Rick Mystrom

Mystrom was born in Minnesota in 1943 and came to Alaska in 1972. In 1975, he established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year Award from President Ronald Reagan.[1] In 1990, he sold his advertising business, which was later merged into the Nerland Agency.

Mystrom was elected to the Anchorage Assembly in 1979, serving until 1985. In 1994, he defeated Democrat Mark Begich to succeed Tom Fink as Mayor of Anchorage. In 1997, he withstood a challenge from Fink, a fellow Republican. Mystrom was widely considered the more moderate of the two Republican candidates.

In office, Mystrom emphasized crime reduction and championed the City of Lights beautification program, encouraging residents and employers to ornament their homes and businesses with decorative lights during Anchorage's dark winter.

In 2003, he challenged incumbent Republican mayor George Wuerch in a three-way race. Begich, who had unsuccessfully faced Wuerch in 2000, was elected.

Mystrom is a longtime advocate of bringing the Winter Olympic Games to Anchorage, and has chaired several committees to that end. Anchorage was twice the US candidate for these Games (1992 and 1994).

He has two sons, Nick and Richard, and a daughter, Jennifer, from his former wife, Mary.

• Profile in the Anchorage Press

• Official website