Terry Gardiner

Terry Gardiner is an American former politician from Alaska.

Gardiner was born on August 12, 1950, in Ketchikan, Alaska.^[1] His parents, Herb and Helen Gardiner, moved to Ketchikan in 1947.^[2] Herb worked at Fidalgo Island Packing, later a part of Trident Seafoods, and later at a pulp mill.^[2] Helen was a homemaker.^[2]

Gardiner graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1968 and studied political science and history at Western Washington State College in Bellingham.^[2][1]

Gardiner's early employment was as a deckhand, starting in 1966 on the troller Pam.^[2] In 1967–68, he worked as a gillnet deckhand for Dick Bishop.^[2] He took over the gillnetter Veto in 1969 and purchased his vessel, Connie Anne, in 1971, which he operated until 1981.^[2]

His political career began with a legislative internship in Olympia in 1971 for Representative Gladys Kirk.^[2]

In 1972, Gardiner worked in the Alaska Legislature for Representative Mike Miller and the House Local Government Committee.^[2] He was recognized as a liberal candidate in the 1972 elections, where he finished second in the primary and was elected to the House, alongside Oral Freeman.^[2] In 1978, he became the youngest Speaker of the House at age 28.^[2][3]

Gardiner also served as the Chairman of the Alaska Criminal Code Commission.^[1]