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Little interest (yet) for local races

Jeremy Hsieh / KTOO

As candidate deadlines loom (or have passed), it seems so far only incumbents have asked to have their names on the ballots for the Oct. 4 municipal elections.

Most of the political excitement this fall will be centered around the November general election, but there are quite a few council, assembly, and school board seats up for dibs in October. KDLG’s Dave Bendinger breaks down the area municipal elections.

Audio transcript: What’s most important this week are the approaching candidate filing deadlines: it’s Friday September 2 in the Bristol Bay Borough, and it’s Tuesday September 6 for the city of Dillingham.

The Lake and Peninsula Borough filing deadline passed over the weekend, as there election business is handled through the mail.

In the Bristol Bay Borough, two school board seats and two assembly seats are up this fall. KDLG News has not been able to confirm if incumbents Laura Zimin and Randy Robertson are running for reelection, but the Borough office said no candidates have yet filed.

In Dillingham, the October election will determine two council seats and one seat on the school board. Incumbent Chris Maines has filed to run for reelection, and so far has no challengers. Holly Johnson says she will not be running for reelection, and as of Monday no candidates had filed to run for that seat. No one has yet filed to run for the school board currently held by Tonya O'Connor.

In the Lake and Peninsula Borough, two assembly seats and two school boards seats are up for election, and the incumbents are all running unchallenged for reelection. Scott Anderson from Port Heiden and Michelle Ravenmoon from Pope Vannoy Landing will stand again for spots on the assembly, and Stacy Hill from Igiugig and Austin Shangin from Perrville will do the same for the school board. Past ballot initiatives like the contentious "Save Our Salmon" have split Lake and Pen voters and gone on to lengthy, costly court battles. But this cycle, no petitions were filed and no ballot initiatives will be decided by the borough voters.

Municipal elections are scheduled for October 4, and the deadline to register to vote is 30 days prior, which is Sunday September 4.

The city and borough clerks have more information about the elections, including how to file for a write-in candidacy if the deadline to be on the ballot has passed.

Reach the author at dave@kdlg.org or 907-842-5281.