Electricity, tourism define Seward mayoral candidate forum

Incumbent Seward Mayor Sue McClure and challengers Tim McDonald and Leighton Radner sat to discuss their visions for the city at a forum moderated by the Clarion, The Seward Folly and KBBI AM 890 at the Seward Community Library last week.

McClure has served as Seward’s mayor since 2022, following tenures served both on the Seward City Council and as Seward’s representative on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. She introduced herself, during the forum on Sept. 11, as an experienced candidate with deep investment in Seward.

“I passionately and seriously take this job to heart,” she said. “I’m there for people … I have no agenda other than continuing the progress Seward’s been making since I’ve been on. I think we’re in a good place.”

McDonald said that he, like McClure, was born and raised in Seward. He wants to see more done to support local industry, like commercial fishing, and less impact on the city from tourism. He said many important Seward businesses have closed in recent years and “basically we’re almost a ghost town in the winter.”

Radner is a lifelong Alaskan who moved to Seward nearly a decade ago. He has a background working in Seward restaurants and hospitality, and said he’s interested in history and economics.

McClure said she has more work to do as Seward’s mayor. She pointed to major ongoing projects like the reconstruction of Seward’s cruise ship terminal, a reimbursement program to encourage local development, and planned construction of a new playground.

“I have a few irons in the fire that I haven’t finished yet,” she said.

McDonald said he was focused on cruise ships and the city’s electric utility. Cruise ships, he said, “are a mixed blessing” that need to be managed — specifically to avoid massive vessels from impacting Resurrection Bay.

“Things are not being done for the people of Seward,” he said. “They’re being done for the large entities that are here for profit. That’s not illegal, that’s OK, but you have to pay attention to the quality of life of the citizens.”

Radner, similarly, said he worries that Seward is becoming too much of a tourism-centric community.

Seward’s electric utility was a major topic on Thursday. The utility in 2023 was nearly sold to Homer Electric Association and since has seen rising rates as the city has worked to modernize equipment.

The utility, McClure said, “is better off than it’s ever been.” She said that a newly contracted manager and investments in failing infrastructure has brought Seward Electric onto more firm footing, and that major projects like hydroelectric development on Mount Marathon and grant funding already received for electric infrastructure investment at the cruise terminal.

Residents need rate relief, McDonald said, as the utility is generating profit that could be redirected toward lowering costs for users.

“We don’t want anybody taking profits on it,” he said. “This is something that’s right up there with food, water and air.”

Radner said he supported continued local management of the utility, also that the city should have been exploring more ways to generate power sooner.

Electricity, Radner said, was a top issue, but he also said he’d like to see Seward reopen its jail, which previously was held within the lower levels of Seward City Hall.

McClure responded and said that she’d voted in favor of closing the jail because of the high costs of necessary renovations to the facility — though said if people in Seward wanted to restore the jail she would support having a new discussion about it.

A full recording of the forum can be streamed on the Clarion’s Facebook page or on KBBI’s website at kbbi.org.

Next week, forums will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 24, in Homer with candidates for Homer City Council, and on Thursday, Sept. 25, with candidates for the central and Nikiski seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly.

Election day is Oct. 7.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.