Alaska lawmaker says he won’t seek re-election, cites health

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska state Sen. Dennis Egan says he won’t seek re-election, citing health concerns.

The 70-year-old Juneau Democrat made the announcement on KINY radio on Tuesday. He said he has multiple sclerosis.

Egan has served in the Senate since 2009 after he emerged as a candidate that both then-Gov. Sarah Palin and Senate Democrats could agree on after failed attempts to fill an open seat.

He replaced Kim Elton, who left the Senate for a job with the Obama administration.

Egan is the son of Alaska’s first state governor, William Egan, and is a former Juneau mayor.

He currently serves in the five-member Senate minority. The caucus’ leader, Sen. Berta Gardner of Anchorage, earlier announced that she also won’t seek re-election.

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