David Eastman (politician)

David C. Eastman Jr. (born June 1, 1981) is a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, currently representing District 27. He originally represented District 10 from 2017 until 2022. His career has been marked by various controversial statements and political positions.

Following his re-election in 2022, attempts were made to disqualify him from office due to his membership in the far-right Oath Keepers militia, and the group's participation in the 2021 United States Capitol attack.

Early life and military career

Eastman was born on June 1, 1981, in Redwood City, California, growing up in Orange County. He was both homeschooled and attended private school before attending West Point. After graduating West Point, Eastman joined the United States Army where he was a military police captain stationed at Fort Richardson from 2003 to 2011. He was also deployed to Afghanistan as a part of the 164th Military Police Company during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Political career

In April 2012, Eastman was named by Republicans in House District 13 as their one of their choices to fill the Alaska State House seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Carl Gatto. Shelley Hughes was ultimately selected to fill the seat by Alaska's governor.

In 2016, Eastman defeated the five-term Republican incumbent of Alaska's 10th House District in a primary challenge.

In 2020, he was removed from his position on the ethics committee after it was found that he violated the state ethics law in 2018 by disclosing confidential information.

Despite several attempts to disqualify him from eligibility for elected office, on August 16, 2022, Eastman received 52.06% of the vote in the ranked choice open primary election for the 27th Alaska House District (Eastman's new district after Alaska redistricting went into effect).

Political positions

Abortion

Eastman is against abortion in all forms. He tried to add a right-to-life amendment to a non-controversial resolution in 2017 that designated April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and filed a complaint when the committee wouldn't consider his amendment.

In May 2017, Eastman was involved in a controversy regarding his remarks suggesting that native Alaskan women in villages try to get pregnant on purpose to get a "free trip to the city" for abortion. He claims there are too many "incentives" to get an abortion and said, "We have folks who try to get pregnant in this state so that they can get a free trip to the city, and we have folks who want to carry their baby past the point of being able to have an abortion in this state so that they can have a free trip to Seattle." He provided no evidence for these statements, but asserted, "a number of people have come to (his) office with stories, experiences." The Alaska House of Representatives voted to censure Eastman because of his remarks. It marked the first time in Alaska history a politician had been censured.

Racial equity recognitions

In April 2017, Eastman voted against a bill to honor Hmong veterans and the more than 100,000 Hmong people who died supporting the United States in the Vietnam War.

Eastman has also voted against bills honoring black soldiers who constructed the Alaska Highway