Gary Paxton has withdrawn from the race for Mayor. He notified municipal clerk Sara Peterson of his decision on Monday (08-15-16).
Paxton filed for the Sitka’s Mayoral race on August 4, 2016. The born-and-raised Sitkan and former city administrator threw his hat into the ring at the request of other Sitkans, but reconsidered when faced with the campaign.
“If you’re going to run, you need to want to try to win. And to do that, you need to do a significant campaign which means fundraising and campaigning, neither of which are my fortes. So, I decided, ‘You know, I’ve done my duty,’ and I think for my general peace of mind and welfare I just thought I would withdraw. So I did,” Paxton said.
Paxton said he feels bittersweet about pulling out of the race, telling KCAW, “I could have helped.” As mayor, he said his platform would have included extending the sales tax year-round, ensuring property values are at current market levels, and reducing the size of government.
Looking forward, Paxton said he has faith in the current Assembly and city government to address Sitka’s financial problems.
“Listen, compared to the federal government $20 trillion in debt and the state government with two years to go before they run out of money, our problems are easily handleable. The sky is not falling. We can solve it and I’m sure the new Assembly and Mayor will solve it well,” Paxton said.
With Paxton’s withdrawal, the race for mayor narrows to three candidates: Deputy Mayor Matthew Hunter, Assemblyman Ben Miyasato, and business owner and former Citizens’ Task Force Member Mary Magnuson. The Municipal Election will be held on October 4, 2016.
