Westlake first ran for the House in 2014, mounting an unsuccessful Democratic primary challenge to Barrow Representative Benjamin Nageak, who caucused with the Republican-led majority caucus at the time. He ran again in 2016 and defeated Nageak in a very close election that was contested in court. A lower court ruled that 50 votes cast in Shungnak, a rural community that went overwhelmingly for Westlake, had been improperly cast and should not have been counted. The Alaska Supreme Court reversed the ruling however, making Westlake the winner.[2] Westlake was unopposed in the general election.[3]
In December 2017, after seven female capitol staffers aired complaints of inappropriate sexual behavior by Westlake, he apologized. However, when he fathered a child with a 16-year-old in 1988 when he was 28 was about to be publicized, he tendered his resignation effective within ten days.[4][5]
According to procedures in such a circumstance, elected District 40 representatives of his Democratic party submitted three names of prospective replacement candidates to the governor. House Democratic members were then to make a choice regarding confirmation of his nominee.[6] By January 7, eight hopefuls had put their names into consideration for the post which officially became vacant on December 25, 2017.[7] From those, district Democrats forwarded the governor the names of three candidates from whom he might choose to replace Westlake: Sandy Shroyer-Beaver and Eugene Smith, both of Kotzebue and Leanna Mack of Utqiagvik.[8] Governor Bill Walker rejected the choice of those Democratic party leaders from District 40, after he interviewed the three. Instead Walker picked John Lincoln, an official with the Kotzebue-based NANA Regional Corporation, and he forwarded his choice to House Democrats for confirmation.[9] House Democrats quickly officially endorsed Lincoln to take the seat, effective January 26, 2018.[10]