With the candidate filing period now closed for all Kenai Peninsula Borough and Municipal elections, the candidates have officially been set for the upcoming October elections. And, in a surprising display of free passes, nine out of the ten local races will be largely ceremonious, with only one candidate running.
In Soldotna, two city council seats are up for election. Neither seat is contested. Council Seat A holder Linda Hutchings and Seat C holder Jordan Chilson will both run uncontested.
The city of Kenai is poised to elect two members to the City Council. The incumbent council members on the ballot are James Baisen and Deborah Sounart. Baisden will not be seeking reelection, as he is running for a vacant seat on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. Sounart will seek to renew her seat on the council, and she will be joined by newcomer Sovala Kisena. With voters seeking to fill only the two seats, both Sounart and Kisena will be running uncontested.
In the races for the Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly, there are three open seats. Cindy Ecklund’s term has ended, but she will run opposed in her bid for reelection. Mike Tupper from District 9 has opted not to run for reelection, and Willy Dunne from Fritz Creek, who was on the Assembly from 2015-2021, will run, uncontested, for the open seat. From District 1, Brent Hibbert has reached his term limit and cannot run again. In his place, James Baisden, former Kenai City Council Vice Mayor, will seek to fill Hibbert’s assembly seat.
There are three Board of Education seats up for election, though only one race will feature more than one candidate. Jeanne Reveal and Sarah Douthit will vy for the District 2 seat in this year’s lone contested local election. Kelley Cizek will run uncontested in District 5, and Tim Daugharty will run uncontested in District 8.
Fourteen Kenai Peninsula Borough Service Area Board seats will also appear on the ballot.
Borough and Municipal Election Day is Tuesday, October 1. Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
