And the winner is——–Vern Halter.
The final vote tally Monday afternoon in the Matanuska Susitana Borough mayor’s race indicates that Vern Halter is the Borough’s new mayor. Halter drew 5,422 votes compared with incumbent DeVilbiss’s 4,971.
A special Review Team counted the absentee and questioned ballots today. On election evening, fewer than 200 votes separated the two front running mayoral candidates. A third candidate, Rosemary Vavrin, gained 407 votes as of Monday’s final count.
The Borough’s closely contested District 7 race now goes to Randall Kowalke. Kowalke finished with 979 votes compared to challenger Doyle Holmes’ 946 votes.
Election results remain unofficial until they are certified Tuesday night at 5 pm before the regular Borough Assembly meeting.
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
