Masek unseated after 10-year run

MAT-SU -- After a 10-year stretch as representative of the Valley's largest district, Beverly Masek was unseated in Tuesday's primary election by newcomer Mark Neuman.

Neuman received 1,167 votes, Masek got 972 votes. Masek, who has been dealing this summer with complaints launched through the Alaska Public Offices Commission, was defeated by nearly 200 votes. Neuman, although not a newcomer to the Valley, is new to Alaska politics -- his first foray into politics happened this spring when he was appointed to be a delegate at the Conference of Alaskans event discussing the state's fiscal situation. Neuman said he found he loved politics, loved talking to people, and felt he could respond to voters' concerns.

In what many have called the election's largest upset, unofficial results from the Alaska Division of Elections indicate Masek lost, sometimes by very narrow margins, each of the nine precincts that make up her district. Masek did not return a message left at her home Wednesday night.

Neuman won't be alone on the House District 15 ballot in November -- he'll be facing former Mat-Su Borough Assembly member Doyle Holmes and Myrl Thompson, who was most recently involved in the committee seeking to recall Sen. Scott Ogan.

The District 15 election was the only upset, although not for lack of trying. Wasilla resident Colleen Sullivan-Leonard took on incumbent Vic Kohring in the District 14 race, but gathered 810 votes to Kohring's 1,487. Kohring now faces Democrat Pat Carney in the November election -- a battle that was won by Kohring in his first bid for election, 10 years ago.

District 13 Democrat candidate Mike Chmielewski, with 532 votes, won rights to the Democrat ticket in the general election, defeating opponent James "Pooh" Milne by about 400 votes. Chmielewski will face off against incumbent Republican Carl Gatto in the November election.

Democrat candidate Gini King-Taylor won the primary battle in the Senate District G race against opponent James Della Silva. King-Taylor brought in 1,126 votes to Della Silva's 353, and will face Republican incumbent Lyda Green in the general election.

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.