Candidates for office in the City of Soldotna will help kick off the first in a series of eight municipal election candidate forums hosted by the Peninsula Clarion and KDLL 91.9 FM on Monday at 6 p.m. in the Soldotna Public Library.
Three city council candidates and one mayor candidate will join Clarion government and education reporter Ashlyn O’Hara and KDLL reporter Riley Board along with the Central Peninsula League of Women Voters to share their thoughts about issues facing the city.
Confirmed attendees for Monday’s forum include incumbent candidates Mayor Paul Whitney and council member Chera Wackler, who are both running unopposed in their respective races. Council member Dan Nelson, who is running for reelection to Seat B on the council, and challenger Garrett Dominick will also participate.
This year’s forums will be held on Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m., Sept. 4 through Sept. 28 at community libraries around the Kenai Peninsula. This year, the Clarion and KDLL are going on the road, taking two forums to Homer and another to Seward.
Forums in Soldotna will be held at the Soldotna Public Library, while forums in Homer will be held at the Homer Public Library. The Kenai Community Library and the Seward Community Library will each host one forum.
Races covered by this year’s candidate forum series will include Soldotna City Council, Kenai City Council, Homer City Council and Seward City Council.
That’s in addition to seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. Due to the number of candidates running, two forums will be held for borough assembly races and two forums will be held for school board races.
The first assembly forum, to be held in Soldotna, will include candidates for the Kenai, Central and Sterling seats. The second assembly forum, to be held in Homer, will feature candidates running for the Homer seat, as well as mayoral candidate Peter Micciche, who is running unopposed for reelection.
Similarly, two school board forums will be held, both in Soldotna. The first will include candidates running for the board’s Nikiski and Soldotna seats, while the second will feature candidates running for the Central and Sterling seats.
Questions asked during candidate forums will come from the Clarion and KDLL, as well as from members of the public who submit questions in advance. Questions can be emailed to info@kdll.org.
More information about KDLL and the Peninsula Clarion’s 2023 Candidate Forum Series can be found online at kdll.org or at peninsulaclarion.com.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
