Leland Chancy Croft (born August 21, 1937) is a workers' compensation attorney and Democratic Party politician from the U.S. state of Alaska. Elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1968, he served a single term from 1969 to 1971. He was then elected to the Alaska Senate, serving in that body from 1971 to 1979, including serving as the president of the Senate from 1975 to 1977 during the 9th Alaska State Legislature. Facing reelection in his downtown Anchorage-area district in 1978, he instead ran for governor of Alaska. Winning the Democratic nomination in the primary election over two challengers, he would become the first of 3 major party nominees in Alaska gubernatorial elections to place third in the general election. The 1978 gubernatorial election was dominated by Republican challenger Walter Hickel. Hickel lost the primary to incumbent Jay Hammond by 98 votes, then launched a write-in campaign, which outpolled Croft in the general election. Croft largely retired from electoral politics after this campaign, but continues to practice law and remains prominent in legal and political circles in Alaska. He served a term on the University of Alaska Board of Regents from 1995 to 2003, including as chair of the body from 2001 to 2002. His older son, Eric, has gone on to have his own political career. Early life Leland Chancy Croft was born in Jennings, Louisiana on August 21, 1937, the son of Leland Croft, an oil and gas landman and geologist, and Dorthy (née Chancy) Croft, a violin teacher. He grew up in Odessa, Texas, where he graduated high school. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with baccalaureate degrees in government and sociology, as well as a law degree. Not long after arriving in Anchorage from Texas in 1962, Croft became a charter member of the Alaska Legal Services Corporation, serving as chairman of the Board of Governors from 1971 to 1978. Political career Chancy Croft was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1968, serving a single term. He was then elected to the Alaska Senate in 1970, serving from 1971 until 1979. He served as Senate President from 1975 to 1977. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Governor of Alaska in 1978. Croft won the nomination over Jalmar M. Kerttula and Ed Merdes; both had served in the Senate themselves. Croft was paired with lieutenant gubernatorial nominee Katie Hurley.