Rep. Andi Story says she’s seeking fifth term after false announcement of her retirement by colleague on House floor

‘Obviously people are really wondering what I'm going to do,’ says Juneau Democrat, who files for reelection a day after her sweeping education bill passes on the last day of the session

Rep. Andi Story, D-Juenau, listens to a closing floor speech shortly before the adjournment of this year’s regular legislative session on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, (Ellie Ruel / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

An announcement during a House floor session on live TV last week that Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, was stepping down after four terms caught a lot of people by surprise — including Story herself.

She stood a short time later to tell colleagues and the audience she, in fact, hadn’t decided whether to seek reelection to her District 3 seat, which represents the northern part of Juneau as well as surrounding communities including Haines, Skagway and Gustavus.

On Thursday she said she is indeed running again.

"Obviously people are really wondering what I'm going to do and so I just said, ‘I gotta file, man. I gotta file,’" she told the Juneau Independent. "And so I decided and I went down."

The farewell tribute by a fellow House member occurred May 12 shortly after the passage of a bill by Story making significant changes to the state’s education funding system, one of her foremost priorities this session as co-chair of the House Education Committee.

"I just want to express my gratitude for her commitment to public education, her passion for public education and her love for her children," said Rep. Rebecca Schwanke, R-Glennallen, during a special orders speech near the end of the floor session. "I don't think I've met another person that has been so dedicated to this topic, and has put her heart and soul into what she has brought to the education committee over the years and to this body."

The warm words were followed by applause and thumping on desks by other House members, so Story had to offer her own remarks to set the story straight.

"I just wanted to say I've not made any firm decisions on whether I'm going to run again or not, but I appreciate the comments from the member from the Interior," she said.

Story, on Thursday, said she remained undecided as of last week — less than three weeks before the June 1 filing deadline — but the false floor announcement and the happenings during the final days of this year’s session helped make up her mind.

"I had heard a couple of people were interested that I thought would do a good job and so I was seriously considering if maybe I should give somebody else the opportunity," she said. "But anyway, I decided there's still work I want to do."

Among those goals is the bill that earned the words of congratulations — which seeks to give school districts more reliable data for budget planning by allowing them to use enrollment figures from previous years rather the current year — since it stalled in the Senate after passing the House.

"We really need to put something into place that gives the education system knowing the amount of money they have before they start school, so of course that's a big thing," she said. "I have some other issues that I'm fired up about, and I really believe in bipartisanship and working together, and we need that at the Capitol."

Another bill Story introduced in February that she says she wants to pursue in the future is a data privacy act that gives consumers expanded control of personal information obtained by businesses

Story served five terms on the Juneau Board of Education and was president of the Alaska Association of School Boards before being elected to the House in 2019. She said it’s also important to work with Alaska’s congressional delegation to help ensure support for needs such as glacial flood protection and the Alaska Marine Highway System.

During the past two-year session she co-chaired an education committee that last year helped enact the first major funding increase in the per-student education funding formula in nearly 15 years. She was also the lead sponsor this year on an education bill making a range of funding and policy changes that passed the Legislature on the session’s final day.

"Obviously I'm doing this because I care a lot about the communities I serve, and it's an honor to serve, and I hope to continue to be able to do that," Story said.

Juneau’s other state House member, Rep. Sara Hannan, a Democrat, has already filed to run for a fifth term. The other member of Juneau’s legislative delegation, Sen. Jesse Kiehl, a Democrat, isn’t up for reelection until 2028.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.