Representative, Alaska State Legislature
David Nelson is serving his second term in the Alaska State Legislature, representing Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and portions of Anchorage. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he was commissioned into the Alaska Army National Guard through the Army ROTC program. Nelson previously served as a CBRN officer with the 207th Aviation Regiment and is currently a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was selected for the inaugural Emerging Leaders cohort at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics and named one of the Council of State Governments 2022 Top 20 Under 40 for his legislative work. Nelson has also received the Army Commendation Medal for his role during the Alaska National Guard’s early COVID‑19 response. A former Rotary president and Eagle Scout, he remains active in community service, volunteering with the USO, and enjoys backpacking across Alaska.