Candidates file for Palmer, Houston

MAT-SU — The city of Houston on Monday released its list of candidates for the fall election and the city of Palmer added one candidate to its official list.

Elections for Mat-Su Borough Assembly, Mat-Su Borough School Board and the city councils of Houston, Palmer and Wasilla all happen on Oct. 7, and all had filing deadlines for candidates that passed Friday.

When the dust cleared, on Saturday Brad Hanson’s name was notably absent from the Palmer city council race. Hanson has been a fixture on that council since 2002.

But, on Monday, city clerk Janette Bower said that Hanson had actually met the deadline and that his candidacy had been certified.

Hanson will run against Linda Combs and Elden Tritch. Combs is an incumbent council member. Tritch last ran for a seat on that body in 2012.

The way the Palmer council works, candidates run as a group with the two top vote-getters winning the two available seats.

As for the city of Houston, there are two seats up for grabs there.

Gina Jorgensen didn’t draw a challenger but Virgie Thompson did. Ron Gaffney filed to run against her.

Thompson is most well known as the city’s mayor, though she’s also a council member. That council selects one of its members to be the mayor after reach election.