Matthew W. Claman (born 1959) is an American politician and attorney serving as a member of 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 ...
. Claman previously served as the acting
Mayor of Anchorage after
Mark Begich
Mark Peter Begich ( ; born March 30, 1962) is an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Alaska from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously ser ...
resigned from the position to serve in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
.
Early life and education
Claman was raised in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from
Colorado College
Colorado College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approxi ...
. Claman moved to
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. ...
in 1980, working as a prep cook at a mining camp. Claman returned to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
to earn
Juris Doctor from the
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law (Texas Law) is the law school of the University of Texas at Austin. Texas Law is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the United States and is highly selective—registering the 8th lowest ac ...
. He then returned to Alaska and began to practice law.
Career
Claman is a trial and appellate attorney with Lane Powell, a regional law firm, and is past President of the
Alaska Bar Association
The Alaska Bar Association is a mandatory bar association responsible for the Alaska Supreme Court and for the admission and discipline process of attorneys for the state of Alaska.
Governance
The association is governed by a Board of Governo ...
.
Claman served on the Anchorage
Assembly beginning in 2007 and became its chair in 2008. He became the Acting Mayor of Anchorage in 2009 when then-Mayor Mark Begich was elected Alaska's United States Senator in the
2008 general election. As Acting Mayor during
2008 financial crisis, he led efforts to reduce the municipal budget by $20 million, approximately 5%, and negotiated concessions to achieve a balanced budget.
Claman was elected to 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 2014, and joined the Democratic minority. During his first term, he sat on the Judiciary Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Energy Committee. He is a strong advocate for a responsible action plan to address Alaska's financial challenges.
In 2016, Claman was re-elected to the State House. Following the election, he joined the Alaska House Majority Coalition of 22 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who are committed to working together to put Alaska first.
His peers selected him to chair the House Judiciary Committee, where he previously served as a committee member. He is also the Vice Chair of the Rules Committee and a member of the Legislative Council, Energy Committee, Transportation Committee, and Criminal Justice Commission. Claman has introduced legislation for a statewide vote to amend the
Constitution of Alaska and limit the session to 90 days.
Personal life
Claman is married to Lisa Rieger, who works for Cook Inlet Tribal Council, one of Alaska's most successful non-profit corporations. Matt and Lisa have two adult children. Claman is a licensed
Emergency Medical Technician
An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics a ...
(EMT) and professional wilderness guide.
References
1959 births
Alaska lawyers
Anchorage Assembly members
Colorado College alumni
Date of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Mayors of Anchorage, Alaska
Democratic Party members of the Alaska House of Representatives
Place of birth missing (living people)
University of Texas School of Law alumni
21st-century American politicians
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