Monday was the deadline for candidates to file for local office in Ketchikan, and one more person filed just before 5 p.m.
Ketchikan School Board President Michelle O’Brien turned in her paperwork to run for re-election. In a telephone interview from the Borough Clerk’s office immediately after filing, she told KRBD that the board still has important work to do to maintain the high standards it’s achieved.
O’Brien says it was a difficult decision, which is partly why she waited until the deadline to file. She talked to friends and family, and says it was humbling to hear some people say she should run for borough mayor. She says that race might be a consideration in the future.
The other School Board candidate is political newcomer Glenn Brown. With two open seats, the two candidates are likely to prevail.
For the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly, three candidates are running for the three open seats. They are incumbents Glen Thompson and Mike Painter, and former Assembly Member John Harrington. With no competition, those three are likely to win.
The borough mayor seat also is open, and two candidates have filed for that race: Lewis Armey Jr. and David Landis. Armey has run unsuccessfully in the past for borough and city mayor, and Landis is a former Borough Assembly member.
The big competitive race this year is for Ketchikan City Council, with six candidates vying for three open seats.
Incumbents KJ Harris and Dick Coose are seeking re-election. The other candidates for Council are current Borough Mayor Dave Kiffer, and three political newcomers: Amanda Mitchell, Kevin Staples and Ed Plute.
There’s still time for people to file as official write-in candidates. Borough and city code allow write-in candidates to submit their paperwork up until 5 p.m. the day before the Oct. 7th municipal election.