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Ben Stevens, former Alaska senate president and son of Ted Stevens, dies at 63

Ben Stevens, left, talks to Senate Majority Leader Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, after Dunleavy's State of the State address on Monday, January 27, 2020 in Juneau, Alaska.
Rashah McChesney
/
KTOO
Ben Stevens, left, talks to Senate Majority Leader Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, after Dunleavy's State of the State address on Monday, January 27, 2020 in Juneau, Alaska.

Ben Stevens, a former State Senate president and son of long-time Alaska senator Ted Stevens, died last night at the age of 63.

Stevens was hiking the Lost Lake trail near Seward when he had a medical emergency, according to a statement from Alaska State Troopers. CPR was already being administered, and troopers requested a Lifemed helicopter to respond. Troopers said lifesaving measures were unsuccessful, and Stevens died on the trail.

Stevens served as a state senator from his appointment in 2001 until he left office in 2005 during the Veco scandal. According to the Anchorage Daily News, Stevens was one of six state legislators whose offices were raided by the FBI in 2006 for suspicion of having taken bribes from oil field services company Veco. Four of those investigated were eventually convicted, but Stevens was never charged with a crime.

Stevens returned to politics in July 2019, working as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s chief of staff.

In a statement this afternoon, Dunleavy said Stevens was a great friend of his who dedicated his life to making Alaska a better place. He said, “Everyone will remember Ben’s continued commitment to our great state.” Dunleavy offered his prayers to Stevens’ wife Elizabeth and their children.

In 2021, Stevens left the Dunleavy administration for a job as Vice President of External Affairs and Transportation at ConocoPhillips.

In a short statement today, ConocoPhillips President Erec Isaacson said the entire company was deeply saddened by Stevens’ death. Isaacson wrote, “Ben was a valued leader at ConocoPhillips Alaska and leaves a significant legacy in the state of Alaska. Ben will be deeply missed not only by his family and colleagues, but in the broader Alaska community.”

Riley Board is a Report For America participant and senior reporter at KDLL covering rural communities on the central Kenai Peninsula.
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