Zach Fansler
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Zach Fansler
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| alt =
| state_house = Alaska
| district = 38th
| term_start = January 23, 2017
| term_end = February 12, 2018
| predecessor = Bob Herron
| successor = Tiffany Zulkosky
| prior_term =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Lebanon, Pennsylvania
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse =
| children =
| profession =
| religion =
| party = Democrat
| education = Saint Joseph's University (BS)
Temple University (JD)
}}
Zach Fansler is an American politician. He served on the Bethel City Council from 2014 to 2016, and in the Alaska House of Representatives from the 38th District from 2017 to 2018. He was first elected to the House in 2016, defeating Majority Whip Bob Herron in the Democratic primary. Fansler resigned on February 12, 2018, due to allegations of assault.
Biography
= Early life =
Fansler was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He has lived in Bethel, Alaska since 2011, and lived there previously from 2001 to 2004.{{Cite web|title=Representative Zach Fansler|url=http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Member/Detail/30?code=FAN|access-date=September 14, 2021|website=Alaska State Legislature}} He served on the Bethel City Council from 2014 to 2016, and has worked for the Tundra Women's Coalition and was on the faculty at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Zach also worked for Angstman Law Office providing legal services & the k300 as a manager.
= Alaska House of Representatives =
Fansler was first elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 2016. While he ran unopposed in the general election, Fansler defeated Bob Herron in the primary with 57% of the vote. Herron was the Majority Whip for the Republican Party at the time.{{Cite news|last1=Demer|first1=Lisa|last2=Hollander|first2=Zaz|date=August 17, 2016|title=Seven incumbents out of Legislature after low-turnout primary|work=Anchorage Daily News|url=https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2016/08/17/seven-incumbents-out-of-the-legislature-after-low-turnout-primary/|access-date=September 14, 2021}}
== Climate ==
In 2017, Fansler visited villages in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta to learn about the threat to the communities posed by flooding and erosion due to climate change. Fansler said that the erosion "is something that we see in almost every village that we go to," and while he would not make a promise, he said that he was hopeful that the visit would help him better advocate for solutions.{{Cite news|last=Trudeau|first=Christine|date=December 28, 2017|title=Chefornak Gets A Visit From Rep. Zach Fansler Looking At Climate Impacts To Coastal Villages|work=KYUK-TV|url=https://www.kyuk.org/post/chefornak-gets-visit-rep-zach-fansler-looking-climate-impacts-coastal-villages|access-date=September 14, 2021}}
== Assault allegations ==
On January 25, 2018, the Juneau Empire reported that Fansler was being investigated an incident that took place on the night of January 13, in which Fansler twice slapped a woman while drunk in a hotel room, which caused a rupture in her eardrum. Fansler's attorney denied the allegation on his behalf.{{Cite news |last=Brooks |first=James |date=January 25, 2018 |title=Beaten by a legislator: Juneau woman accuses lawmaker of violent attack |url=https://www.juneauempire.com/news/beaten-by-a-legislator-juneau-woman-accuses-lawmaker-of-violent-attack/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |work=Juneau Empire}} Bryce Edgmon, the Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives, asked for Fansler's resignation, stating that "Credible information came to my attention yesterday afternoon that Rep. Fansler had possibly behaved in a manner unbecoming of a legislator."
On February 2, Fansler announced that he would resign from the Alaska House of Representatives, effective February 12.{{cite web|title=Zach Fansler Resigns|url=http://juneauempire.com/state/alaska-legislature/news/2018-02-02/rep-fansler-resigns-after-assault-allegations|access-date=February 2, 2018|publisher=Juneau Empire}}{{cite news|author=The Associated Press|date=February 2, 2018|title=Alaska Rep. Zach Fansler resigns after accused of hitting woman|publisher=cbsnews.com|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zach-fansler-alaska-lawmaker-resigns-after-accused-hitting-woman/}} He pled guilty to second-degree harassment, and was sentenced to ten days of suspended sentence, as well as eighty hours of community service, a year of probation, a yearlong ban from alcohol, and an order to seek treatment for alcoholism.{{cite news|author=Kitchenman|first=Andrew|date=June 21, 2018|title=Fansler sentenced to year of probation, alcohol treatment and community service|work=KTOO-TV|url=https://www.ktoo.org/2018/06/21/fansler-sentenced-to-year-of-probation-alcohol-treatment-and-community-service/|access-date=September 14, 2021}}
Electoral history
= 2016 =
{{Election box open primary begin no change
| title = Alaska House of Representatives election, district 38{{Cite web|title=2016 Alaska House of Representatives primary election results|url=https://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/16PRIM/data/results.pdf}}{{Cite web|title=2016 Alaska House of Representatives general election results|url=https://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/16GENR/data/results.pdf}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Zach Fansler
|votes = 1,234
|percentage = 57.32%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Bob Herron (Incumbent)
|votes = 919
|percentage = 42.68%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 2,153
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box open primary general election no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Zach Fansler
|votes = 4,134
|percentage = 95.63%
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|party = Other
|candidate = Write-ins
|votes = 189
|percentage = 4.37%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 4,323
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}