With three weeks until Alaska's general election, Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott abruptly resigned Tuesday over "inappropriate comments" he had made. Mallott, a Democrat, had been running for re-election with Gov. Bill Walker, a Republican-turned-independent. So what does Mallott's resignation mean for the Nov. 6 ballot? Walker remains in the governor's race, according to his campaign. Mallott's name will remain on the ballot, despite his resignation, said a statement from the Alaska Division of Elections. That's because the ballot had already been certified and printed by Tuesday, and the elections division had already sent more than 20,000 ballots out to voters, said Samantha Miller, division spokeswoman. Just over 1,000 of those ballots had been voted and returned, according to the division. Under state law, candidates must withdraw at least 64 days before the election. "Under the Alaska Constitution, a vote for governor is considered a vote for the lieutenant governor running with him or her," said the statement from the elections division. "Even if a lieutenant governor withdraws, the gubernatorial candidate may remain on the ballot," it said. "Accordingly, if Governor Walker is re-elected, Byron Mallott will technically be elected along with him." However, given Mallott's resignation, Walker would be able to appoint a lieutenant governor if he is re-elected, the division said. Walker would appoint Valerie Nurr'araaluk Davidson, said his campaign manager, John-Henry Heckendorn. Davidson was sworn in as the new lieutenant governor Tuesday after Mallott's resignation. She had served as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services up until then. Davidson's party affiliation is listed as "other," according to state voter registration data. Heckendorn said Davidson was "progressive." Walker is in a three-way fight for governor with Democratic candidate Mark Begich and Republican candidate Mike Dunleavy. Libertarian candidate Billy Toien is also running for governor.<doc-sep>Battleground Tracker: Democratic lead continues to grow in race for the House Battleground Tracker: Democratic lead continues to grow in race for the House Byron Mallott, the lieutenant governor of Alaska, resigned Tuesday after admitting to making "inappropriate comments" to an unidentified person. In his resignation letter, Mallot said that the comments put "someone I respect and revere in a position of vulnerability." Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, an independent locked in a tough three-way reelection battle, accepted the resignation. Alaska Department of Health and Social Services commissioner Valerie Nurr'araaluk Davidson was then sworn in to replace Mallott. It was not immediately clear what Mallott had said, but Walker likewise called the comments "inappropriate." "Byron recently made inappropriate comments that do not reflect the sterling level of behavior required in his role as Lieutenant Governor," the governor said in a statement. "I learned of the incident last night. Byron has taken full responsibility for his actions and has resigned." In his statement, Mallott apologized to Walker for the comments, which he said "have compromised your ability to lead this state." Walker will face Democratic former Sen. Mark Begich and Republican former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy on Election Day this November.<doc-sep>Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott abruptly resigned from office Tuesday after the disclosure of recent unspecified "inappropriate comments," complicating the crowded race for Alaska governor three weeks before the election. Details about what Mallott said, and to whom, were not immediately clear, though Gov. Bill Walker described the remarks as inappropriate overtures to a woman earlier this week. A new lieutenant governor, Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Nurr'araaluk Davidson, was immediately sworn in Tuesday afternoon. In a brief statement, Davidson said she was "profoundly disappointed" by Mallott's conduct, adding "respect for women, and the dignity of all Alaskans, is our responsibility." Walker, in a written statement that he later read in a brief news conference with Davidson in his Anchorage office, said, "Byron recently made inappropriate comments that do not reflect the sterling level of behavior required in his role as lieutenant governor. I learned of the incident last night. Byron has taken full responsibility for his actions and has resigned." Mallott's resignation came three weeks before Election Day. Walker, elected on an independent ticket with Mallott in 2014, faces Democrat Mark Begich and Republican Mike Dunleavy. Walker said Davidson would assume Mallott's role as his running mate, although Mallott will officially remain on the ballot. In his resignation letter to Walker, Mallott wrote: "It is a resignation compelled by inappropriate comments I made that placed a person whom I respect and revere in a position of vulnerability….I take full responsibility for this action and apologize to, and seek healing for, the person I hurt." The letter did not identify the person or their relationship with Mallott. Davidson was sworn into office during a private ceremony Tuesday afternoon, the governor's office said. "While I am deeply saddened by the resignation of Lt. Governor Byron Mallott, I am profoundly disappointed by his conduct," Davidson said in the statement, which she later read. "Respect for women, and the dignity of all Alaskans, is our responsibility. I stand ready to serve as your lieutenant governor." Dr. Jay Butler, chief medical officer in the Division of Public Health, will replace Davidson as health and social services commissioner, the governor's office said. Both Walker and Davidson appeared briefly at a news conference at the governor's office in Anchorage, read the statements that had been issued earlier, then left without taking questions. Walker's deputy chief of staff, Grace Jang, and spokesman Austin Baird, provided some details as reporters pressed. "There's a lot to