MSB preliminary voting results show incumbents retaining seats

Results from the November 5 election indicate that several incumbents will retain their seats in contested districts following victories in Mat-Su Borough School District (MSBSD) school board and Mat-Su Borough (MSB) Assembly elections, while unopposed candidates also walked away with victories.

First up, for the MSBSD school board, Tom Bergey defeated challenger Ben Kolendo to retain the District 1 board seat.

In District 7, Ron Bernier will return to the MSB Assembly after a win over first-time candidate Sheena Fort, with Bernier receiving 2,581 votes, while 1,936 votes went to Fort.

Also on the assembly, incumbent Dee McKee beat challenger Luke Hyce 3,915-1,292 to continue serving District 3.

In other election results, incumbent MSB Mayor Edna DeVries and Dmitri Fonov of District 6 ran unopposed for their assembly seats, and will return, though she did face a write-in challenge from Hillary Palmer.

"It is wonderful that so many of our valley residents exercise their right to vote and thankful for all the election clerks and borough staff including Borough clerk Lonnie McKechnie," said MSB Mayor DeVries. "(We're) thankful for those who were patient and gracious in the long voting lines."

This was the first regular election for Fonov after he was selected to fill the District 6 vacancy after Jesse Sumner resigned to serve as a state representative.

Brooks Pitcher was also unopposed for his District 5 school board seat, and will return after he was selected to replace former school board member Jacob Butcher when he resigned after relocating to the lower 48 last year.

Andrew Shane will join the school board after running unopposed in District 4, taking the the seat vacated by Jubilee Underwood, who opted to run for a seat in the Alaska House of Representatives.

All four ballot props passed, including proposals to fund Matanuska-Susitna Borough road improvement projects, which passed overwhelmingly 25,773—12,359; and another prop to fund the construction of three public charter schools in the MSBSD, narrowly winning by 576 votes.

Props 2 and 3, which consolidate the Willow and Caswell fire service areas, passed 530-449 and 190-119, respectively.

There are still over 7,000 absentee and questioned ballots to be counted. This election saw a 41.6% voter turnout of the over 96,000 registered voters in the MSB.

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