Mat-Su Borough releases final candidate slate with party labels

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MatSu Borough Assembly considers the Yundt Tax in March of 2025.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Clerk’s Office has released the final, certified list of candidates for the Nov. 4 regular borough election, and, standing out from other Alaskan boroughs, Mat-Su designates candidates with a political affiliation on the ballot, whether registered to a party or noting “nonpartisan” or “undeclared.”

Certified Candidates by Office

Assembly District 1 (Palmer area):

  • Michelle Heun — Undeclared (Certified: August 19, 2025)
  • Michael Bowles — Republican (Certified: August 18, 2025) 

Assembly District 2 (Palmer area):

  • Dana Raffaniello — Undeclared (Certified: August 20, 2025)
  • Stephanie Nowers — Nonpartisan (Certified: August 26, 2025) 

Assembly District 4 (Wasilla area):

  • Maxwell H. Sumner — Republican (Certified: August 22, 2025) 

School Board District 2: Kendal W. Kruse — Republican, Gage D. Saxton — Nonpartisan (Certified: August 29, 2025) 

School Board District 5:

  • Brooks Pitcher — Republican (Certified: August 25, 2025) 

School Board District 7:

  • Lorie A. Colee — Republican (Certified: August 25, 2025) 

Under borough code, candidates may designate a political affiliation on the ballot if they are registered with a party or group, or may choose to appear as nonpartisan or undeclared. In the absence of any designation, “undeclared” is assigned by default.

Assembly races in Districts 1 and 2 feature direct contests between those with (District 1) and without party labels (District 2) in a region that traditionally leans Republican.

11 COMMENTS

  1. DEVILCRATS ARE TO ASHAMED TO CLAIM THEIR PARTY & RINOS CALL DEMSELVES REPUBLICANS. & WE THE PEOPLE ONLY TRUST GOD JESUS & DONALD JOHN TRUMP. THE BOOK OF LIFE HAS ALL OUR DEEDS & NEVER FORGET THE ONES WITH OATHS TO GOD CAUSED IT ALL TO IS ALL. FAKES SUCK

    • Not necessarily
      There is one R candidate who is actually an R
      Depends on one’s district
      Some R’s may do better getting elected if they ran as an undeclared and nonpartisan because of their neighborhood district
      Personally I vote R however my state voters registration still says undeclared. It might be best I keep my undeclared status as I hear all the time R neighbors receiving their mail in ballots late even worse they don’t receive it at all.

    • No, it isn’t…it is also MAGA because the GOP has been weak, feckless, and corrupt for 25 years…GWBush took the GOP to the Deep State.

      The voting demographics have shifted and changed a lot in the last 5 years. I encourage you to consider that the Republican party is not what it claims to be and there are millions of us undeclared/independent who are pragmatic Constitutional Conservatives.

  2. The rule for MSB seems to be you have to be a contractor or related to one. Wondering if Sumner will be a zero like his brother and the turncoat Rob Yundt who showed what kind of conservative he is. One who votes for Dems and doesn’t follow rule of law

  3. Democrats lying about what party (Undeclared) they are in trying to turn the Valley blue You will NOT Turn the Valley into Anchorage

  4. Why, unlike Anchorage, does the MSB not have a residential property tax ememption?

    That should be an MSB Assembly priority.

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