The candidate filing period for people interested in running for seats open in the Oct. 5 municipal election closed Monday, Aug. 17. Multiple seats will be up for grabs across the Kenai, Soldotna and Seward city councils, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education.
Kenai
Five candidates are vying for the Kenai City Council’s two open seats this fall. The two seats to be filled are currently held by Victoria Askin, who was appointed to the council last year, and Kenai Vice Mayor Bob Molloy, who said earlier this year that he would not be running for reelection. The candidates for Kenai City Council who will appear on the ballot this October are Victoria Askin, James Baisden, Alexander Douthit, James Duffield and Deborah Sounart.
Askin currently serves on the Kenai City Council and previously served on the city’s planning and zoning and harbor commissions. She has professional experience with Cook Inlet Spill & Prevention Inc., Marathon Oil Company and Hilcorp Alaska LLC. Askin said that the council has faced challenges since she was appointed in December 2020, but that she is proud of how Kenai has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Baisden previously served as Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce’s chief of staff, is a U.S. Air Force veteran and also served in the Alaska National Guard. He described himself as “fiscally conservative” in his candidate statement and said he opposes mandatory masking and vaccines and is supportive of term limits and small government.
Douthit is a graduate of Kenai Central High School and Kenai Peninsula College and currently serves on the City of Kenai’s Planning and Zoning Commission. He owns and operates Kenai Peninsula Driving Instruction with his wife, Sarah, and says he would like to see the city’s business district grow.
Duffield holds a Bachelor of Science from West Virginia University and works as an accountant. In his candidate statement, Duffield describes Kenai as a place trying to balance “fierce independence with the economic demands” of the world. Duffield said he is running for city council to keep government small and because he opposes government mandates.
Sounart is a former director of Kenai Central High School and Kenai Middle School’s concert bands and drumline, which she said in her candidate statement allowed her to connect with members of the community. She describes herself as a conservative who supported Donald Trump, opposes vaccine mandates and the “laundering” of COVID relief funds and wants to see Kenai “come alive.”
Soldotna
Three seats are up for grabs on the Soldotna City Council: Seat A, currently held by Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings; Seat B, currently held by Erick Hugarte; and Seat C, currently held by Jordan Chilson. Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings, who was appointed to her seat last year, is the only person who filed to run for Seat A. Erick Hugarte and Dan Nelson filed to run for Seat B. Jordan Chilson and Micah Shields filed to run for Seat C.
Chilson currently holds Seat C on the council and works as a programmer and analyst for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. He holds a Master of Public Administration in municipal governance and a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems and previously served on the city’s planning and zoning commission and parks and recreation advisory board.
Farnsworth-Hutchings was appointed to the city council in December 2020 and works as an accountant. She previously served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and on the State of Alaska’s Workers Compensation Board. Farnsworth-Hutchings said in her candidate’s statement that she works well with other council members and that she thinks the city has done a “tremendous job” of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hugarte was appointed to the city council earlier this year after former council member Pamela Parker moved outside city limits. He holds a GED from Kenai Peninsula College and formerly served on the city’s planning and zoning commission and the parks and recreation advisory board. He is originally from El Paso, Texas, and has lived in Soldotna since 2009.
Nelson is a former emergency and program manager for the Kenai Peninsula Borough, where he worked for 13 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science in information technology and a Master of Science in emergency services management, and previously served on the city’s planning and zoning commission.
Shields is the owner of Small Town Coffee Roasters, Inc. and Narrow Road Productions and has lived in Alaska for his entire life. In seeking a seat on the council, Shields said he hopes to contribute to the city in a way that protects the interests of individuals while allowing the community to grow.
Seward
Four people have filed to run for two vacancies on the Seward City Council. The two seats to be filled are currently held by John Osenga, who is running for reelection, and Sharyl Seese, who is not running for reelection. The candidates for Seward City Council who will appear on the ballot this October are Michael Calhoon, John Osenga, Leighton Radner and Randy Wells.
Candidate profiles for Seward City Council members were obtained by the Clarion via a public records request.
Calhoon is an Army veteran and has lived in Alaska for 45 years. He describes himself as “community minded and service oriented” and previously served on the city council between 2000 and 2002 and on the planning and zoning commission. Calhoon also serves on the board of directors for the American Legion Post 5 and He Will Provide food pantry.
Osenga currently serves on the Seward City Council, where he’s held a seat since 2018. He has lived in Alaska for 56 years and is also council president and a council member of the Qutekcak Native Tribe. Osenga works in building maintenance and has four children with his wife, Dawn.
