Assembly appoints new member for District 4 seat

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly has a new member.

Mat-Su Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie swore in Maxwell Sumner just after 9 p.m. Thursday night during a special meeting at the borough building. Sumner will fill the District 4 seat vacated by Rob Yundt, who had to step away from the assembly after announcing that he was moving to a physical address outside of his district.

The swearing in came at the tail end of a three-hour meeting that included candidate interviews and a 20-minute executive session, in which deliberations were made.

Sumner is a local home-builder and owns and operates Sumner Company Homes alongside his brother Jesse, a former Mat-Su assemblyman and current member of the Alaska House of Representatives.

Maxwell Sumner said his brother inspired him to run for the district seat during a question-and-answer session with the assembly.

“Definitely him. I think a lot of people think local politics might be unattainable,” Maxwell Sumner said, adding his brother's service made him realize politics is not all about special interests.

Early in the interview, Sumner, who was born in Palmer and raised in Wasilla, was asked about what it takes to be on the assembly.

“An open mind and a lack of ego,” he said. “Ability to see an issue and listen to both sides of it and not come into it with any preconceived notions. You’re not doing your constituents a very good service, not holding up your oath, if you're not listening to everything or doing all of the research necessary to make a determination on an issue.”

Sumner was also asked about his status as a current member of the MEA board. Sumner said he does not see conflict of interest, but will consult with attorneys for both the borough and the board.

Sumner was one of three candidates who applied to interview in person Thursday night. A fourth candidate was slated to interview, but was unable to due to personal reasons.

Sumner will serve until November of 2025.

This is a developing story. Continue to see frontiersman.com for more.

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