Senator Scott Kawasaki

Scott Jiu Wo Kawasaki was born on March 20, 1975, in Tokyo, Japan. His parents, Koji and Virginia Kawasaki, were teaching internationally at the time. The family returned to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1980, where Scott has lived ever since.

Scott attended public schools in Fairbanks and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2006. His career in public service began when he was elected to the Fairbanks City Council in 1999. At age 24, he was one of the youngest members ever to serve on that body. He served on the Fairbanks City Council for two consecutive terms from 1999 till 2005.

In 2006, Scott was elected state representative for House District 9, defeating Republican incumbent Jim Holm. He had previously run in 2004, losing to Holm by a narrow margin. Scott was reelected in 2008, defeating Republican challenger Sue Hull. He was the youngest member of the legislature at that time.

Scott continued to serve in the Alaska House of Representatives, defeating various challengers in subsequent elections. In 2012, in District 4, he narrowly beat David Pruhs, with 51-47% of the vote. In 2014, he beat Gregory Bringhurst with 55% of the tally, and was unopposed in 2016.

Prior to the appointment of Sam Kito III in 2014, Scott was the only Asian American currently serving in the Alaska Legislature. In 2018, Scott ran against incumbent Senator Pete Kelly, winning with 50.79% of the vote. The Fairbanks-North Star Borough Assembly’s Presiding Officer Kathryn Dodge filed to run as a Democrat for the House seat Scott had held. She lost by one vote.

Today, Scott Kawasaki is a member of the Alaska Senate representing the state’s District P, which includes neighborhoods within the city limits of Fairbanks. He is a healthcare professional and a member of the Democratic party.