Mike Bradner Explained

Mike Bradner
Office1:Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives
Term Start1:January 21, 1975
Term End1:January 10, 1977
Predecessor1:Tom Fink
Successor1:Hugh Malone
Office2:Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 20th district
Term Start2:January 21, 1975
Term End2:January 10, 1977
Predecessor2:Chuck Degnan
Successor2:Multi-member district
Office3:Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 17th district
Term Start3:January 8, 1973
Term End3:January 21, 1975
Predecessor3:Frank R. Ferguson
Successor3:Phillip Guy
Office4:Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 16th district
Term Start4:January 17, 1967
Term End4:January 8, 1973
Predecessor4:Multi-member district
Successor4:Multi-member district
Birth Date:3 March 1937
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Death Place:Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Party:Democratic

Michael Drake Bradner (March 3, 1937 – February 27, 2021) was an American politician who served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1967 to 1977.

Biography

Bradner attended high school in Indiana and lived in the state of Washington before first moving to Alaska for a summer job on freight boats in the Yukon River. He graduated from University of Alaska Fairbanks. Following his marriage, Bradner became a journalist, first working for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.[1]

In 1965, Bradner became a legislative assistant, and was elected to the state house in his own right during the next election cycle, serving through 1977.[1] He served as Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1975 to 1977.[2] In 1976, Bradner campaigned as a political independent, for a seat on the Alaska Senate,[3] after losing a Democratic party primary to Richard Greuel.[4] Bradner was a legislative aide to Steve Cowper's gubernatorial administration until resigning the position in January 1987.[5]

Bradner and his first wife Janet raised four daughters, Michelle, Bonnie, and twins Heather and Heidi. He later married Jeanne, with whom he had two biological daughters Megan and Micaela and raised two foster daughters: Chelsea and Jessica .[6] Bradner died from complications of COVID-19 in Anchorage, Alaska, on February 27, 2021, at age 83, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alaska, four days short of his 84th birthday.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Williams . Tess . Former Alaska House speaker Michael Bradner dies of COVID-19 complications . August 16, 2021 . Anchorage Daily News . February 28, 2021.
  2. Web site: Passings: Former House Speaker Mike Bradner . Mustreadalaska.com . 2021-02-27 . 2021-02-27.
  3. News: Bradner starts write-in effort . August 16, 2021 . Fairbanks Daily News-Miner . September 18, 1976.
  4. News: Several candidates added to state races . August 16, 2021 . Fairbanks Daily News-Miner . June 8, 1976.
  5. News: Cowper Legislative Aide Resigns Post Cowper Satisfied . August 16, 2021 . Daily Sitka Sentinel . Associated Press . January 28, 1987.
  6. News: Naiden . Alena . Family of Michael Bradner recalls his service to the state, love of Interior Alaska . August 16, 2021 . Fairbanks Daily News-Miner . March 3, 2021.
  7. Web site: Former State Representative Mike Bradner dies due to COVID-19 complications . Alaskasnewssource.com . 2021-02-27 . 2021-02-27.