Jim Sykes
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Jim Sykes
|image =
|alt =
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|birth_name = James L. Sykes
|birth_date ={{birth date and age|1950|04|08}}
|birth_place = Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.
|death_date =
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|office = Member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly from District 1
|term_start = {{start date|2013|10}}
|term_end = {{end date|2019|11}}
|preceded = Warren Keogh
|succeeded = Tim Hale
|party = Green
|otherparty =
|spouse =
|partner =
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|children =
|residence = Palmer, Alaska
|alma_mater =
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James L. Sykes (born April 8, 1950){{cite web|url=http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw2000.o_party_sum?57092003|title=Defendant - Summary (3AN-07-10273MO Municipality of Anchorage vs. Sykes, James L)|work=CourtView|publisher=Alaska Court System|accessdate=October 8, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402133446/http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw2000.o_party_sum?57092003|archivedate=April 2, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?S2AK00093|title=Reports Image Index for Candidate ID: S2AK00093|publisher=Federal Election Commission|location=Washington|accessdate=October 8, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923125001/http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?S2AK00093|archivedate=September 23, 2015}}{{cite book|title=State of Alaska Official Election Pamphlet|url=http://www.elections.alaska.gov/doc/oep/2004/2004_oep_reg_3.pdf|accessdate=October 8, 2011|edition=Region III|year=2004|publisher=Alaska Division of Elections|location=Juneau|page=34}} is an American producer and elected official in the state of Alaska, who helped found the Green Party of Alaska.
Early life and career
Sykes was born in Rapid City, South Dakota and moved to Alaska ca. 1976. Sykes spent many years living and working in both Anchorage and Talkeetna. Sykes's professional experience includes work for the Alaska Native Review Commission, public radio stations KSKA and KTNA, and as executive director of the Alaska Public Interest Research Group. He homesteaded in the community of Chase, near Talkeetna, and help to found the Chase Community Council. He and his wife currently live near Palmer in a solar-powered straw-bale house.
Green Party activism
In 1990, Sykes became one of the founders of the Green Party of Alaska. As a result, Sykes initiated a lawsuit, Sykes v. Alaska, relying heavily upon case law established in the earlier ballot access lawsuits of Joe Vogler during the 1970s and 1980s. The lawsuit allowed the Green Party onto the ballot in similar fashion to the original ballot access status of the Alaskan Independence Party prior to its becoming a recognized political party. This lawsuit also led to the lessening of the threshold needed to become recognized as a political party in Alaska. In the 1990 gubernatorial election, Sykes ran as the Green Party nominee and garnered 3.3% of the vote. This established Alaska as the first state to obtain ballot access for the Green Party in the United States.
Sykes continued to be active in Green Party politics, running for the U.S. Senate twice, in 2002 and 2004, receiving 7.24% of the vote in 2002{{cite web |last=Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives |author-link=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002 |url=https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2002election.pdf |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=2}} and 2.22% in 2004.{{cite web |last=Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives |author-link=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |title=Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 2004 |url=https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2004election.pdf |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office }}
Mat-Su Borough Assembly
In 2013, Sykes ran against Doug Glenn for an open seat in district 1 on the nonpartisan borough assembly of Matanuska-Susitna Borough. District 1 covers the eastern portion of the borough and includes Butte, Lazy Mountain, South Knik River, Farm Loop, South Fishhook, Buffalo Soapstone, Sutton, Chickaloon, Glacier View and Lake Louise.{{Cite web|url=http://www.matsugov.us/assembly/district-1|title=District 1}} On October 1, 2013 Sykes won by 69 votes.[http://www.frontiersman.com/news/sykes-beck-win-seats-on-mat-su-assembly/article_b42bb322-32dd-11e3-a667-0019bb2963f4.html 'Sykes, Beck win seats on Mat-Su Assembly'], Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, 11 October 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2015. He succeeded Warren Keogh. Sykes did not run for reelection in the 2019 election. Tim Hale defeated Brian Endle for the district 1 seat.{{cite news|last=Rockey|first=Tim|title=Borough releases final election results|date=November 12, 2019|newspaper=Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman|access-date=April 2, 2022|url=https://www.frontiersman.com/news/borough-releases-final-election-results/article_97d4a006-05b0-11ea-95f2-3b4ad6f67124.html|archive-date=November 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113071538/https://www.frontiersman.com/news/borough-releases-final-election-results/article_97d4a006-05b0-11ea-95f2-3b4ad6f67124.html}}
Electoral history
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Mat-Su Borough Assembly Election 2013, District 1
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jim Sykes
| party = Independent (politician)
| votes = 1,112
| percentage = 51.6
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Doug Glenn
| party = Independent (politician)
| votes = 1,043
| percentage = 48.4
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 2,155
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=United States Senate election in Alaska, 2004
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Lisa Murkowski (inc.)
