The ballots have been counted and --- unofficially --- Dillingham voters re-elected Alice Ruby to serve as mayor.
Dillingham voters re-elected Alice Ruby to serve another term as mayor, according to unofficial results available Tuesday night.
Ruby, who has served as mayor since 2006, garnered 290 votes, followed by Johnson at 115, Tracy Hightower at 41 and Dave Gladden with eight. That was the city’s only contested race.
Ruby said she thought Tuesday’s vote indicated that voters think the city is headed in the right direction.
“Well, I think it means that what we’ve been working towards, is something that the majority of the people have appreciated and we’ll continue to keep working hard,” Ruby said. “I think it also means that they see a hard working council and they want us to keep working.”
Ruby has served as mayor since 2006.
Challenger Holly Johnson said after the results came out that she’ll continue to serve on the city council, and will focus on holding the city accountable for its finances.
“That is going to be a main focus for me, making sure that there’s accountability and responsibility over at the city, at all levels,” Johnson said Tuesday night after the results came out. She has been on the council since 2013.
In the city council election, Curt Armstrong was re-elected to serve the two years remaining in his term with 409 votes; Paul Liedberg was re-elected for a three-year term with 360 votes; and newcomer Andy Anderson received 391 votes.
Current school board vice-president Patty Luckhurst was also re-elected, with 417 votes. The school board will have one new face – Cory Evans, who took 23 votes as a write-in candidate after Kim Williams decided not to run for re-election, and no one else filed to run in her place. Both will serve for three years.
The election results are unofficial and will be certified at a special council meeting Oct. 15, when the city council members will be sworn in.
Ruby said she was also glad to see that people had turned out to vote.
“It’s just such an important privilege, and I’m just really happy that people exercised that privilege,” Ruby said.
Tuesday’s results were unofficial. The city’s canvassing committee will meet Oct. 8 to count eligible absentee and questioned ballots. The City Council will certify the results at a special meeting Oct. 15, and city council members will be sworn into office at that meeting.
Bristol Bay Borough voters also cast ballots on Tuesday, electing two school board members and two assembly members. The Lake and Peninsula Borough election was held by mail, and results were not available Tuesday night.
