Candidate forums off to a bumpy start

WASILLA — This year’s series of political forums for candidates running in the October election is one event smaller.

The Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce is organizing the series and had planned to have one forum for the three candidates seeking office in Palmer. After rearranging the schedule, organizer Diana Straub had settled on Sept. 8.

As of Monday, though, two candidates — Brad Hanson and Mike Chmielewski — had declined the invitation, which leaves only Linda Combs.

“I can’t give a whole 45 minutes to one candidate alone,” Straub said.

It’s not just a fairness problem but a legal one — radio stations Country Legends 100.9 and KMBQ 99.7 are planning to broadcast the events and the Alaska’s Public Offices Commission doesn’t look kindly on giving free airtime to a single candidate.

“What I will do is on the 22nd when we have Wasilla City Council then I will just let Linda give us three minutes as an opening and closing speech as to why she wants to be a candidate,” Straub said.

It’s just an offer, though. Combs can accept or decline.

With that hole in the schedule, though, Straub said she might try to spread some of the forums out.

On Sept. 15, for instance, she’d planned to feature both the Mat-Su Borough Assembly races and the Mat-Su Borough School District School Board races.

With an extra day to play with she said she might move one or the other of those to Sept. 8. Or she might not. Between the two of them there are only two contested races — Erick Cordero facing down Lynette Warhus to retain his school board seat and Steve Colligan taking on Pat Johnson for an open assembly seat. Darcie Salmon has drawn no opposition for his bid for the other open assembly seat. Incumbent Ole Larson is not facing an opponent in his bid to stay on the school board.

Whatever winds up happening, at least in terms of candidates who have RSVP’d, it looks like the other forums are a go.

As of Monday afternoon, the schedule looks like this:

• Sept. 15: Mat-Su Borough School Board and Mat-Su Borough Assembly

• Sept. 22: Wasilla City Council

• Sept. 29: Wasilla Mayor

All forums are scheduled in the theater at the Alaska Club in Wasilla.

In Wasilla, mayor Verne Rupright is facing two challengers from the city council — Dianne Woodruff and Taffina Katkus — and one from elsewhere — Michael Carson. The city council races there have two candidates each. Leone Harris is trying to defend her seat from challenger David Nyberg and incumbent Colleen Sullivan-Leonard is squaring off with candidate Pat Brown.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.