When voters arrive at polling places on Oct. 1, there will be no official challengers on the ballots for seats for Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly or the city councils of Kenai, Soldotna and Homer.
There will be contested races for the seat representing Kenai on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education, for Homer’s mayor and for the seats on Seward’s City Council.
The candidate filing period closed Thursday, Aug. 15.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly
On the Kenai Peninsula’s Borough Assembly, there are three seats up for election this year, each for three-year terms ending in October 2027.
James Baisden, who has served on the Kenai City Council since 2021, is running unopposed for the the District 1 seat, which represents Kalifornsky. That seat has been held since 2018 by Brent Hibbert. Having served two terms, beginning in 2018 and 2021, Hibbert is not able to run for reelection this year. Borough code prevents a person who has served two consecutive terms on the assembly from being reelected until 180 days have passed since leaving office.
Baisden is a veteran of both the United States Air Force and Alaska Air National Guard and served as the chief of the Nikiski Fire Service Area.
Cindy Ecklund, who has served on the assembly since 2021, is running unopposed for reelection to her District 6 seat representing the eastern peninsula.
Ecklund has also served on the borough and City of Seward planning commissions. She has been a certified municipal clerk, human resource director and continues her 31 years of work as school support staff.
Willy Dunne, who previously served on the assembly from 2015 to 2021, is running unopposed for the District 9 seat representing the southern peninsula. That seat has been held by Mike Tupper, who isn’t running for reelection.
Dunne has worked as a commercial fisher and a park ranger. He’s a long-time fisheries biologist with the State Department of Fish and Game.
Kenai
In Kenai, two city council seats will be filled this fall. Candidates do not run for specific seats, and Kenai voters will instead cast ballots for two of the running candidates. The two candidates who receive the most votes will take the two seats for three-year terms ending in October 2027.
There are only two candidates running for the two seats.
Deborah Sounart, who has served on the council since 2021, is running for reelection. She is a long-time band director and music teacher, including for 26 years at Kenai Central High School and Kenai Middle School.
Sovala Kisena, who currently serves on the Kenai Parks and Recreation Commission, is running for a council seat. He is a risk manager for the Kenai Peninsula Borough and KPBSD and has previously served as a safety manager and technician in the oil and gas industry.
Soldotna
In Soldotna, elections will be held for two spots on the Soldotna City Council. Those are for Seat A, which Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings was appointed to in 2020 and then won in a 2021 election, and Seat C, held by Jordan Chilson since 2018. Both seats are for three-year terms ending October 2027.
Both Farnsworth-Hutchings and Chilson are running unopposed for reelection.
Farnsworth-Hutchings previously served on the state workers compensation board from 2005 to 2017 and the board of nursing in 2018. She’s also an accountant for Hutchings Auto Group, Hutchings Chevrolet and Hutchings Sales & Service.
Chilson is an IT manager for KPBSD, and has worked in IT since 2008. He also serves on the boards of directors for Peninsula Community Health Services and the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce.
Homer
The mayor’s seat and two city council seats are up for grabs this year in Homer.
The city council positions are for three-year terms, while the mayor’s position will be held for a two-year term.
There are two people running to be the next mayor of Homer. Current Mayor Ken Castner told the Homer News earlier this month that he will not be running for reelection.
Instead, the candidates for mayor are Rachel Lord, who’s served on Homer’s City Council since 2017, and Jim Anderson, vice president of the Homer Chamber of Commerce.
Lord, in a candidate bio, says she’ll work toward large projects like the proposed recreation center as well as “a balance of government services that support public safety, transportation, local businesses, and our quality of life.”
Anderson says in his candidate bio that he’s seeking “broader job opportunities, more affordable housing, stronger youth development programs, and intentional, yet responsible, business growth in the Homer area.”
Shelly Erickson, who’s served on Homer’s city council since 2018, and Donna Aderhold, who’s been on the council since 2015, are both running unopposed for reelection to the two open seats.
Seward
Two Seward City Council seats, both for three-year terms expiring in October 2027, will be up for election this year.
The incumbents are Vice Mayor John Osenga and council member Mike Calhoon. Both are seeking reelection, and there are also two challengers in John Howard and Casie Warner. Like Kenai, the top two vote-getters in the pool of four will take the seats.
Calhoon has been on the council since 2021. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and has been a member of the American Legion Post 5’s Board of Directors since 2006. He writes that he wants to “help Seward continue to move forward with growth in both the private and business sectors.”
Osenga has been on the council since 2018 and is a member of the Qutekcak Native Tribe. He lists no other information in his candidate bio.
Howard also lists no information besides that he served on the Port and Commerce Advisory Board between April and May of this year.
Warner is the director of Happy Youth Programs & Educational Resources. She writes that she is committed to the community’s well-being and seeks policies that prioritize year-round residents. That means, she writes, increasing access to “essential services,” promoting affordable housing and “advocating for resources supporting a year-round economy.”
Board of Education
There are three seats on the KPBSD Board of Education to be filled this election, all for three-year terms through October 2027.
Jeanne Reveal and Sarah Douthit both are running for the District 2 seat representing Kenai. That seat has been held since 2018 by Matt Morse.
Reveal’s bio says she has a history in law enforcement, including as a school resource officer. She’s also worked as a paramedic and in a coroner’s office.
She cites “highly performing private and charter schools” in her bio, saying that she is “deeply concerned” with KPBSD’s student performance. Parental involvement, she says, is the answer.
Douthit is the chair of the City of Kenai Beautification Commission and former president of the Mountain View Elementary Parent Teacher Organization. Her professional experience includes “student enrollment specialist” at Kenai Peninsula Driving Instruction and bookkeeping.
She writes that her decision to pursue a seat is “driven by a strong commitment to enhancing our schools.” Social media, bullying and budget shortfalls are all challenges that she cites as facing local students.
“I will be your voice for programs that support academic excellence and the emotional and social well-being of our students,” she writes.
Kelley Cizek, who won election just last year to the District 5 seat representing Sterling — for a one-year term following the resignation of Jennifer Waller — is running unopposed for reelection to a standard three-year term. She lists professional experience including office administration for Cook Inlet Academy and accounting with the Municipality of Anchorage Health Department.
Tim Daugharty, who has held the District 8 seat representing Homer since 2021, is running unopposed for reelection. He describes an education career of more than 30 years, including 27 as a KPBSD instructor.
More information about all of these races and candidates can be found at kpb.us, kenai.city, soldotna.org or cityofseward.us. The regular election will be held Oct. 1.
This story was edited on Tuesday, Aug. 27 to correct the details of Assembly Member Cindy Ecklund’s previous work experience.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