process," Baird said. "We're trying to proceed in a way that's absolutely careful, and that absolutely keeps the victim in mind." They said the governor initially learned of the comments late Monday afternoon, from Chief of Staff Scott Kendall. That led to a deeper conversation between Kendall and the governor Monday evening, they said. [Support local news in Alaska. Subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News / adn.com here.] Mallott and Walker discussed the issue Monday evening and again Tuesday morning, they said. Jang and Baird said Mallott's comments were made recently and that the person was not a member of Mallott's staff. Baird would not say if she was a state employee. Asked if the comments could lead to criminal charges against Mallott, both said, "No." Later Tuesday, Walker described the remarks as involving inappropriate overtures to a woman, said Baird. The comments were made two days ago, he said. "It was not work-related," Baird said. He added that the woman had requested anonymity. Mallott is married, according to a bio on the Walker-Mallott campaign website. Walker named Davidson commissioner in 2014, soon after he was elected. Before that, Davidson had served as senior director of legal and intergovernmental affairs at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. The resignation of Mallott, a longtime Alaska Native leader from Southeast Alaska, and the appointment of Davidson comes during the week of the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention in Anchorage. It's the biggest annual gathering of Alaska's indigenous people, with Walker scheduled to welcome the gathering on Thursday and Davidson delivering the keynote address. Walker and Mallott won the 2014 election on what they called a "unity ticket," named such for their different political party affiliations. Walker is a Republican-turned-independent and Mallott is a Democrat. Messages with Begich and his campaign manager were not immediately returned Tuesday. Walker's campaign manager, John-Henry Heckendorn, said Tuesday afternoon that Walker and Begich have been engaged in conversations for the past several days "about a path forward, what's best for Alaska." Those ongoing conversations are unrelated to what's happened with Mallott, Heckendorn said, adding that he was not able to talk about any of the details of those conversations. When asked what he meant by a "path forward," Heckendorn said: "A path forward in the election that doesn't result in Mike Dunleavy being governor." Dunleavy said in a statement that his campaign remained "focused on restoring trust in state government." "We need safe neighborhoods, a healthy economy and full Permanent Fund dividends," he said. "This campaign has always been about the people of Alaska, not politicians." When pressed about the conversations with the Begich campaign, Walker's campaign manager, Heckendorn, said: "I'm only speaking for our campaign. Concerned about Dunleavy's approach to the campaign. Concerned about his lack of a plan for the state's finances. Concerned about him winning with a plurality and becoming governor."<doc-sep>SEATTLE — The lieutenant governor of Alaska, Byron Mallott, resigned abruptly on Tuesday after making what Gov. Bill Walker, a political Independent, called “inappropriate” but unspecified comments. The resignation threw an already tight re-election effort by Mr. Walker into even more uncertain territory with only a few weeks before voting begins. Mr. Mallott, 75, is the state’s most prominent Native Alaskan politician, a member of the Tlingit people, and has been a hugely popular figure in rural tribal areas of the state. As a Democrat, he was also part of an unlikely political marriage with Mr. Walker, a former Republican who left his party to run as an Independent in 2014. In his first term, Mr. Walker repeatedly referred to Mr. Mallott as his partner in dealing with a huge budget deficit that has required painful cuts to state programs and a reduction in payments to Alaskans from a fund created by decades of oil tax revenues.<doc-sep>
JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott resigned Tuesday over what Gov. Bill Walker called "inappropriate comments." The resignation complicates what was already a difficult re-election fight for Walker, a man with whom Mallott shared a brother-like bond. Walker, in a release, said he learned late Monday that Mallott had made "inappropriate comments" not suitable for his office. "As leaders, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct," he said. Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott speaks during a news conference in Anchorage, Alaska, on Sept. 21, 2015. Mark Thiessen / AP file The resignation was announced shortly after Walker participated in a debate in Anchorage. His statement did not specify what comments Mallott had made. A spokesman for Walker said there would be a later news conference addressing the matter. State health commissioner Valerie Davidson was sworn in as lieutenant governor. Davidson said she was "deeply saddened" by Mallott's resignation but also "profoundly disappointed by his conduct." It is with profound disappointment that we accepted the resignation of Byron Mallott as Lieutenant Governor. It is our honor to introduce Lt. Governor Valerie Davidson in her new role. We are grateful for her commitment to serve our people and our state with strength and grace. pic.twitter.com/4XrCV9H9kr — Governor Bill Walker (@AkGovBillWalker) October 16, 2018 "Respect for women, and the dignity of all Alaskans, is our responsibility," she said in a release. A message was left seeking comment from Mallott. Mallott and Walker had forged a tight bond since joining forces as part of a unity ticket in 2014. That year, they were each running for governor and saw joining together as their best shot at defeating Republican Gov. Sean Parnell. As part of the arrangement, supported by state Democrats, Walker changed his party affiliation from Republican to undeclared and Mallott, a Democrat, abandoned his gubernatorial ambitions to be Walker's running mate.