Click Bishop

Clark Bishop was born on July 25, 1957, in Mexico, Missouri, the older of two children born to Howell Calvin Bishop and wife Jacqueline (née Murphy).{{Cite web|title=Jacqueline "Jackie" Bishop obituary|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/newsminer/name/jacqueline-bishop-obituary?id=32169560|access-date=June 26, 2022|work=Fairbanks Daily News-Miner|date=January 8, 2022}} In 1959, the family moved to Alaska. They spent over a decade living in a variety of small settlements along the Alaska Highway and Richardson Highway corridors while the elder Bishop worked in construction. Bishop moved to Fairbanks to complete his education, graduating from Lathrop High School in 1974.{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/71264 |title= Senator Clark Bishop's Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |accessdate= October 30, 2013}}

After graduation from high school, Bishop joined the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 and, starting with the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, worked on diverse construction projects across the state. From 1991 until his retirement from the union in 2006, Bishop was the administrator and coordinator for the Alaska Operating Engineers/Employers Training Trust. The Trust offers heavy equipment training for apprentice and journey-level workers.{{cite news |last=Bohman |first=Amanda |date=October 31, 2014 |title=Alaska Senate District C candidates grapple with family ties |url=https://www.newsminer.com/news/politics/alaska-senate-district-c-candidates-grapple-with-family-ties/article_a7be1236-6196-11e4-931a-001a4bcf6878.html |work=Fairbanks Daily News-Miner |location=Fairbanks, Alaska |publisher=The Helen Snedden Foundation |access-date=May 18, 2025}}{{cite web |author= |title=Alaska Senate Majority: Senator Click Bishop |url=http://www.alaskasenate.org/senate/member/click-bishop/ |website=Alaska Senate Majority |location=Juneau, Alaska |publisher=Senate Majority Press Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140918010750/http://www.alaskasenate.org/senate/member/click-bishop/ |archive-date=September 18, 2014 |access-date=May 18, 2025}}

Bishop somewhat reluctantly left retirement later in 2006 to become Labor Commissioner, the head of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, under newly-elected Governor Sarah Palin.{{cite news |last1=McGroarty |first1=Erin |title=Get to know your legislator: CLICK BISHOP |url=http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/get-to-know-your-legislator-click-bishop/article_2d18248e-1fde-11ea-a59d-c73882344b54.html |accessdate=May 18, 2025 |publisher=The Helen Snedden Foundation |work=The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner |date=December 16, 2019 |quote="I told her (Palin) ‘no’ the first time. I told her ‘no’ the second time. But she asked a third time," Bishop said, recalling his mind was changed by a friend’s urging to step up to the challenge.}} When Governor Palin resigned in July 2009, her successor, former lieutenant governor Sean Parnell, kept Bishop on as Labor Commissioner. When Parnell was elected governor in his own right in November 2010, he again retained Bishop as head of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Bishop retired as Labor Commissioner in March 2012, and less than two months later filed a letter of intent with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) to run for a Senate seat.{{cite news |author= |date=May 17, 2012 |title=Ex-labor commissioner files intent to run for state Senate |url=https://www.newsminer.com/ex-labor-commissioner-files-intent-to-run-for-state-senate/article_4f35418f-2c69-5b84-9307-aa53facfd482.html |work=The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner |location=Fairbanks, Alaska |agency=Associated Press |publisher=The Helen Snedden Foundation |access-date=May 18, 2025}}

With Democratic Senator Albert Kookesh redistricted to District Q following the 2010 census, Bishop won the District C August 28, 2012, Republican Primary with 2,679 votes (47.06%) against former Senator Ralph Seekins and challenger David Eastman.{{cite web |url= https://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/12PRIM/data/results.htm |title= State of Alaska 2012 Primary Election August 28, 2012 Official Results |publisher= State of Alaska Division of Elections |location= Juneau, Alaska |access-date= October 30, 2013}} Bishop won the November 6, 2012, General election with 10,051 votes (70.40%) against Democratic nominee Anne Sudkamp.{{cite web |url= https://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/12GENR/data/results.htm |title= State of Alaska 2012 General Election November 6, 2012 Official Results |publisher= State of Alaska Division of Elections |location= Juneau, Alaska |access-date= October 30, 2013}}

Bishop ran unopposed to a second four-year term in 2016. Bishop did not seek re-election in 2024.{{cite web |last1=Maguire |first1=Sean |last2=Samuels |first2=Iris |date=May 30, 2024 |title=Alaska Rep. Dan Ortiz, Sen. Click Bishop say they won’t run for reelection |url=https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2024/05/29/alaska-rep-dan-ortiz-sen-click-bishop-say-they-wont-run-for-reelection/ |access-date=June 3, 2024 |website=Anchorage Daily News}}

On May 5, 2025, Bishop filed a letter of intent to run for governor with APOC. This is the first step to participate in the 2026 Alaska gubernatorial campaign.{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Eric |date=May 5, 2025 |title=2 Republicans kick off 2026 campaign for Alaska governor |url=https://alaskapublic.org/news/politics/2025-05-05/two-republicans-kick-off-2026-campaign-for-alaska-governor |publisher=Alaska Public Media |access-date=May 14, 2025}}

Darlene, Bishop’s wife, is Athabascan and a retired kindergarten teacher. They have two children.

A keen outdoorsman, Bishop has twice (1998 and 2000) won the Yukon 800 Mile Marathon speedboat race from Fairbanks to Galena, Alaska.{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Danny |date=June 18, 2014 |title=Yukon 800 boat race may see record purse |url=https://www.newsminer.com/sports/local_community/yukon-800-boat-race-may-see-record-purse/article_71f802aa-f784-11e3-9009-0017a43b2370.html |work=Fairbanks Daily News-Miner |location=Fairbanks, Alaska |publisher=The Helen Snedden Foundation |access-date=June 8, 2025}} He mines gold at a placer mine near his cabin at Manley Hot Springs, where he and Darlene honeymooned in 1976.{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Max |date=March 21, 2025 |title=Record Gold prices Could Mean a Banner Year for Alaska Mines |url=https://www.northernjournal.com/record-gold-prices-could-mean-a-banner-year-for-alaska-mines/ |work=Northern Journal |location=Anchorage, Alaska |access-date=June 8, 2025}}

Bishop is an active member of the Pioneers of Alaska, a statewide historical preservation society.{{cite news |last=Capps |first=Kris |date=August 22, 2019 |title= Model dredge donated to local Pioneers of Alaska group |url= https://www.newsminer.com/news/kris_capps/model-dredge-donated-to-local-pioneers-of-alaska-group/article_af45253c-c4ae-11e9-84ba-cb9ab205199c.html |work=Fairbanks Daily News-Miner |location=Fairbanks, Alaska |publisher=The Helen Snedden Foundation |access-date=June 8, 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160728125621/http://akleg.gov/legislator.php?id=bis Official Senate page] at the Alaska Legislature
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140918010750/http://www.alaskasenate.org/senate/member/click-bishop/ Official Senate Majority page] at the Alaska Senate
• {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=71264 | fec= | congress= }}
• [https://akleg.gov/100years/bio.php?id=1567 Click Bishop] at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
• {{C-SPAN|114923}}

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Category:1957 births

Category:21st-century members of the Alaska Legislature

Category:Living people

Category:People from Fairbanks, Alaska

Category:People from Mexico, Missouri

Category:Republican Party Alaska state senators

Category:State cabinet secretaries of Alaska

Category:Trade unionists from Alaska