Snow clings to a sign marking a polling place at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Snow clings to a sign marking a polling place at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Candidates finalized for municipal election

Election season is underway in earnest on the Kenai Peninsula now, with the candidate names finalized for the regular municipal election in October and the state primary less than a week away.

Candidate registrations closed for local government seats in Kenai, Soldotna, the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on Wednesday afternoon. Only four races will be contested, with many seats only receiving one candidate registration. The local government seats will be decided in the election Oct. 2.

Kenai Peninsula Borough

The Kenai Peninsula Borough has three open seats of its nine-seat assembly this year as well as a number of service area board positions. On the assembly, two incumbents — Brent Hibbert of Soldotna and Kenn Carpenter of Seward — both filed for reelection as the sole candidates. A third incumbent, Willy Dunne of Homer, filed for reelection and will face Troy Jones of Homer in the Oct. 2 election for the seat representing District 9, a large district including areas from Anchor Point to Port Graham.

Some of the open service area board seats did not receive any applicants — which has been a chronic problem for the service area boards — and most of those that did have only a single candidate. A single seat, Seat F on the Nikiski Fire Service Area Board, has two candidates — Todd Paxton and Peter Ribbens.

The winning candidates on both the assembly and service area boards will each serve three-year terms. More information on the assembly candidates is available on the borough’s website.

Board of Education

Three seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Board of Education will be up for grabs in the upcoming election. One incumbent, Mike Illg of Homer, will go into the election unchallenged. Voters in the Kenai area will choose between incumbent Tim Navarre and challenger Matthew Morse to represent District 2 on the board.

Seward, Sterling and Funny River voters will have a choice of four candidates for their area’s seat on the board: Nissa Fowler, Greg Madden, Karyn Griffin or incumbent Marty Anderson. More information was not available on the candidate on the borough’s website on Wednesday night.

The winning candidates will each serve a three-year term on the board.

Kenai

Three candidates will compete for Kenai’s two open council seats. Council members in Kenai are elected at large, with the two top candidates claiming the open seats. Voters will choose from among incumbent Bob Molloy and newcomers Teea Winger and Robert Peterkin II.

The two winning candidates will serve three-year terms on the council. More information on each candidate is available on Kenai’s website.

Soldotna

Soldotna’s city council, with three open seats, will neatly fill each of them with one candidate without a contest. Two incumbents, Paul Whitney and Justin Ruffridge, each filed to retain his seat. A third, Jordan Chilson, filed for the third seat with no other candidates.

Whitney and Chilson filed for seats A and C respectively, both three-year terms. Ruffridge, who was appointed this year to fill a seat vacated by former council member Keith Baxter, filed for Seat F, a two-year term.

More information on each candidate is available on Soldotna’s website.

Reach Elizabeth Earl at eearl@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Josiah Kelly, right, appears for a superior court arraignment at the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchor Point man accepts plea deal for November shootings

Buildings operated by a local health clinic and an addiction recovery nonprofit were targeted.

A demonstrator holds up a sign during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at WKFL Park in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer hits the streets to say ‘No Kings’

Around 700 gathered locally as part of a nationwide protest.

Brooklyn Coleman, right, staffs The Squeeze Squad lemonade stand during Lemonade Day in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kids learn business skills at annual Lemonade Day

Around 40 stands were strewn around Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski and Sterling for the event.

Planes are showcased at the Kenai Air Fair in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai fair shows off aircraft of all kinds

Cargo planes to helicopters were on display Saturday.

David Meyer. Photo courtesy of Chantrelle Meyer
Volunteers continue search for missing Happy Valley man

David Meyer was reported missing June 11 while kayaking in Cook Inlet.

Boats at Douglas Harbor under mostly clear skies on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
80°F in Juneau will trigger first-ever National Weather Service heat advisories

Officials say sun’s angle in Alaska makes temperatures feel higher compared to other states.

People carrying flags and signs line the Sterling Highway for a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds

The nationwide protest came the same day as a military parade organized at the behest of the Trump administration.

Council member Jordan Chilson speaks during a Soldotna City Council work session in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna council mulls change to meeting time

Meetings would be moved from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. under a resolution set to be considered on June 25.

Mountain View Elementary School is photographed on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View vandalized by children, police say

Staff who arrived at the school on Monday found significant damage, according to police.

Most Read