Alaska Dispatch News The ''Anchorage Daily News'' is a daily newspaper published by the Binkley Co., and based in Anchorage, Alaska. It is the most widely read newspaper and news website (adn.com) in the state of Alaska. The newspaper is headquartered in Anchorage, ...

'', Julia O'Malley, December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017. By January 7, eight hopefuls had put their names into consideration for the post which officially became vacant on December 25, 2017. From those, district Democrats forwarded the governor the names of three candidates from whom he might choose to replace Westlake: Sandy Shroyer-Beaver and Eugene Smith, both of Kotzebue and Leanna Mack of Utqiagvik. Governor

Bill Walker Bill Walker may refer to: Australian rules football * Bill A. Walker (1886–1934), Australian rules footballer for Essendon * Bill Walker (Australian footballer, born 1883) (1883–1971), Australian rules footballer for Fitzroy * Bill J. V. Wal ...

rejected the choice of those Democratic party leaders from District 40, after he interviewed the three. Instead Walker picked John Lincoln, an official with the

Kotzebue Kotzebue ( ) or Qikiqtaġruk ( , ) is a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the borough's seat, by far its largest community and the economic and transportation hub of the subregion of Alaska encompassing t ...

-based NANA Regional Corporation, and he forwarded his choice to House Democrats for confirmation. House Democrats quickly officially endorsed Lincoln to take the seat, effective January 26, 2018.

Death

On August 21, 2022, Westlake was "pummeled" to death, at the age of 62, at his home in Anchorage, Alaska. His son, Tallon Westlake, was arrested and charged with manslaughter in reference to the death.Former Alaska state Rep. Westlake died after son ‘pummeled’ him, according to manslaughter charges
'' Alaska Public Media'', Casey Grove, August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westlake, Dean 1960 births 2022 deaths Inupiat people Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives Native American state legislators in Alaska People from Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska People murdered in Alaska