Election Update

Protecting Your Rights: Serving West Anchorage

November 8th, 2024

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Thank you for voting! While Election Day is over, we may not know the outcome of several key races in Alaska for days or weeks. Read on to learn the key dates for ranked-choice tabulation and election certification.

With winter upon us, make sure you know how to access the most up-to-date information about snow plowing in the Municipality of Anchorage. And open enrollment for Medicaid and Medicare has begun and will close on January 15th.

Election Results

While Election Day is over, we're still waiting for results to come in on many important state and local races. On Thursday afternoon, The Division of Elections (DOE) reported 99% of all precincts. Many of the uncounted votes are coming in from rural Alaska, where ballots must be shipped from small villages to bigger hubs to be counted, and from absentee mail-in ballots. The absentee mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and the DOE must receive those ballots and count the ballots within 15 days of Election Day.

The final count and the ranked-choice tabulation for the election will take place on Wednesday, November 20. DOE's goal is to have results certified on November 30.

This year, Alaskans voted on Alaska's sole House Representative seat, all 40 House seats, and 10 of the 20 Senate seats. There were also two ballot measures up for consideration.

In Senate District H (West Anchorage: Turnagain, Spenard, Sand Lake, and Campbell Lake), DOE has finished counting the substantial majority of ballots and the results are in. I am honored and humbled by your confidence in re-electing me to continue to serve as your Senator in the Legislature! My responsibilities as your legislator include representing everyone in Senate District H– regardless of how you voted. Thank you for trusting me to serve and represent our community.

Unofficial results can be viewed here.

You can learn more about the Division of Elections ballot counting processes here.

The Alaska State Capitol on March 25, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)

House and Senate Organization

Both the State Senate and State House organized and announced their key leadership positions and priority issues on Wednesday evening. While there are a few races left to be decided that may shift the size of each coalition, I am pleased both legislative bodies were able to organize well before the 34th session begins in January.

The Senate Bipartisan Coalition leadership for the upcoming legislature is as follows:

Senate President – Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak
Majority Leader – Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage
Rules Chair – Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage
Finance Chair (Operating) – Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel
Finance Chair (Capital) – Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka
Finance Chair (Bills) – Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin
Majority Whip – Sen. Kelly Merrick, R- Eagle River
Legislative Budget & Audit Chair – Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage

I look forward to continuing my work as a member of our bipartisan coalition while focusing on growing the economy, improving public safety, investing in our public education system, and building reliable infrastructure for all of Alaska.

The House Bipartisan Coalition leadership for the upcoming legislature is as follows:

Speaker of the House – Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham
Majority Leader – Rep. Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage
Rules Chair – Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak

The House Majority Coalition's key priorities are similar to those of the Senate Majority. They are as follows:

Balanced budgets that honor the Percent of Market Value (POMV) revenue and spending cap.
Stable public education funding to reduce class sizes and improve outcomes.
Retirement reform to fill critical public safety, resource permitting, and other positions.
Energy development to drive investment, create jobs, and lower costs.

As election results continue to come in, we'll know more about the outcomes of statewide and local races. Stay tuned for more information!

Veterans Day

November 11th is Veterans Day. This year, as always, we extend our deepest gratitude to all who have served our country.

In Alaska, 10% of our population are Veterans. That means one in ten people have served in a branch of the military, more per capita than any other state. Alaska has a history as a geographically strategic military outpost, and much of the state's population growth can be traced to military development during World War II. Additionally, recent military programs have advanced rural development across the state. For example, the Army National Guard mobilized to aid in rescue and recovery in the wake of Hurricane Merbok.

We recognize the important role that Veterans play, both on a National and local level. To our service members, both past and present, thank you!

Proposed Anchorage School Closures

Last week, the Anchorage School District announced seven elementary schools that they plan on closing in the coming years. The closures come as a result of years of under-enrollment combined with budget cuts. Seven schools are scheduled to close over the next three years, including one school in our district: Lake Hood Elementary. For more information about ASD's "rightsizing" initiative, click here.

