Rookie candidate wins Palmer City Council seat; incumbents in hunt for final spot

PALMER — First-time candidate Julie Berberich made a splash in the Palmer City Council election. Wasilla also held elections for city council, but Mike Dryden and Tim Burney, who currently hold the seats, ran unopposed.

Berberich has a big lead going into the final count. There are 129 absentee, early, questioned, and special needs ballots left to be counted before Palmer calls its election on Friday in the three-way race for two three-year terms. Berberich has the lead with 405 total votes. Current Deputy Mayor Richard Best has 302, trailing fellow councilman Pete LaFrance with 310.

“I think it reflects the way that campaigns are being ran right now for city council,” Best said. “Just as the House and Senate races are, it’s not Mayberry anymore.”

This is the same number of votes by which Best won his the last election. There will be at least one current councilman who does not win reelection. The canvas board meets at 2 p.m. Friday to count the 129 ballots. Berberich is likely in the clear, but either Best or LaFrance could lose their seat. Best said he would remain active if not elected.

“I will participate in however the community needs,” Best said.

Best said he is unhappy about the low voter turnout.

“I would still like to see more voters turnout. Seventeen percent collectively, with absentee, that’s still disheartening,” Best said. “The complacency that we get it’s disheartening.”

As for Berberich, she said she is shocked, and plans to get to work learning about the council.

“I’m a bit freaked out,” Berberich said. “I get to start working so I get to learn a lot is what I get to do. I don’t have an agenda, I come in open minded and I get to learn.”

As polls closed and ballots were counted, Berberich returned home and saw the good news in an email.

“I’m in total shock,” Berberich said late Tuesday night.

Councilwoman Linda Combs ran unopposed for the two-year term and received 489 votes.

LaFrance picked up his signs just before polls closed and relaxed with family as results came in Tuesday night.

“Regardless I wish Richard the best,” LaFrance said. “It seems to be the nature of Palmer politics to be decided on razor thin margins.”