Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce — who announced last week his intention to run for Alaska governor — has appointed former local radio host Jake Thompson to be his campaign manager, according to a Tuesday press release from Pierce’s campaign.

Thompson, who ran for a seat on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in 2014, is a former host of KSRM’s Tall, Dark and Handsome Show and Sound-off talk-show, according to Peninsula Clarion files. He also served as the station’s operation manager and was a member of Pierce’s campaign team in the borough mayoral race, according to the release.

“Jake is a welcome addition to team Pierce and will be overseeing campaign operations,” Pierce said in the release. “I look forward to his leadership as we move forward.”

Neither Pierce nor Thompson had responded to interview requests by press time.

Pierce is finishing up his second mayoral term, after being elected in 2017 and again in 2020. Due to term limits, he cannot run for the mayor’s seat in 2023.

Last Thursday, Pierce — a Republican — was the latest to file a letter of intent to run for governor.

According to a Saturday press release from his gubernatorial campaign, Pierce “believes that the governor and his administration must serve all Alaskans; Democrat, Republican and independent.”

He said a priority of his administration will be to restore the statutory Alaska Permanent Fund dividend and restructure state government “to be more responsive and less cumbersome.”

Announcements about Pierce’s campaign can be found at charliepierceforgovernor.com or on his Facebook page.

Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.