(JUNEAU)- Governor Frank H. Murkowski today named Representative Gary Stevens of Kodiak to fill the Senate Seat R, recently vacated by Alan Austerman, who has taken a new position as Murkowski's fisheries policy advisor.

"The names forwarded by the people of the district are all good and qualified candidates," Murkowski said. "I am happy to move Representative Stevens on up from the House to the Senate. He has shown over his years in the Legislature that he knows the issues, the constituents, and the legislative process. I am confident the people of Kodiak, Homer and the outlying areas of the district will be well-served to have Gary representing them in the Senate."

Stevens, 61, has served one term in the House, and before that, held a variety of local government positions in Kodiak. Those include Kodiak Island Borough Mayor, Mayor of the City of Kodiak, president of the Kodiak School Board, and presiding officer of the Kodiak Borough Assembly. Stevens has worked as a professor at the University of Alaska for 25 years and has worked in the fish processing industry. He holds a BA from Linfield College, and an MFA and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. He has also served as Governor of Rotary International for Alaska, Yukon Territory and Siberia.

Stevens will face a special election at the time of the general election in November 2004. The term Austerman gave up was for four years. State law requires a special election to be held if the remainder of the term is more than two years and five months.

As a consequence of Stevens' appointment to the Senate, Murkowski has requested that the Republican Party of Alaska submit within the next week a list of names to replace Stevens in House District 36.

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