2021 Anchorage mayoral election
The 2021 Anchorage mayoral election will be held on April 6, 2021 to elect the mayor of Anchorage, Alaska.[1] If no candidate receives at least 45% of the vote in the first round, the two candidates with the highest vote share will advance to a runoff.[2] The election is officially nonpartisan. Incumbent Independent mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, first appointed to the position in October 2020, is eligible to run for reelection to a full term, but has announced that she will not do so.[3][4][5]
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Elections in Alaska |
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Background
Ethan Berkowitz was elected mayor in 2015 and 2018 and was ineligible to run for a third term. On October 13, 2020, he announced his resignation through his chief of staff Jason Bockenstadt at a meeting of the Anchorage Assembly, Anchorage's city council, to be effective October 23. The resignation came after a reporter made allegations that he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with her.[6] Felix Rivera, chair of the Anchorage Assembly, was next in the line of succession to the office. After a failed attempt immediately following the resignation announcement, the Assembly met in a special meeting on October 16 to reorganize itself, installing Austin Quinn-Davidson as Assembly chair with Rivera as vice-chair. This move allowed Quinn-Davidson to succeed to the office of mayor and allowed Rivera to retain his position presiding over Assembly meetings.[6] Quinn-Davidson is both the first female and first openly gay mayor of Anchorage.[7] On November 4, the Anchorage Assembly voted not to hold a special election for the position of mayor, meaning that the next election for the seat would be the regularly scheduled one in 2021.[8]
Candidates
Registered
- Anna Anthony[9]
- Dave Bronson, former U.S. Air Force and commercial pilot[2][9][10]
- Jeffrey Brown[9]
- Darin Colbry, candidate for Governor of Alaska in 2018 (Party preference: Republican)[9][10][11][12]
- Forrest Dunbar,(attorney) member of the Anchorage Assembly and the Alaska Army National Guard and nominee for Alaska's at-large congressional district in 2014 (Party preference: Democratic)[9][10][13][14]
- Bill Evans,(attorney) former member of the Anchorage Assembly[9][5][10]
- Bill Falsey,(attorney) former Anchorage Municipal Manager, former clerk for the Alaska Supreme Court, and former official at the United States Department of the Interior[5][9][10][11]
- Heather Herndon, real estate developer, construction, project manager, accountant, portfolio private placement financier. BSc Finance, MBA Finance and Accounting, professional licenses. 4th Generation Alaskan [9][11][10]
- Jacob Seth Kern, perennial candidate (Party preference: Democratic)[5][9][15]
- George Martinez, former special assistant to Ethan Berkowitz for economic development, educator, former assistant director for intergovernmental relations (Office of NYS Attorney General), and a former US Cultural Envoy (United States Department of State). (Party preference: Nonpartisan) [5][9][10][11]
- Reza Momin[9]
- Mike Robbins, businessman (Party preference: Republican)[1][10]
- Albert Swank Jr., civil engineer[9]
- Joe Westfall[9]
Did not register
Withdrawn
- Eric Croft, former state representative, former member of the Anchorage Assembly, former president of the Anchorage School Board, and candidate for Governor of Alaska in 2006 (Party preference: Democratic)[5][11]
Declined
- Austin Quinn-Davidson, incumbent mayor (Party preference: Independent)[11]
Endorsements
- Chuck Kopp, former state representative (Republican)[18]
- Dan Sullivan, former Mayor of Anchorage, nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska in 2014, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016 (Republican) (no relation to U.S. Senator from Alaska Dan Sullivan)[19]
- Rick Mystrom, former Mayor of Anchorage[20]
General election
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | Anna Anthony | |||
Nonpartisan | Dave Bronson | |||
Nonpartisan | Jeffrey Brown | |||
Nonpartisan | Darin Colbry | |||
Nonpartisan | Forrest Dunbar | |||
Nonpartisan | Bill Evans | |||
Nonpartisan | Bill Falsey | |||
Nonpartisan | Heather Herndon | |||
Nonpartisan | Jacob Seth Kern | |||
Nonpartisan | George Martinez | |||
Nonpartisan | Reza Momin | |||
Nonpartisan | Mike Robbins | |||
Nonpartisan | Albert Swank Jr. | |||
Nonpartisan | Joe Westfall |
References
- "Republican Mike Robbins joins 2021 Anchorage mayoral race". Anchorage Daily News. August 20, 2020.
- "Dave Bronson, backed by 'Save Anchorage' group, enters crowded mayoral race". Anchorage Daily News. August 26, 2020.
- George, Kavitha; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (October 17, 2020). "Assembly reorganizes, elects Austin Quinn-Davidson to become interim mayor". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- Buxton, Matt (August 8, 2018). "Progressive Quinn-Davidson wins big in Anchorage Assembly special election". The Midnight Sun. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- Mathews, Cheyenne. "Anchorage municipal manager files to run for mayor". Alaska's News Source.
- Goodykoontz, Emily (October 16, 2020). "Anchorage Assembly chooses Austin Quinn-Davidson to serve as acting mayor". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- "Anchorage chooses 1st woman, openly gay acting mayor". NBC News.
- "Anchorage Assembly rejects special election for mayor". Anchorage Daily News. November 5, 2020.
- https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2021/01/30/here-are-all-the-candidates-running-for-anchorage-mayor-and-school-board/
- https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/01/18/candidates-begin-filing-for-anchorage-municipal-office/
- "2021 Anchorage mayoral race takes shape with a crowded field". Anchorage Daily News. December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- https://ballotpedia.org/Darin_Colbry
- News, KTUU. "Anchorage Assembly member Forrest Dunbar files for Anchorage mayoral election". Alaska's News Source.
- https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2021/01/21/heres-who-has-filed-to-run-for-anchorage-mayor-and-the-anchorage-school-board-so-far/
- Staff, T. N. L. "Anchorage Mayoral Candidate Profiles | The Northern Light".
- https://ballotpedia.org/Dustin_Darden
- https://ballotpedia.org/Mayoral_election_in_Anchorage,_Alaska_(2021)
- https://www.adn.com/opinions/2021/02/07/evans-offers-clear-headed-unifying-leadership-for-anchorage/
- https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/12/21/former-anchorage-mayor-dan-sullivan-endorses-bill-evans/
- https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2021/01/30/here-are-all-the-candidates-running-for-anchorage-mayor-and-school-board/
External links
- Official campaign websites