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Four file for borough mayor special election

Assembly chambers _ Poux
Sabine Poux
/
KDLL
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approved a Feb. 14, 2023 special election date, with the potential for a March 7 runoff.

Wednesday was the last day for candidates to file for the special election for Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor, to fill out the remainder of former Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce’s second term.

And as of Wednesday evening, four candidates were listed on the borough website.

Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings has thrown her hat in the ring for the seat. Farnsworth-Hutchings is a member of the Soldotna City Council and accountant for Hutchings Auto Group. She ran against Pierce for the seat twice.

Soldotna Republican State Sen. Peter Micciche has filed to run. Micciche previously served as mayor of the City of Soldotna and is currently president of the Alaska Senate.

Zachary Hamilton has also filed. According to his website, Hamilton is an Air Force Veteran and two-year borough resident, by way of South Dakota, Texas and Michigan. He co-owns and operates Brothers’ Cafe in Kenai.

And former mayor Dave Carey is running for the seat. Carey, a retired teacher, sits on the Soldotna City Council and was borough mayor from 2008 to 2011.

The borough is holding a special election for the mayoral seat on Feb. 14. The winner of that election will fill the remainder of Pierce’s term in office, through October 2023. Interim Mayor Mike Navarre is currently holding that seat, though he’s said he does not plan to run in the special.

Borough code requires a candidate to get 50% of the vote, plus one, to win. If one candidate doesn’t get that majority, the election will go to a March 7 run-off.

This article has been corrected to reflect that Sen. Micciche is president of the Alaska Senate until the new State Senate is sworn in.

Sabine Poux is a producer and reporter for the Brave Little State podcast of Vermont Public. She was formerly news director and evening news host at KDLL in Kenai.

Originally from New York, Sabine has lived and reported in Argentina and Vermont and Kenai.
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