Deadline near for candidates

MAT-SU — If you’ve been considering a run for local office, you might want to get on that. Deadline to file for office in most races is Wednesday.

At least three of the Valley’s four municipalities — the Mat-Su Borough and the cities of Palmer and Wasilla — and the borough school board have filing deadlines of June 30 for candidates who want to be on the October ballot.

This year, seats up for grabs on the assembly are held by Lynne Woods and Pete Houston. Assembly members, unique among elected members of municipal bodies in the Valley, represent districts. Woods’ district encompasses the Lazy Mountain, Butte, Sutton and Chickaloon areas; Houston’s district encompasses the city of Palmer and extends west to Trunk Road and south to the Matanuska River. Borough assembly members serve three-year terms.

So far, according to the Alaska Public Offices Commission, neither Houston nor Woods has filed an intent to enter the race. Four people with Palmer addresses and one with a Sutton address have filed to run in borough races. The reports don’t list which seats the candidates seek.

On the school board, three seats with three-year terms are up this time around. The school board elects its members-at-large. Board president Colleen Vague, clerk Susan Pougher, and board member Myrl Thompson are all up for re-election.

In Wasilla, two at-large seats that come with three-year terms are in play. They are held by Dianne Woodruff and Kristofer Larson.

Woodruff has been the only candidate to file thus far, according to APOC.

In Palmer, the city is choosing a new mayor and two new at-large council members. The current mayor is John Combs and incumbent city council members are Mike Chmielewski and Kathrine Vanover.

The only candidate in Palmer so far is Councilman Kevin Brown, who has registered to run for mayor, according to APOC.

Reading the codes, it would seem Houston’s filing deadline would have to be sometime this week to hold the election in October, but the city’s website lacks information about this year’s regular election.

Council members Lee Himes and Roger Purcell are up for re-election, as is the city’s newly chosen mayor, Rosemary Burnett. To be mayor of Houston, though, a person must first be elected to the council. Council members then select which among them will become mayor.

Houston’s upcoming election is not listed on APOC’s website. Purcell has said he doesn’t intend to run again and Burnett has said she probably will.

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

CORRECTION

A front-page story in Sunday’s Frontiersman incorrectly identified the filing deadline for candidates seeking to run for most local elected offices. The filing deadline is July 30, not June 30.