LIVE BLOG: Local election results on marijuana, taxes and plenty of races

It’s 10:18 p.m. and polls are closed throughout the state in plenty of non-Anchorage local elections. The big issues on tonight’s ballots are a raft of voter initiatives attempting to ban the commercial marijuana industry that first opened stores late last year and a slew of propositions that aim to increase revenues in the face of state budget cuts.

We’ll be following along, attempting to bring all state-wide results into one place. Check back for regular updates, or follow your Midnight Sun editor (with a knee busted a few days into vacation) on Twitter: @mattbuxton and @Midnight_Sun_Ak.

Anecdotally, we’ve seen reports about high turnout throughout the state, but it’s not hard to beat recent years that have had pretty pitiful turnout in local races.

For a run down on some of the interesting races and issues on this year’s ballot, check out last week’s Friday in the Sun.

 

Fairbanks North Star Borough (82.5 percent of precincts reporting)

Proposition 1: Ban commercial Marijuana (13,56 votes counted)

Yes: 30.83 percent – No: 69.17 percent

Borough Assembly Seat D (13,562 votes counted)

• Christopher Quist: 54.44 percent
• Hank Bartos: 43.99 percent

Borough Assembly Seat E (12,346 votes counted)

• Jo Ann Borges – 12.00 percent
• Ryan Smith – 24.10 percent
• Jerry McBeath – 21.42 percent
• Samuel McKeirnan – 5.87 percent
• Angela M. Major – 34.75 percent

Borough Assembly Seat H (12,648 votes counted)

• Aaron Lojewski – 40.01 percent
• Charles Kesler Woodward – 9.20 percent
• Leah Berman Williams – 37.78 percent
• Robert Shields – 11.35 percent

>Everything else

Fairbanks (83.3 percent of precincts reporting)

Proposition A: Ban commercial marijuana (2,901 votes counted) 

Yes: 30.40 percent – No: 69.60 percent

Proposition B: Property tax hike (1,379 votes counted)

Yes: 44.59 percent – No: 55.41 percent

>Everything else

Kenai Peninsula Borough (96.55 percent of precincts reporting)

Borough Mayor (11,594 votes counted)

• Charlie Pierce – 39.28 percent
• Linda Hutchings – 31.06 percent
• Dale Bagley- 28.75 percent

With no candidate winning a majority of the vote, this race will go to a runoff on Oct. 24 between Pierce and Hutchings. (For what it’s worth, word is Bagley’s politics are similar to Hutchings.)

Proposition 1: Prohibit Marijuana (6174 votes)

• Yes: 35.98 percent
• No: 64.02 percent

Everything else

Soldotna

Seward

Homer

Kodiak

Latest results. pic.twitter.com/Y0gdNJ5Zcm

— Kodiak Daily Mirror (@kodiakmirror) October 4, 2017

Juneau (13 of 13 precincts reporting)

Proposition 1: Extend 1 percent sales tax for five years (5,286 votes counted)

The initiative would extend the temporary 1 percent Juneau sales tax for five years. Juneau has a 1 percent permanent sales tax and a temporary 3 percent sales tax, which expires on July 1, 2022.

Yes: 76.7 percent – No: 23.2 percent

District 1 Assembly

• Loretto Jones – 4.3 percent
• Jesse Kiehl – 66.9 percent 
• Chuck Collins – 28.7 percent

District 2 Assembly

• Debbie White – 39.6 percent
• Robert “Rob” Edwardson – 60.3 percent

School Board (Top two win)

• Jeff Short – 34.1 percent
• Brian Holst – 45.6 percent
• Kevin Allen – 20.1 percent

Ketchikan

2017 Ketchikan Municipal Election: Propositions.
Boro Prop. 1 (Special Marijuana tax): Approved.
KTN City Prop. 1 (Rideshare ban): Failed

— Ketchikan Daily News (@KDNNews) October 4, 2017

 

Skagway

Mat-Su (All precincts but absentee counted)

Proposition B-1

Would institute a three percent sales tax in the Talkeetna sewer and water service area.

Yes: 42 votes – No: 30 votes

Assembly District 4

• Patricia M. “Pat” Hogan – 281
• Ted J. Leonard – 481

Assembly District 5

• James D. “Dan” Mayfield – 588
• Clayton E. Tew -608

School Board District 6

• Emery M. Schramm – 218
• Kelsey R. Trimmer – 322

Palmer

City Council (Top two win seats.)

• Linda A. Combs – 27.66 percent
• Sabrena K. Combs – 36.52 percent
• Brad Hanson – 44.15 percent
• Kenni M. “Psenak” Linden – 35.11 percent

Wasilla (Three of three precincts counted)

Proposition W-1 

Increases sales tax from 2 percent to 3 percent effective Jan. 1, 2018. The increase would run for a two years or until $12 million is collected, whichever is first. After $12 million is raised, the rate would be reduced to 2.5 percent. The fees will be used for a new Wasilla Police Department.

Yes: 58.2 percent – No: 41.8 percent

Mayor (614 votes counted) 

• Kevin S. Baker – 17.6 percent
• Bert L. Cottle – 70.4 percent
• Loren Means – 11.4 percent