Absentee, question ballots to decide Sitka School Board race

The race for Sitka School Board will come down to absentee counting, in one of the most closely contested elections for that body in years.

For assembly, voters returned one incumbent and gave a second seat to a popular former coach and school teacher.

Downloadable audio.

See the unofficial results of the 2015 Sitka Municipal Election here.

Absentee and question ballots will be counted at 3 PM Friday, October 9. The results of Sitka’s election will be certified by the assembly on Tuesday, October 13.

Matt Hunter is a 33-year old Math and Science teacher at Mt. Edgecumbe High School. He’s made some hard choices in his three years of service on the Sitka Assembly, and drawn flak for his positions on the senior sales tax exemption and utility rates.

But he’s a lifelong resident, and the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s election with 1105 votes.

“Thank you Sitka.”

Hunter says he’s looking forward to the next three years; he thinks the makeup of the assembly is good. He’s made it a personal goal to respond to calls and correspondence from residents. Hunter believes it’s an important strategy in governing.

“Probably the most important thing for us moving forward is to listen to people. And to ask Sitkans what they want us to do.”

Hunter was anxious as he waited in the classroom of the firehall — this year’s temporary election central since Harrigan Centennial Hall is under construction. He seemed clearly relieved to have retained his seat. He said, “Democracy is a beautiful thing when it works.”

Sitka voters gave the other open assembly seat to Bob Potrzuski, a retired high school teacher and coach. Potrzuski was a close second with 984 votes.

He says his message was unity.

“I want to be a team builder. This is not the time in Sitka’s history for people to start looking out for themselves. This is going to be a time when we’re going to have to pull together, work together, and make Sitka one of those rare successful small towns.”

Potrzuski wants to drill down into the city’s comprehensive plan and find a road map to a more affordable and sustainable community.

“To try and make Sitka a place where people can live, where people can set down roots and stay here. And that’s what we really want.”

Rounding out the race for assembly were Orion Hughes-Knowles with 393 votes, and write-in candidate John Welsh with 51 votes.

The school board race proved to be the more competitive election this year. Voters favored Eric Van Cise, a marine safety trainer and parent who’s been actively involved in the soccer program in Community Schools and at Blatchley and Sitka High.

In a race with more negative than usual, Van Cise says he tried to remain positive.

“I believe in this community. Even though the forecast is looking pretty grim, I wanted to project my confidence in my community. We can get through it.”

At 813 votes, Van Cise was about 300 votes ahead his nearest competition, Kat Richards, a nurse at Sitka Community Hospital. Richards came away with 519 votes, only 3 more than 5-term incumbent Cass Pook.

Pook is a teen behavioral health counselor. She remained poised as the numbers came in.

“I appreciate all those who voted for me, and who have supported me over the years, but I didn’t take it for granted that I was automatically going to get in. I knew it would be close because they’re all strong candidates.”

Pook says she won’t be too stressed waiting to hear the results of the 373 absentee and question ballots to be counted this Friday.

“Whoever gets in is who the community wants, and should be in,” she says.

The biggest surprise of the school board race — and of the evening — was the unseating of acting board president Jennifer Robinson. Robinson, a graphic designer and daughter of Sitka mayor Mim McConnell, polled 374 votes, putting her in fifth place, and 13 votes behind anti-testing advocate and political newcomer Ed Gray, who won a total of 387 votes.