Radner has lived in Alaska for 21 years and is a high school graduate. In seeking a seat on the city council, Radner said the city needs leadership that “understands the people of Seward value liberty not lockdowns.” Radner has experience working at libertarian events.
Wells holds an associate degree in business and owns The Tufted Puffin — a cannabis dispensary — with his wife, Jennifer, and also has experience in commercial fishing and commercial property management. He describes himself as a “team player” and says he will stand up for what he believes is in the best interest of Seward residents.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly
Three borough districts will be on the Oct. 5 ballot this year: District 1 – Kalifornsky; District 6 – East Peninsula; and District 9 – South Peninsula. The only person running for the Kalifornsky seat is Brent Hibbert, who currently holds the seat and serves as assembly president. Kenn Carpenter, who currently holds the East Peninsula seat, will run against Cindy Ecklund. Ashton Callahan, Dawson Slaughter and Mike Tupper are all vying for assembly’s South Peninsula seat, which is currently held by Willy Dunne.
Callahan is a former commercial salmon fisherman and full-time general contractor in the Homer area. He is a high school graduate who is developing a homestead with his wife, Amanda, and their three children in Fritz Creek. In seeking a seat on the assembly, Callahan said he hopes to focus on prioritizing economic stability and decreasing property tax burdens, among other things.
Carpenter currently holds the assembly’s East Peninsula seat and has served on the assembly for five years, including as chair of the assembly’s lands committee. He works for the State of Alaska at the Alaska Vocational Technical Center and lives in Seward with his wife, Linda. In pursuing a seat on the council, Carpenter says he hopes to support responsible funding for borough education, roads, Central Peninsula Hospital and economic development.
Ecklund is a retired teacher who has lived in Seward since 1979. She holds an associate arts degree in humanities and has more than 30 years of experience working in Kenai Peninsula Borough schools. Ecklund currently serves on the borough planning commission and on the City of Seward’s planning and zoning commission.
Hibbert currently holds the assembly’s Kalifornsky seat and serves as assembly president. He is the owner and president of Alaska Cab, Inc. and owns The Brew coffee shop. He has represented Kalifornsky on the assembly since 2017 and served as chair of the assembly finance committee from 2017 to 2019. Hibbert will run unopposed for reelection in October.
Slaughter lives in Anchor Point and is a business owner currently working toward receiving a real estate license. He has also served on the Anchor Point Fire and EMS Service Board for the last six years and cited experience with the borough’s budget process in his statement of candidacy. Slaughter describes himself as a “conservative” who wants to put people ahead of political parties.
Tupper lives in Anchor Point and formerly served as a medic with the U.S. Army, as part of which he did a tour in Iraq in 2005. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Alaska Anchorage and currently works at South Peninsula Hospital. In seeking a seat on the council, Tupper said he believes in a strong local community.
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education
Three seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education will be up for grabs this fall in Kenai, Sterling/Funny River and Homer. Matt Morse will run unopposed for reelection to Kenai’s seat. Benjamin Miller and Jennifer Waller will run against each other for the Sterling/Funny River seat. Britny Bradshaw and Tim Daugharty will run against each other for the Homer seat.
Bradshaw is a mom of four and has lived in Alaska since 2011. In seeking a seat on the school board, Bradshaw says she hopes to bring her passion for “healthy families and schools” by keeping the board’s focus on purposeful and positive education. She has experience volunteering in her kids’ classrooms, on the PTA and on booster clubs and works in reception at South Peninsula Hospital.
Daugharty is a dad of two and a former teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science in wildland management and a Master of Arts in education leadership and said in his candidate statement that he will always be guided by what is best for students. In seeking a seat on the school board, Daugharty said he hopes to unify different groups and instill trust in the district.
Miller is a graduate of Homer High School and dad of two who works as a refinery operator at Marathon Petroleum. In seeking a seat on the school board, Miller cited his belief that the 2020-2021 school year was a “great disservice” to students. He describes himself as “fiscally conservative” with “traditional republican values” and said he would work to “preserve” parent choice in schools.
Morse has represented Kenai on the Board of Education since 2018 and is a business owner. He holds a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences and has three adult children. Morse emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility in government. Morse will run unopposed for reelection in October.
Waller is a mom of three and works as the director of Freedom House in Soldotna. Waller described herself as a “team player” and said that in seeking a seat on the school board, she hopes to bring community feedback and concerns to meetings for discussion and consideration.
More information on each candidate can be found on the municipalities’ respective websites.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