|votes = 149,773
|percentage = 48.58%
|change = -25.91%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Tony Knowles
|votes = 140,424
|percentage = 45.55%
|change = +25.82%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Marc J. Millican
|votes = 8,885
|percentage = 2.88%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Alaskan Independence Party
|candidate = Jerry Sanders
|votes = 3,785
|percentage = 1.23%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Green Party of the United States
|candidate = Jim Sykes
|votes = 3,053
|percentage = 0.99%
|change = 2.22%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Scott A. Kohlhaas
|votes = 1,240
|percentage = 0.40%
|change = -1.87%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Ted Gianoutsas
|votes = 732
|percentage = 0.24%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = Write-ins
|candidate =
|votes = 423
|percentage = 0.14%
|change =
}}
{{Election box majority
|votes = 9,349
|percentage = 3.03%
|change = -51.74%
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 308,315
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link
|winner = Republican Party (US)
|loser = Democratic Party (US)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=United States Senate election in Alaska, 2002
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Ted Stevens (inc.)
|votes = 179,438
|percentage = 78.17%
|change = +1.46%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Frank Vondersaar
|votes = 24,133
|percentage = 10.51%
|change = +0.17%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Green Party of the United States
|candidate = Jim Sykes
|votes = 16,608
|percentage = 7.24%
|change = -5.29%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Alaskan Independence Party
|candidate = Jim Dore
|votes = 6,724
|percentage = 2.93%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Leonard Karpinski
|votes = 2,354
|percentage = 1.03%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = Write-ins
|candidate =
|votes = 291
|percentage = 0.13%
|change =
}}
{{Election box majority
|votes = 155,305
|percentage = 67.66%
|change = +3.47%
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 229,548
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link
|winner = Republican Party (US)
|loser = Democratic Party (US)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Col-2}}
{{Election box begin | title=1994 gubernatorial election, Alaska{{cite web| url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1994&fips=2&f=0&off=5&elect=0 | title = 1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Alaska | accessdate = 2008-07-23 | website = Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Democratic Party (US)
|candidate = Tony Knowles
|votes = 87,693
|percentage = 41.08
|change = +10.2
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Republican Party (US)
|candidate = Jim Campbell
|votes = 87,157
|percentage = 40.84
|change = +14.7
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Alaskan Independence Party
|candidate = Jack Coghill
|votes = 27,838
|percentage = 13.04
|change = -25.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Green Party of Alaska
|candidate = Jim Sykes
|votes = 8,727
|percentage = 4.09
|change = +0.7
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = Patriot
|candidate = Ralph Winterrowd
|votes = 1,743
|percentage = 0.82
|change = +0.3
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = Write-ins
|candidate =
|votes = 277
|percentage = 0.13
|change = -0.0
}}
{{Election box majority
|votes = 536
|percentage = 0.24
|change = -7.7
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 213,435
|percentage = 63.5
|change = -1.3
}}
{{Election box gain with party link
|winner = Democratic Party (US)
|loser = Republican Party (US)
|swing = -36.01
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin | title=1990 gubernatorial election, Alaska{{cite web|url=http://www.elections.alaska.gov/returns/90genr.pdf |title=1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Alaska |accessdate=2009-08-31 |publisher=Alaska Division of Elections |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902154442/http://www.elections.alaska.gov/returns/90genr.pdf |archivedate=2 September 2009 |url-status=dead }}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link
|party = Alaskan Independence Party
|candidate = Walter Hickel
|votes = 75,721
|percentage = 38.88
|change = +33.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Alaska Democratic Party
|candidate = Tony Knowles
|votes = 60,201
|percentage = 30.91
|change = -16.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Republican Party of Alaska
|candidate = Arliss Sturgulewski
|votes = 50,991
|percentage = 26.18
|change = -16.4
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Green Party of Alaska
|candidate = Jim Sykes
|votes = 6,563
|percentage = 3.37
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = The Political Party
|candidate = Michael O'Callaghan
|votes = 942
|percentage = 0.48
|change = N/A
}}
{{Election box candidate
|party = Write-in votes
|candidate =
|votes = 332
|percentage = 0.17
|change = -3.8
}}
{{Election box majority
|votes = 15,520
|percentage = 7.97
|change = +3.3
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 194,750
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box gain with party link
|winner = Alaskan Independence Party
|loser = Alaska Democratic Party
|swing = -49.70
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.matsugov.us/assembly/district-1 Jim Sykes Borough Member Assembly Page]
{{People associated with Public Interest Research Group |state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sykes, Jim}}
Category:Politicians from Anchorage, Alaska
Category:People from Palmer, Alaska