Justin Ruffridge moved to the Kenai/Soldotna area with his family in 1994, when his parents (both educators) braved the journey north to teach at a small Christian school. Justin graduated from high school in 2001 and went on to attend Washington State University graduating with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2008.
Justin married his wife Jessie in 2004. After graduation from college, they moved back to the Kenai Peninsula to help care for Jessie’s terminally ill mother. Justin began his pharmacy career at Soldotna Professional Pharmacy, and several years later acquired the Soldotna Pharmacy and the Juneau Drug Company in downtown Juneau with a business partner. Since that time, the partnership also opened the Alpine Apothecary pharmacy in Girdwood.
Mr. Ruffridge has been active in community service including a brief tenure on the Soldotna Planning and Zoning commission. Justin was appointed to the Soldotna City Council in 2019 and elected to a full term that October. He was the Chair of the Alaska Board of Pharmacy whose purpose is to create and enforce regulations, and the safe dispensing of medications through pharmacies across the State. Justin enjoys coaching Little League in the summer months and has been an advocate for those in our communities struggling to find housing. During the COVID pandemic he worked diligently in local communities focusing on prevention, mitigation and treatment efforts.
Justin believes strongly in classical conservative values, represented by a simple truth that effective change is best accomplished over time resulting from constructive dialogue with all parties involved in the decision-making process. This is fundamentally hard work, but it is worth the effort. Creating lasting and meaningful change requires a desire to be hunble, an ability to bring people together, and a willingness to learn.
Justin Ruffridge was elected in 2022 as the District 7 Representative for the Alaska State House, and he is honored to serve the constituents in Kenai and Soldotna.