Colberg announces bid for borough mayor

PALMER — The Matanuska-Susitna Borough is set to hold a special election June 9 to choose Curt Menard’s successor as mayor and at least one familiar face has already declared his intent to run — Talis Colberg.

Colberg said he filed his intent to run with the Alaska Public Offices Commission this morning.

“I think I have the experience, the ability and the desire to be a good mayor,” Colberg said.

Colberg was an attorney in private practice handling mainly worker’s compensation claims when Gov. Sarah Palin tapped him to be her Attorney General. Colberg’s name appeared frequently in media reports surrounding the Troopergate investigation. In February he resigned, saying that moving on was in the best interest of the state.

“It was a great experience. The governor gave me a wonderful opportunity and I’ll always be grateful for having had that,” Colberg said Wednesday of his time as attorney general.”

But he maintained a sense of humor about the whole thing.

“I lasted longer than half of my predecessors,” he said, noting that very few attorneys general have finished out a full term in Alaska.

Wednesday, neither Colberg nor any other candidate for the seat has yet picked up an application packet for the election. Cheryl Marino at the borough clerk’s office said they haven’t had time to put them together yet — the Borough Assembly passed its ordinance calling for the election just Tuesday night.

Marino said packets should be ready by April 1 and can be handed in as early as April 6 but no later than April 17.