Mayfield wins District 5 Assembly seat after recount

PALMER — Incumbent Dan Mayfield has been declared the winner of the District 5 Assembly race after a ballot recount, beating out Clayton “Mokie” Tew by 17 votes, Borough officials announced Tuesday morning.

The recount , which was requested by Tew hours before the election was originally set to be certified Oct. 17, gave Tew one extra vote in the race. He had originally lost the election for the Big Lake area seat by 18 votes.

The results were announced in an email sent to reporters by the Borough early today.

“We, the Canvass Board of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, jointly certify that the information listed herein is a true and accurate statement of the poll, questioned, absentee, and special needs votes cast in the regular election October 3, 2017, and declare said election to be valid to the best of our knowledge and belief” the Canvass Board report, dated Oct. 23, states.

Mayfield won the election 695-678. An additional 12 votes were cast for write-in candidates.

Borough code requires the recount to be performed at the expense of the requesting party, in this case Tew. The recount was expected to cost about $600.

“When Mr. Tew ordered the recount I expected the results wouldn’t change significantly and they didn’t,” Mayfield said Tuesday. “Onward to serving the people.”

Mayfield will be sworn in for his new term Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at the beginning of the borough’s previously scheduled Planning Commission meeting.

Tew did not immediately return a call for comment.