Dan Saddler

Dan Saddler (born in 1961 in Elyria, Ohio)^[1] is an American politician and a Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives since January 18, 2013 representing District 12.^[2] Saddler consecutively served from 2011 until 2013 while it was the District 18 seat.

Personal life

Saddler and his wife Chris and have two children together, Peggy and Danny.

Dan's special interests include family, hiking, flying, writing songs and performing, and American history.^[3]

Danny (son)

Dan Saddler is a loving father of an autism and cerebral palsy child. His son, Danny, was diagnosed at the age of six. His language skills were much different from Peggy’s, his fraternal twin sister.

Saddler’s legislative duties gave him a stand to raise awareness. Dan and his wife (Chris) could have gone somewhere with better systems and facilities for Danny, but their love for Alaska made them decide to stay here and make it a better place for all kids and adults with autism. He wished to replace the words “mentally retarded” to “developmentally disabled” in all state documents and correspondence.

Dan’s love for Danny is incredible. He wants to make the world a safe and friendly environment for Danny by being more considerate and forgiving when his son doesn’t comprehend that what he is doing may not be socially appropriate.^[4]

Professional Experiences

Dan Saddler's professional experiences include being an engineering magazine editor, newspaper reporter, legislative staff for various lawmakers in Alaska, public relations executive for a huge Alaska native regional corporation.^[5]

Education

Saddler earned his BA in journalism from Miami University and his MA from Ohio State University.

Elections

• 2012 With Republican Representative Eric Feige redistricted to District 6, Saddler won the District 12 August 28, 2012 Republican Primary with 1,185 votes (88.30%),^[6] and was unopposed for the November 6, 2012 General election, winning with 4,663 votes (96.56%) against write-in candidates.^[7]
• 2010 When Republican Representative Nancy Dahlstrom resigned and the District 18 seat was left open through the election, Saddler won the three-way August 24, 2010 Republican Primary by 4 votes, with 415 votes (35.84%),^[8] and won the November 2, 2010 General election with 1,944 votes (68.89%) against Democratic nominee Martin Lindeke.^[9]

References

External links

• Official page at the Alaska Legislature
• Campaign site
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Dan Saddler at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature