Alaska State House District 7 Representative Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, received the Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday alongside state Senator Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, for their joint efforts to strengthen Alaska’s public education.
According to a Nov. 14 press release, Future Caucus honored both legislators during its eighth annual Rising Star Awards, which recognizes Gen Z and millennial state lawmakers and members of Congress who “transcend political polarization by advancing bipartisan policies that address critical issues for their constituents and the nation.”
Ruffridge moved from Ohio to the Kenai Peninsula Borough with his family when he was nine years old. He was appointed to the Soldotna City Council in 2019 and elected as the District 7 representative for the Alaska State House in 2022.
While working on a task force to study how Alaska pays for education, Tobin and Ruffridge worked with four other lawmakers to override two gubernatorial vetoes in August, securing $50 million for classrooms throughout Alaska.
“This award is a recognition that it takes people with potentially ideological differences to work together to try to find the little pieces and parts that bring a bill together,” Ruffridge told the Clarion on Nov. 19. “That’s how good things get done. It’s when people are able to find those things that are meaningful and can get a bill to the finish line.”
The press release says Ruffridge and Tobin’s partnership shows what’s possible when leaders prioritize their communities rather than politics. Sen. Tobin said in the release that receiving this award alongside Ruffridge “underscores the power of bipartisanship” and collaboration “to deliver results for Alaska.”
“We are proud to recognize Senator Tobin and Representative Ruffridge with the Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award,” Future Caucus president and CEO Layla Zaidane wrote in the press release. “Their work reinforces that bridging divides isn’t just the right thing — it’s the only way to advance and strengthen our democracy.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was also recognized for her commitment to furthering bipartisan collaboration in Congress. She received the Jacob K. Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership, which, according to Future Caucus’s website, “honors public servants who rise above partisanship to advance the common good.”
To learn more about the honorees and awards, visit the Future Caucus website.
