Scott McAdams

Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams knows that in Alaska being an elected official is about being a part of a community and answering to friends and neighbors. Scott has seen the results of his years of public service on Sitka's streets, in classrooms across the state of Alaska and most importantly in the lives of his own neighbors, family and friends. A graduate of Sitka's Sheldon Jackson College who was raised by a single mother in Petersburg, Scott agrees with Alaskans that we are the biggest community in the country and the voices in our towns, hubs, and villages are all more important than the politics of Washington D.C.

Scott is running for the United States Senate to bring the voices of Alaskans to the Senate where gridlock and indecision have locked out the coffee shop in Anchorage, the post office in Bethel and the docks in Ketchikan.

As a young man, Scott gained a strong work ethic and learned the importance of teamwork on the deck of Alaska's commercial fishing vessels. As a deckhand Scott gained a deep respect for Alaska's fishing heritage and natural resources. He knows that the ocean will always produce more pressure than a hearing room or speaker's podium.

A former football coach, Scott entered public service by working alongside his athletes and their parents to make Sitka's football program an official part of Sitka's high school athletics. Standing up for his team and their contributions to the community, he helped Sitka get an official football team. After witnessing the positive results of his work, and at the urging of his friends and neighbors, Scott ran for the school board and won.

An outspoken advocate for kids and the community with six years of school board service, he became mayor of Sitka in 2008. With a slogan of “Vision for Our Future, Respect for Our Past” Scott's campaign for mayor was about listening to his neighbors—whether it’s at the grocery store or at the local school. It’s a habit that Scott continues to employ as he listens to Alaskans across the state during his campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Since then, communities across Alaska have benefitted from Scott's leadership on local issues. His ability to roll up his sleeves to get a job done was evident during his tenure as the President of the Association of Alaska School Boards, the Chairman of the Southeast Alaska Conference of Mayors and a member of the Alaska Municipal League Board of Directors.

There is a strong tie between Scott and Alaska’s Native community. An adopted member of the Dakl’aweidi (Killer Whale) clan, Scott’s Tlingit name is Keét Yiyaágu which means “Boat Size Killer Whale.” The name indicates a whale of prominence.

Scott is married to Romee McAdams, a dedicated community member who works with Alaska Native tribes through her position with the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium where she is the Tribal Recruitment Coordinator. Workforce development for Native peoples is her primary objective. Romee is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa from Belcourt, North Dakota and has a MA in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Fresno Pacific University. Married 17 years, Scott and Romee have raised two daughters, Kaity and Chloe, and son, Gavin who are all enrolled members of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.