Unalaska, AK – District 37's state representative, Democrat Bryce Edgmon, has decided to join the majority caucus. By joining, he will get more staff, a larger travel budget, and more committee leadership roles, including co-chair of the energy committee and chair of the fisheries committee. Edgmon joins three other democrats and most of the bush caucus in the majority republican one.

"Overall I thought it was a good fit and it was a better place to be for the district as a whole," he explained.

Joining with the republicans does not change Edgmon's party affiliation. He is still a democrat and he says the decision will not change how he votes. "I fully intend to continue voting largely in the way I voted in the first two years. That means I'll be voting at times with the democrats and on other occasions I'll be voting with republicans."

However, by joining the caucus he is required to vote in favor of the budget. He said over his 10 years working as a legislative staffer and his two years as a representative, he never saw a budget he fully approved of anyhow.

"There's never ever a budget that accommodates every single need that you have. And I voted for the last couple of years for a budget that I didn't necessarily agree with as a member of the democratic minority so that probably will be the case as a member of the majority," he said.

Edgmon said he'll now have more sway over the capital and operating budgets and can push harder for projects in the region. Some of his foci this year include adequately funding the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and energy issues in the bush.

The only drawback Edgmon cites is that it may hurt some of his relationships with other Democrats. Dillingham's Democratic Party leader, Mike Davis, has expressed disappointment over Edgmon's decision but says he still trusts Edgmon to support the region. Edgmon says he spoke with mayors and leaders through out the region before making the move and they supported his choice.