Elections

Retired commercial pilot Dave Bronson is ahead by 627 votes in the runoff race for Anchorage mayor against East Anchorage Assembly member Forrest Dunbar. That’s according to updated election results posted Thursday afternoon. The margin between the two candidates is still less than 1 percent, but it has widened since Wednesday, when Bronson was up by less than 300 votes.

Retired commercial pilot Dave Bronson took a slim lead in the runoff election for Anchorage mayor on Wednesday. With about 76,000 votes counted, Bronson leads over Assembly member Forrest Dunbar by under 278 votes. Only about 4,000 votes were added to the count between Tuesday and Wednesday.

As of Friday the municipal Elections Center had already received 61,525 ballots. That’s 3,563 more than had been received by general election day last month. About 75,000 people voted in the general election.

Bronson’s campaign has outraised Dunbar’s in the runoff election by about $77,000, but overall, Dunbar has still raised more — close to $591,000 in total, compared to Bronson’s $559,000.

Anchorage voters still have about a week to cast their ballots as the city chooses its next mayor in a runoff election. The two...

Entry into the school was restricted on due to concerns about health hazards and disruption of the school day.

Dave Bronson, a retired commercial and Air Force pilot and Forrest Dunbar, a captain with the Army National Guard who serves on the Assembly. The candidates, who will take part in a runoff election next month, have starkly different visions for the future of Anchorage.

The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to certify the results of the April municipal election on Tuesday. This means results are now official, though they may still be subject to a recount, if the candidates are within half a percentage point of each other. Results may also be contested on legal grounds if there is proof of fraud, corrupt election practices, or the candidate does not meet qualifications for office.

The runoff election for Anchorage mayor began to heat up this week, after Forrest Dunbar’s campaign accused Dave Bronson’s campaign of more than $170,000 in finance violations. On Wednesday, the Alaska Public Offices Commission denied the Dunbar campaign’s request for an expedited hearing.

The Anchorage school board race between Kelly Lessens and Judy Eledge has narrowed to less than 100 votes, with Lessens narrowly holding onto the lead Monday.

Results in the Anchorage election came in slowly this year. Last year the elections center got through more than half the ballots the first night, but by Tuesday night, less than a fifth of the total ballots that had been received were tabulated. On Wednesday evening, the clerk’s office explained the early reports were held up by some unusually marked ballots.

At 9 p.m. with only 10,606 votes counted, Forrest Dunbar had 3,701 votes, followed by former Air Force pilot Dave Bronson with 3,116 votes

If you haven’t voted yet, you can drop your signed ballot in one of the dropboxes around the city or go to one of the Vote Centers, located at City Hall, the Loussac Library and the Eagle River Town Center. As long as you are in line at a dropbox or Vote Center by 8 p.m. you will be allowed to vote. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by today, April 6.

For months, campaign volunteers have called and texted voters, dropped off pamphlets, put up signs and knocked on doors in the hopes of encouraging their neighbors to vote for their pick for Anchorage mayor. Some have been politically active for years, but for others, organizing is a new pursuit.

Recovery from the pandemic, closing achievement gaps between students, and offering options other than college have been major themes in the campaign.

Anchorage is less than a month away from its next municipal election. Residents will decide who the next mayor and school board members will be, plus vote on several smaller seats and propositions. Here are some answers to common questions about this year’s spring ballot.

UPDATE: Candidate responses to Alaska Public Media's 2021 Mayor Candidate questionnaire are now available at Running 2021. Fifteen candidates filed to run; 9 candidates...

UPDATE: Candidate responses to Alaska Public Media's 2021 School Board Candidate questionnaire are now available at Running 2021. Sixteen candidates are running; 12 responded...

In the upcoming mayor's race, candidates are divided about whether to improve the current administration's course, or to rollback coronavirus restrictions immediately.