Matanuska Susitna Borough voter turnout was light yesterday (Tuesday), but those who made it to the polls elected two new Borough Assembly members and approved all three bond proposals. KSKA’s Ellen Lockyer has the unofficial results of the Valley election.
A little over 13 percent of the Matanuska Susitna Borough’s registered voters turned out at their polling places Tuesday. Unofficial results of the Borough election show Steve Colligan the victor in the race for the District Four Assembly seat. Colligan gained 641 votes, compared with challenger Pat Johnson’s tally of 527 votes. Colligan, who owns ETerra, an information technology business, said before the election that the Valley possesses unique conditions that could benefit economic growth. Steve Colligan:
“I think there’s opportunity in our medical complex and in our university, I would like to see the university partner with business to focus research that supports actual industries in Alaska and industries in the Mat Su. We have the best and worst of terrain, we have the best and worst of communications, we have the best and worst of weather, and those are actually opportunities for unique for us to be unique to do some creative R and D (research and development ) and communications and all sorts of things. “
District Five’s seat was won by a former Borough mayor, Darcie Salmon. Salmon ran unopposed, gaining 840 votes, handily trumping the one hundred eight write in votes against him.
“… and bring what I call a POP philosophy to District Five which I believe will definitely benefit the Borough as a whole, and that POP is Progress, Opportunity and Prosperity. And I believe that District Five in its own right can go a long way to providing those three things. A quality, family wage job source, real protection of our individual quality of living by virtue of locating this economic development in areas that are relatively unpopulated now. “
Borough voters approved all three Ballot Propositions by a wide margin, approving a redrawing of Borough district boundaries by 5327 votes over 2126 nays. A 32 point one million dollar transportation bond passed by 4594 votes over 3131against, and a 214 million dollar school capital projects bond passed 4164 to 3624.
Matanuska Susitna Borough school board seats were won by Ole Larson and by incumbent Eric Cordero. Larson ran unopposed for seat D, while Cordero beat Lynette Warhus for seat E with 3898 votes over Warhus’ 2624 votes.
The Borough election results have not yet been certified. Outstanding absentee ballots must be received by the Borough by October 7
In Palmer city elections, Linda Combs and Bradley Hanson scored the two city council seats, Combs with 230 votes and Hanson with 228 votes. Palmer voters also approved a city water utility bond. Palmer questioned and absentee ballots will be counted on Friday.
Wasilla incumbent mayor Verne Rupright defeated three challengers with 453 votes compared to closest challenger Dianne Woodruff’s 284 votes.
Wasilla voters selected Leone Harris for Council seat C and Colleen Sullivan -Leonard for Council seat D.
Wasilla questioned and absentee ballots will be counted on Friday.
APTI Reporter-Producer Ellen Lockyer started her radio career in the late 1980s, after a stint at bush Alaska weekly newspapers, the Copper Valley Views and the Cordova Times. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Valdez Public Radio station KCHU needed a reporter, and Ellen picked up the microphone.
Since then, she has literally traveled the length of the state, from Attu to Eagle and from Barrow to Juneau, covering Alaska stories on the ground for the AK show, Alaska News Nightly, the Alaska Morning News and for Anchorage public radio station, KSKA
elockyer (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8446 | About Ellen
