Local races featured at candidates forum

WASILLA — The second Valley-specific political forum in the summer’s series of events is scheduled for Thursday when candidates for Mat-Su Borough offices square off.

The forum, sponsored by the Greater Palmer and Greater Wasilla chambers of commerce, begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Alaska Club in Wasilla.

The field of candidates solidified only Friday, which is probably why organizer Diana Straub hasn’t received much response to her invitation. Still, a rundown of the candidates shows a healthy interest in some races.

BOROUGH ASSEMBLY

The race for District 1 is incumbent-less as Lynne Woods has reached her term limit. Candidates who have filed so far are Bruce Walden, George Rauscher, Warren Keogh and James Tapley. The district includes Sutton, Chickaloon and Butte. Candidates have stepped up from all of those communities.

The race for District 2 is no less crowded. The district is generally said to represent mostly Palmer. Incumbent Pete Hosuton has drawn challenges from Tom Braund, Noel Woods and John Leiner.

While the forum will feature only candidates for the borough assembly, the list of candidates in all of the Valley’s local races was shored up Friday when the candidates’ filing deadline passed.

Most of those other races will be featured in separate forums this summer.

Here’s what the field looks like:

WASILLA COUNCIL

The council has three openings this go-round. One is a one-year term to a seat vacated when councilmember Nancy Hall left to go live in Argentina. Two people have filed to run for that seat: Gary Hale and Colleen Sullivan-Leonard.

In the race for a three-year term holding seat E, incumbent Dianne Woodruff has picked up a challenger in Michael Carson.

Seat F has a much more crowded field and no incumbent. The list of candidates has five names: Patrick Brown, Glenda Ledford, David Nyberg, Steve Menard and Jeff Ward.

CITY OF PALMER

Four Palmerites are seeking to become mayor. Two — Kevin Brown and Mike Chmielewski — are currently serving on the city council. The other two are DeLena Johnson and Emil “Butch” Fondahn.

There are also two three-year council seats up this year and a field of four candidates seeking those spots: Thomas Braund, Edna Davis, Mike Madar and incumbent Kathrine Vanover.

CITY OF HOUSTON

Three council seats are up open this year and only one will go uncontested.

Rosemary Burnett, currently Houston’s mayor, is the only incumbent in this year’s race. In Houston, the council selects the mayor from among its ranks.

The winner of that race, then, won’t necessarily inherit the mayor’s job. Burnett has one challenger, Paul Stout.

The race for Seat E, occupied by Lee Himes, has two contenders — Jim Hansen and Alma Hartley.

Kathleen Barney has no challenger in her race for Seat G. The incumbent in that race, Roger Purcell, said during the drawn-out saga that ended in his resignation as mayor that he had no intention of running again.

SCHOOL BOARD

School board seats are elected at-large, meaning there are no set geographic lines delineating who can run for which seat. Three of those seats are up for election and three incumbents have signed up for another go.

For Seat C, Susan Pougher is the only incumbent running unopposed. Pougher serves as the board secretary.

For Seat F, board president Colleen Vague has picked up a challenger in Neal Lacy.

Myrl Thompson is trying to fend off a challenge from Lynn Gattis for Seat G.

The school board will have its own candidates’ event Aug. 12, tentatively set for the same time - 5:30 p.m. — and place — the Alaska Club in Wasilla — as this week’s event.

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