Polling places open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for local voting

WASILLA — Polls open for municipal elections in the Valley at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Everything from the mayoralty of Wasilla to a pair of Mat-Su Borough School Board seats are up for grabs. If you’re not sure where to go to vote, the Mat-Su Borough asks that you check the state’s website at 1.usa.gov/1BK6uD8.

City and borough polling places are generally in the same place so folks can vote in both elections without making two stops.

As for what’s at stake; here’s a quick rundown:

Mat-Su Borough

Two seats on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly are up this year. Steve Colligan, who represents greater Wasilla, failed to draw a challenger. There is a contested race in the Big Lake/Knik district, though. Real estate professional and Mat-Su Borough Planning commissioner Bill Kendig and Big Lake Community Council vice president Dan Mayfield are squaring off there.

Mat-Su Borough School District

Two seats are up this year but the incumbents currently holding them — retired prisons superintendent Ole Larson and Tiffany Scott, that body’s youngest member and an employee of NANA Development Corporation — didn’t draw challengers.

City of Wasilla

There are two council seat and the mayor’s job up for grabs this year. Running for mayor are deputy city administrator and former Valdez Mayor Bert Cottle and city planning commissioner and general contractor Loren Means.

Colleen Sullivan-Leonard didn’t draw a challenger but three people are seeking the other open seat, which Leone Harris will vacate after not filing to run again. Hopefuls in that seat include U.S. Navy veteran construction industry employee Tim Burney, U.S. Air Force veteran and Matanuska Telephone Association employee Stu Graham, and downtown bartender and shoestring budget campaigner Allison Sacco.

City of Palmer

Palmer does things a little differently. Though there are two seats up — each carrying three-year terms — candidates run in a group with seats going to the two top vote-getters.

Incumbents in the race include longtime councilman and hockey and football coach Brad Hanson, local volunteer and wife of one of the city’s former mayors Linda Combs. Challenging the incumbents this year is Elden Tritch, a retired U.S. Army veteran and federal civil servant.

City of Houston

The mayor is up for re-election this year but even if she wins today’s balloting it’s not guaranteed she’ll still be mayor. The Houston city council selects one of its members to be mayor after each election. Mayor Virgie Thompson, a resource assistant at Houston Middle School in her day job, drew a challenge from Ron Gaffney, a carpenter making his third attempt for a council seat, running on a reform platform. Councilwoman Gina Jorgensen did not draw a challenger.

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