Cottle resumes run in race for borough mayor

WASILLA — Bert Cottle is back in the race.

In late September, Cottle announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy for Mat-Su Borough Mayor due to health reasons. But that came after the official withdrawal deadline and his name remains on the ballot.

Now things have changed, and Cottle, a former Wasilla mayor, has resumed his run for borough mayor.

“I feel good,” Cottle said.

Cottle was initially concerned about working through a campaign and attending council meetings and debates while undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

“I talked to my doctor and they said you’re good to go. You’re going to have some good days, some bad days. You’re going through chemo,” Cottle said.

Now it’s back to a race of three. Current Palmer Mayor Edna DeVries and former Mat-Su Borough Assemblymember and Deputy Mayor Matthew Beck are also running.

“Nothing against Edna. Edna’s a good person. Same with Matthew. Matthew is a good person. We all know each other. All of us have been friends,” Cottle said.

The Mat-Su Borough elections are Nov. 2.

Cottle served as the mayor of Wasilla for six years before terming out in 2020. He has a career in public service that spans more than three decades in Wasilla and Valdez.

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