A glance at the candidates for Mat-Su races

Nov. 2, 2021 is the date for the Mat-Su Borough local elections. The Mat-Su Borough is home to more than one out of every seven Alaskans, with a population of 107,081. During the past 10 years, the borough, which is the size of Ireland, gained 18,086 people and was the fastest growing region in the state.

Some candidates for borough seats are now endorsed by Region 2 Republicans, made up of six legislative districts, two women’s clubs, and the Mat-Su Young Republicans.

The withdrawal period for candidates ended on Friday. The deadline to qualify to vote in the 2021 Regular Borough Election will be Sunday, Oct. 3.

A glimpse of who will be on the ballot:

Name	Party Affiliation	GOPData Center Calculated Profile	District-Precinct	Voting Frequency			Latest Campaign Disclosure Report	Notes
Mayor
Edna DeVries	R	1-Hard R	11-075	4/4			N	Endorsed by Region 2 Republicans. Current mayor of Palmer.
Bert Cottle	U	3-Swing	7-125	4/4			N	Former Mayor of Wasilla.
Matthew Beck	N	2- Weak R	11-095	4/4			N
Assembly #3
Dee McKee	R	1-Hard R	12-200	3/4			N	Endorsed by Region 2 Republicans. Longtime Republican activist.
Mark Bailey	N	5-Hard D	12-210	4/4			N	Dunleavy Recall Petion Signer.
F.Jay Kruger	N	2-Weak R	7-105	2/3			N
Assembly #6
Jesse Sumner	R	1-Hard R	7-110	4/4			N	Incumbent, Endorsed by Region 2 Republicans. Political/civic activist.
Richard Clippard	AI	4-Weak D	9-628	3/3				No Municipal Voting Record.
Kristi Short	D	5-Hard D	9-628	3/3				No Municipal Voting Record, Dunleavy Recall Petion Signer.
Assembly #7
Ron Bernier	R	2-Weak R	8-135	1/1				No Alaska Voting Record (except 2020 Gen), 2020 PFD Registered Voter
Tamara Boeve	U	4-Weak D	10-045	4/4			3/9/21	Incumbent, Dunleavy Recall Petition Signer.
School Board #1
Tom Bergey	R	1-Hard R	12-220	4/4			N	Incumbent, Endorsed by Region 2 Republicans.
Lori Berrigan	U	3-Swing	9-622	4/4			N	Dunleavy Recall Petition Signer.
School Board #4
Jubilee Underwood	R	1-Hard R	7-120	4/4			N	Scheduling Region 2 Republican / Vetting in process.
Jennifer Walther	R	1-Hard R	7-115	4/4			N

The Mat-Su Borough’s absentee by-mail application is separate from that of the Alaska State Division of Elections and the Mat-Su cities of Houston, Palmer, and Wasilla. 

Things applicants for absentee ballots need to know about the process:

• Apply early to receive your Borough ballot in a timely manner
• Carefully complete ALL sections of the application
• Omissions or errors may cause a delay in ballot mailing
• Application MUST contain the applicant’s signature; no one else may sign for you!

Applications for the 2021 regular election will be available on this webpage starting January 1, 2021 or through the Borough Clerk’s Office by using the contact information above. The application deadline for the 2021 regular election is Tuesday, October 26, 2021. Completed and signed applications may be mailed to or hand-delivered to the Borough Clerk’s Office, or may be faxed to 907-861-7845.

Once the ballots are ready for distribution and upon the timely receipt of an application, the official ballot and voting material will be mailed to the applicant at the ballot mailing address provided on the application. Upon receiving the ballot, applicants need to carefully follow ALL instructions to ensure that the ballot is properly cast.

Ballot envelopes must be postmarked by Election Day, and received in the Borough Clerk’s Office no later than 5 p.m. three calendar days after the election. Hand-delivered ballots must be returned to a Borough election official by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

More information is at this Mat-Su Borough Elections Office link.