It’s the final day to vote in the special election for Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor — and the last day each of the four candidates has to make the case for why they’re the best fit for the borough’s top job.
Despite the cold and blustery weather Tuesday, Peter Micciche spent the afternoon at the Y in Soldotna, holding a sign and waving at cars from the street corners. Drivers honked their horns as they passed.
“People have been really receptive today. I’ve only had three thumbs down and no middle fingers, so I’ll take that as a positive sign,” he said, laughing.
Micciche is one of four official candidates in the race for Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor. Today is election day, but if no one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the election will move to a runoff on March 7.
“What sign waving is about is about — I don’t know how many votes you win, but it reminds people to get out and vote,” he said. “This is an important election, it’s on Valentines Day, it’s just kind of a strange time to have an election.”
Micciche, the former president of the Alaska State Senate, said he’s out waving to prove to the public that he’s willing to put in the work no matter what, and he hopes voters see that he’ll turn out, even in bad weather.
Candidate Dave Carey said he chose to do his campaigning inside this morning, visiting businesses, making calls and going to church. He said his experience on the campaign trail has been positive.
“I am pleased with all the focus on a good election, on a discussion of issues, and however and whoever we move forward with, it’s gonna be good for the Kenai Peninsula Borough,” Carey said.
Carey served as borough mayor from 2008 to 2011. He’s relying on name recognition, rather than advertising, to spread his message. He said his biggest concern is funding the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.
“The amount of signs I put up I don’t think was going to influence that in any way whatsoever, or putting ads in the paper,” he said. “And again, I’ve been here for 61 years, people know who I am.”
Carey said his hope for this election was a positive, civic election, and that his experience has been just that.
Candidate Zach Hamilton didn’t have as much name recognition going into the race. Hamilton has lived in the borough for two years and co-owns Brothers Cafe in Kenai.
But he said he’s spent the last two months meeting with local leaders and residents and soaking up as much as possible.
“Just hearing from others and being able to just learn from my neighbors and from people who have been living here for many years,” he said. “It was an accelerated progress, really catching me up to speed on our borough.”
Hamilton said he’s tried to run a positive race and to encourage other candidates to do the same. Today, he spent the morning at his cafe, talking to customers and voters.
“Then I put a different hat on and shifted to dad duties and just been taking care of my boys the rest of the day today,” he said. “We homeschool ‘em. So I spend quite a bit of time with ’em.
Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings is also running for the seat.
She was too under the weather today to campaign. But she said she’s had a great campaign season, so far.
“I can describe it as ‘fast and furious,’” she said. “I think it has been extremely enjoyable."
Farnsworth-Hutchings is a member of the Soldotna City Council and accountant for Hutchings Auto Group. She ran against former Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce for the mayoral seat twice.
She said the campaign season has been a good opportunity to talk to voters about municipal government
“I’m proud of the fact that a lot of people got to hear a lot of different aspects of what our borough does,” she said. “So many times, you know, they don’t understand all the nuances. And I think that was what was good.”
Farnsworth-Hutchings and Micciche both raised thousands ahead of the race, according to financial disclosure reports with the state. They chose to spend funds on signs, digital and radio ads and, in Micciche’s case, Valentine’s Day-themed chocolate bars.
Farnsworth-Hutchings raised over $17,250 from peninsula donors, as well as lawmakers like Anchorage Sens. Natasha Von Imhof and Cathy Giessel and former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker. Farnsworth-Hutchings hired strategic firm Winfluence to place digital and marketing ads, according to her disclosure reports.
Micciche raised more than $39,000 from donors across the peninsula, as well as from Homer Republican Rep. Sarah Vance, Fairbanks Sen. Clark Bishop and organizations including the Alaska Public Employees Association. He refunded a $1,000 donation from John Hendrix, who owns HEX, citing on his forms the oil and gas company’s ongoing legal dispute with the State of Alaska and Kenai Peninsula Borough over a property tax assessment in Cook Inlet. “Thankful of John's support,but could cause the perception of a conflict (although KPB legal finds no direct actual conflict)” the disclosure report said.
Robert Wall, of Sterling, who’s running as a write-in candidate, reported $5,920 in income, including a $500 donation from the Republican Women of the Kenai. Carey and Hamilton both said they’re not raising outside funds for their campaigns.
Despite the wide base of interest from donors on and off the peninsula, turnout has been somewhat slow at the polls, Kenai Precinct 1 Chair Carol Freas said around 4 p.m. today.
Freas thinks the timing of the special election makes a difference. She said a lot of Kenai Peninsula voters are out of state.
“A lot of people are gone this time of the year. But I know the borough clerk’s office has had a lot of mail-out requests, too,” she said. “So hopefully it’ll be a good show, in the end.”
She said the stormy weather also could have contributed. But she said at least the poll workers at her location had a plate of cupcakes delivered by the borough clerk’s office for Valentine's Day.
Polls close at 8 tonight, borough-wide. We’ll update our website with results as they're posted by the borough.