The issue of closing schools is a difficult one. Moving forward, the school district is focused on listening to families and community members as they undergo this transition. Join a community conversation to learn more and share your own views:

When: November 12th 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Where: Chugiak High School (16525 S Birchwood Loop)

When: November 14th 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Where: Dimond High School (2909 W 88th Ave)

When: November 16th noon - 2:00 pm

Where: Bartlett High School (1101 Golden Bear Dr)

When: November 18th 11:00 am - 1:00 pm and 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Where: Zoom (Link will become available prior to the event)

Join ASD for an overview of Rightsizing and how we got here. Participants will have the opportunity to attend sessions on balancing school boundaries and bussing, impacts to class sizes and plans to support all learners in a changing environment.

We'll share more about the ASD school closures in future newsletters.

Snowplowing Information

With winter arriving, stay up-to-date on the latest snowplowing news. Here in Anchorage, Mayor LaFrance announced they have ordered $3.75 million in snowplowing equipment, including road graders, to ensure that the city fleet has the capacity to handle big snowfall events. The Municipality has also raised operator pay in an effort to improve retention and recruitment of our snow equipment operators.

The Municipality is working to ensure that snowplowing on local streets is done in an expedient, transparent, and safe manner. To support this work, the Mayor’s office launched a new webpage where residents can monitor plowing status in real time, including information on street prioritization and sidewalk plowing. When the Municipality deploys GPS devices on snow equipment, which is planned for later this winter, the website will reflect a plow-by-plow level of detail.

The new website also contains contact information for reporting a snow safety hazard, a vehicle in distress, or a bus stop in need of snow clearing. Disabled and elderly residents can also request assistance clearing snow berms from their driveways. To view the new city website, visit: www.muni.org/plow

State Department of Transportation will continue to plow roads, prioritizing larger roads and highways first. DOT generally assigns sidewalks with the same priority status as their adjacent road. To see the map of state roads and their prioritizations, visit: https://dot.alaska.gov/stwdmno/wintermap/

Find snowplow updates

Commentary on the Vehicle Rental Tax Veto

In September, Governor Dunleavy vetoed Senate Bill 127, which would have lowered the statewide rental tax for vehicle rental platforms, such as Turo, and protected Turo vehicle owners from back taxes. You can learn more about that legislation and the veto in this previous newsletter. Click the link below to read a recent commentary from a Turo vehicle owner on the impacts of that veto for Alaskans.

Read the ADN commentary here!

Community Information

→ Open Enrollment

Open enrollment season is here! If you don't have healthcare or want to change your Medicare or Medicaid plan, now is the time to do so. Medicaid open enrollment runs from November 1st to January 15th, while Medicare open enrollment is from October 15th to December 7th. The enrollment window for health insurance offered through an employer is set by the employer, but is also typically in the fall.

To learn more, sign up for a plan, or change your existing plan, visit

Medicaid: https://www.healthcare.gov/

Medicare: https://www.medicare.gov/

→ Rural Alaska Honors Institute

The 2025 dates for Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) were announced by UAF. The program will take place from May 27th to July 11th at the UAF campus.

Established at the request of the Alaska Federation of Natives, RAHI has been preparing rural and Alaska Native high school students for academic excellence and college success since 1983. At RAHI, students take an average of 9 college credits in six weeks and learn how to thrive academically by experiencing life on campus, enhancing self-confidence and discipline, and developing a state-wide community to carry with them throughout their lives. RAHI is offered at no cost to students.

To read more about RAHI and how to apply, please visit their website here.

Community Events

Guiding Community Councils: Leading Diverse Stakeholders with Vision

When: November 20th from 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Where: In person at Z.J. Loussac Library (3600 Denali St) or streamed on YouTube (www.youtube.com/@communitycouncils)

The FCC's last training this year with speakers that will provide tools and tricks for Community Boards to create welcoming spaces for dialogue. In person or you can watch the livestream on our Youtube.

Community Trails Planning

When: November 20th from 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Where: Beach Lake Chalet (17300 S Birchwood Loop Rd)

When: November 21st from 5:30 - 8:00 PM

Where: Spenard Recreation Center (2020 W 48th Ave)

It is time to update the Areawide Trails Plan from 1997! We need your input to include modern trail needs and plan for the years ahead. Join in one of the two public workshops and/or take the survey.

Those who fill out the survey can enter for a chance to win a giveaway from Anchorage Parks and Recreation, like a Nordic ski lesson, a pool punch card, or a Recreation Center month pass!

Can't attend? Take the survey!