KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
On Tuesday, Kodiak voters took to the polls to cast their ballots for three assembly seats. When all was said and done, newcomers Larry LeDoux, Dan Rohrer and Rebecca Skinner took the top three spots, earning more votes than the four other candidates running – incumbent Assemblymen Tuck Bonney and Dave Kaplan, as well as Jascha Zbitnoff and Brenda Schwantes.
Rohrer brought in the most votes with 1,137 and said he’s thankful the election is over and ready for what he recognized is a huge job.
“I’m appreciative of everybody having voted for me that did that was certainly a huge showing of support and I felt very – I felt honored I guess is the right word. But also feel a tremendous sense of responsibility now I guess to live up to people’s expectations.”
Rohrer said he doesn’t have an agenda in terms of what he’d like to accomplish as an assembly member, but rather is excited to get to work and start representing the community at large.
“I actually think it’s wrong when people run with an agenda. I don’t like to see that. So I don’t have anything that oh my this is what I have to accomplish or want to accomplish – what I want to do is I’m excited about getting sworn in and getting to work. I realize there’s a lot of stuff for me to learn about the running of the borough and I’m excited to start that process of learning. And I just feel like there’s a lot ahead of us specifically with the code review and obviously the bond was approved and with the approval of that bond comes some work to make sure we spend that money wisely and well.”
LeDoux, who won 1,121 votes, said winning the election was sort of the icing on the cake for him, but it was the campaigning that demonstrated how supportive and great the Kodidak community is.
“So many people had offered such wonderful support and encouragement that I got to the point where if I won or I lost, I won. It was just great.”
“I think it’s important that I’m going to work really hard to make sure that I represent the people of Kodiak. I’m not there to represent anyone else – the administration or special interests. I’m just going to try and do a good job to honor the people that voted and work hard to do that. So that’s my goal.”
Both Rohrer and LeDoux said they hope people stay involved in the process beyond the ballot box and speak up when they have questions or disagree with any decisions the assembly makes.
Skinner took the last open seat on the assembly with 671 votes during Tuesday’s election. When KMXT tried to reach her she was out of town and unavailable to comment for this story.
Borough Clerk Nova Javier said there are still 292 outstanding ballots to be counted. Those include absentee, question, personal representative and absentee by mail ballots. Those could alter the numbers, so results are unofficial until they are counted.
However, Javier said she is aiming to have election results certified by next Thursday, meaning the new assembly members would be sworn in during that meeting. That means their first meeting as active assembly members will be on November 6.
