George Wuerch

{{Short description|American politician (born 1936)}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2011}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = George Wuerch | image = George Wuerch 2003.jpeg | office = Mayor of Anchorage | term_start = July 1, 2000 | term_end = July 1, 2003 | predecessor = Rick Mystrom | successor = Mark Begich | office1 = Chair of the Anchorage Assembly | term_start1 = May 4, 1999 | term_end1 = December 14, 1999 | predecessor1 = Fay Von Gemmingen | successor1 = Kevin Meyer | office2 = Member of the Anchorage Assembly<br>from Seat F | term_start2 = May 1, 1995 | term_end2 = June 26, 2000 | predecessor2 = Dick Traini | successor2 = Wilda Hudson | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1936}} | birth_place = Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | party = Republican | relations = | spouse = Brenda | children = 2 | profession = | alma_mater = }}

'''George Poe Wuerch''' (born 1936) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He served as mayor of Anchorage, Alaska from 2000 to 2003.<ref name="AKJournalofCommerce_22Apr2001_25 MostPowerfulAlaskans_ George Wuerch">{{cite news|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-alaska/964626-1.html|title=Top 25 Most Powerful Alaskans: George Wuerch|date=April 22, 2001|work=Alaska Journal of Commerce|accessdate=17 January 2011}}</ref>

In the 2003 mayoral election, he was defeated for reelection by former city assemblyman Mark Begich.<ref name="PeninsulaClarion_06Apr2000_DemocratMarkBegichtofaceRepublicanGeorgeWuerchinrunoff">{{cite news|url=http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040600/ala_040600ala0030001.shtml|title=Democrat Mark Begich to face Republican George Wuerch in runoff 04/06/00|date=April 6, 2000|work=Peninsula Clarion|accessdate=17 January 2011|archive-date=13 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313144420/http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/040600/ala_040600ala0030001.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> Before this, Wuerch was chair of the Anchorage Assembly and chair of the board of directors for the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

A retired United States Marine Corps officer with 21 years of service, Wuerch has also been governmental affairs manager for the Northwest Alaskan Gasline, the founder and president of Fluor Daniel Alaska Engineering, and the vice president of corporate affairs for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

==Education== Wuerch attended Oregon State University and graduated in 1957 with his wife Brenda Wuerch. While in OSU Wuerch was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

==Political career== As mayor of Anchorage, George Wuerch removed a gay pride exhibit from the Loussac Library creating controversy and a lawsuit against the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ncac.org/update/mayor-removes-pride-exhibit|title=Mayor Removes Pride Exhibit|date=13 June 2001}}</ref>

==Family== George and Brenda Wuerch have two daughters, Karrie Wuerch who lives in Corvallis, Oregon and Debra Wuerch who resides in Anchorage, Alaska.

==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} *2000 Anchorage mayoral election *2003 Anchorage mayoral election

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110117051639/http://epw.senate.gov/hearing_statements.cfm?id=213409 U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works Hearing Statements - Hon. George Wuerch, Mayor, Municipality of Anchorage, AK] {{S-start}} {{Succession box| before=Rick Mystrom| title=Mayor of Anchorage| years=2000—2003| after=Mark Begich }} {{S-end}} {{Mayors of Anchorage}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wuerch, George}} Category:1930s births Category:21st-century mayors of places in Alaska Category:Alaska Republicans Category:American businesspeople in the energy industry Category:Anchorage Assembly members Category:Businesspeople from Alaska Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Mayors of Anchorage, Alaska Category:Oregon State University alumni Category:Politicians from Tacoma, Washington Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:Businesspeople from Tacoma, Washington Category:Military personnel from Tacoma, Washington