Mark Begich
A pragmatic Alaska Democrat who navigated the state's unique political landscape as both Anchorage mayor and U.S. Senator.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American politician·Birthday: March 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mark Begich grew up in Anchorage politics; his father, Nick Begich, was a U.S. Representative who disappeared in a plane crash when Mark was ten. This personal tragedy forged a deep connection to the state's rugged realities. He built a business career before entering public service, winning election as Anchorage mayor in 2003. His tenure was marked by a focus on infrastructure and fiscal management, steering the city through growth. In 2008, he narrowly defeated long-serving Republican Senator Ted Stevens, becoming the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the Senate in decades. In Washington, Begich cultivated a reputation as a moderate, often breaking with his party on issues like oil drilling and gun rights to reflect his constituents' views. His single term was defined by the tightrope walk of representing a conservative-leaning state while in a national Democratic caucus.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mark was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, from 2003 to 2009.
- Defeated incumbent Republican Senator Ted Stevens in the 2008 election to become a U.S. Senator.
- Secured a provision in the Affordable Care Act specifically protecting Alaska's Native medical system.
- Championed the Veterans Choice Act, which improved healthcare access for veterans in rural states like Alaska.
Did You Know?
He owns a family business, Metrokinetics, which focused on property management and maintenance.
Begich was only the second Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Alaska since statehood.
His father, Congressman Nick Begich, and House Majority Leader Hale Boggs disappeared on a flight in Alaska in 1972; their bodies were never found.
He is a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union, reflecting his ethnic heritage.
“Alaskans don't want a senator who just votes the party line; they want someone who gets things done.”
