Don Young

Don Young
U.S. Representative from Alaska's At-Large Congressional District From: March 6, 1973 – March 18, 2022
Predecessor	Nick Begich
Successor	Incumbent (no successor)
Alaska Senate, District I From: January 11, 1971 – March 6, 1973
Predecessor	Paul Haggland
Successor	George Silides
Alaska House of Representatives, 16th District From: January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971
Predecessor	N/A
Successor	N/A
Information
Party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Lula Fredson (died 2009) Anne Garland Walton
Religion	Episcopalian

Donald Edwin Young (June 9, 1933-March 18, 2022) is a Republican and Alaska's lone representative in the United States House of Representatives. He served his 19th consecutive term in that position, having been first elected in 1973. On 18 March 2022 he passed away in Seattle during his flight from Los Angeles to Alaska.

Criticism

Young has been investigated for alleged ties to Veco, an Anchorage-based company whose former top two executives plead guilty to bribing Alaska state lawmakers. Young has also come under heavy criticism and is facing a federal inquiry as to what role he played in creating an earmark that diverted funds to an unrequested highway interchange that would benefit a campaign contributor and family friend. Although Young was never charged with a crime, he spent at least $850,000 on legal fees. These and other things have led the conservative National Review to endorse Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell in challenging Young in the Republican primary for the upcoming election. The Review states that "Don Young’s Way is the wrong way for Republicans," and even claim that "Young is simply too liberal for his conservative state."