Voting is just around the corner for Alaska’s Primary Election on Aug. 18, but residents have the options of choosing mail-in ballots for absentee voting or voting early in-person as well.
Aug. 8 was the deadline to apply to vote absentee by mail. All ballots must be postmarked by the election day, Aug. 18.
Early voting is available now at Homer City Hall. Those who wish to vote absentee early and in person can do so from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday through Monday, Aug. 17. Voting will be in the City Council Chambers. Ballots are available for those registered to vote in District 31.
Those taking advantage of early in-person voting will be asked to maintain social distancing and wear face coverings, according to voting information on the City of Homer website. Only a limited number of people will be allowed inside the council chambers at one time.
Voters whose normal poll location was the Homer Senior Citizens Center will be voting at the Homer United Methodist Church this year.
In the Primary election, voters will have a choice between two candidates in the Republican party for the Alaska Senate District P seat — Gary Stevens of Kodiak and John Cox of Anchor Point — as well as one candidate running in the Alaska Independence Party — Greg Madden of Soldotna.
In the Alaska House of Representatives race for District 31, there’s only one candidate running in the Primary — incumbent Sarah Vance of Homer. Her challenger for the seat, Kelly Cooper of Homer, is running as an independent in the General election and does not appear on the Primary ballot. Cooper has been certified to run after submitting the required signatures, according to the Alaska Division of Elections website.
Vance is running unopposed for the Republican Party nomination.
Stevens
Sen. Gary Stevens is a retired educator who served in the House of Representatives from 2001-03 and who has served in the Alaska Senate since 2003. He’s been the chair of the legislative council committee since 2015 and also chairs the education committee. He’s been an Alaska resident since 1970.
According to campaign financial disclosures filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, Stevens’ campaign has raised $16,900 so far and has spent $6,470. Some of the larger contributions to his campaign include $2,000 from the National Education Association of Alaska Political Action Committee on Education (NEA-Alaska PACE), $1,000 from the Alaska State Employees Association AFSCME Local 52 PAC, $1,000 from the Dentists of Alaska PAC, $1,000 from the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association PAC and $500 from the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association PAC.
Cox
John Cox, who is originally from Panama, ran for the Republican nomination for the House of Representatives District 31 seat in 2018, a race Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) ultimately won. He also ran for District 31 in 2016 in the Republican primary, losing to former Rep. Paul Seaton.
According to APOC filings, Cox’s campaign has raised a total of $3,085 so far, and has spent $2,144.
Cox’s campaign has had no major contributions from PACs or other groups. His campaign received $250 from Jesse Sumner, current Mat-Su Borough Assembly member and Alaska House of Representatives candidate, as well as a $50 contribution from Maggie Dunleavy, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s daughter.
Madden
Greg Madden is running in the Primary in the Alaska Independence Party. He is unopposed in that party.
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Madden has lived in Alaska since 2001. He is a chiropractic physician in Soldotna and is a member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education. He taught school while in Texas.
Madden also made an unsuccessful run for the Alaska House of Representatives District 31 seat in 2018.
According to APOC filings, Madden’s campaign has raised $400 from a single donor, also a Soldotna resident. The campaign has spent $249 so far.
Vance
Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) is running for her second term in office after having defeated former Rep. Paul Seaton in 2018 as a newcomer to Alaska politics. She was born and raised in Alaska.
According to APOC filings, Vance’s campaign has raised a total of $40,821 as of Aug. 9, plus an additional $1,000 from the ConocoPhillips AK Employee PAC reported Aug. 10.
The campaign has spent $6,312 so far.
Other larger contributors to Vance’s campaign include $3,500 from Alaska Republicans Inc., $1,000 from Alaska Miners Association PAC, $1,000 from the Republican Women of the Kenai, $1,000 from Republican Women of Juneau, $500 from the Enstar Employee PAC, 500 from the Kenai Peninsula Republican Women of Alaska, $500 from current Mat-Su Borough Assembly member and Alaska House of Representatives candidate Jesse Sumner, and $500 from conservative blogger Suzanne Downing.
Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.
