Superior Native Sworn In As New Mayor Of Anchorage, Alaska
The largest city on the 49th state has ties to the Northland. Dave Bronson was sworn in as the new mayor of Anchorage, Alaska on July 1; Bronson is a Superior native who plans to take the city in "A new direction" - according to his campaign slogan.
Bronson's journey to the top-office in the city started back in April. According to news sources, it "took a two-step process to determine Anchorage's new mayor, starting with 15 candidates... None of them secured 45% or more of the vote, so the top two vote getters [including Bronson] advanced to the runoff election May 11. Bronson won the non-partisan race by nearly 1,200 votes".
The new mayor has big plans for the city of 282,000. In his inaugural address, Bronson provided his vision for the future:
"As my administration takes office, we do so with a commitment to all of you to strive each and every day to live up to the responsibilities the residents of Anchorage have entrusted in all of us. We're here to support and serve the people of Anchorage, to listen, to learn, to never take our roles as public servants for granted, to bring new ideas and new solutions to the table, to encourage growth and economic activity, to provide for the level of services we all should expect and to look for ways to get the job done in a more cost efficient and effective manner."
Immediately following his inauguration, Bronson issued a series of directives aimed at addressing the issues he campaigned on. Those issues ranged from the economy to COVID-19 regulations, gun rights, and homelessness.
An article in the Superior Telegram provided some background details on the 63-year old Superior native. After graduating from Superior Senior High, Bronson went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn a degree in Agricultural Economics. Bronson then entered a career in the military, serving the United States Air Force as a pilot. Later, he entered the U.S. Air Force Reserves and the Alaska Air National Guard. He also just retired from a 30-year career as a commercial airline pilot.