Pete Sprague is the new mayor of Soldotna, according to unofficial election results from the city of Soldotna.

Both Sprague and Charlene Tautfest were running in the city’s special election to fill the mayor’s seat, which was left vacant after the Sept. 10 death of Mayor John Nels Anderson.

“I’m very pleased with the results,” Sprague said Tuesday night. “I think experience was a big factor.”

Tautfest sent her congratulations to Sprague Tuesday night, and said the city is in great hands.

“This was a learning experience,” Tautfest said. “It was my first time doing anything like this. I wanted to see what the process was all about.”

Sprague said he was disappointed in the turnout. A little more than 200 people showed up to the polls Tuesday.

Sprague garnered 155 votes, and 66 were cast for Tautfest, with one write-in vote. Absentee ballots have yet to be counted.

“It’s a tough time of year for a special election,” Sprague said.

Sprague said he hopes to see Tautfest stay active in local government.

“She was a good candidate,” he said. “She’s motivated.”

This will be Sprague’s second term as mayor. He served the city before in 2015 through 2017. Sprague also served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly from 1998 to 2010, on the Soldotna City Council from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2015.

Sprague will serve the city until the next regular election in October 2020, which is when Anderson’s term as mayor would have ended. In the October 2020 election there will be another mayoral race.

Charlene Tautfest, who is running to be the mayor of Soldotna, is seen here at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna on Dec. 4, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)