He ran on a platform promoting the relocation of the state capital from Juneau to Willow, but was defeated by Democrat Bill Sheffield.

[4] In 1987, Fink was elected Mayor of Anchorage in the wake of a dramatic drop in the price of oil, which devastated the local economy.

[5] He received national attention for his stance on gay rights when he vetoed a 1993 municipal ordinance that would protect city employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

[6] The same year, he called for the cancellation of funding for Pomo Afro Homos, a local theater group that included works with homosexual themes in their repertoire.

In 1997, after sitting out one term, Fink returned to politics to mount an unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Republican mayor Rick Mystrom.