David Nelson (Alaska politician)

David Nelson (born 1996) is an American Republican politician from Alaska. He formerly represented the House District 15 as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. Following redistricting, he ran for the newly created House District 18. He was defeated by Democrat Cliff Groh.

Early life and education
Nelson was born in Orlando, Florida, and raised in Sanford, Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from University of Alaska Anchorage in 2018. During college, he was a member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Career
After graduating from college, Nelson was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Alaska Army National Guard. He serves as a CBRN officer for in 207th Aviation Regiment at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson. Nelson has also worked as a defense contractor and as the president of the Mid-Town Rotary Club of Anchorage. He was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on January 19, 2021.

In 2022, redistricting of Alaska's state house districts placed Nelson in the newly created House District 18, where he ran for re-election. He was challenged by two Democrats, Lyn Franks and Cliff Groh. None of the three candidates received more than 50 percent of the vote on Election Day, so due to Alaska's ranked choice voting system, the race went to an instant runoff between Nelson and Groh. Nelson was ultimately unseated by Groh.