The unofficial results for Sitka’s municipal election are in: Unofficial Results 2018

Gary Paxton is Sitka’s mayor-elect, garnering nearly 60% of the vote between Precincts 1 and 2. By not winning the mayoral race, Ben Miyasato will no longer be on the Assembly. Aaron Bean will remain on the Assembly, with one year left to his three-year term.

Kevin Mosher and Valorie Nelson are the top vote-getters for two seats on the Sitka Assembly. Brinnen Carter is 46 votes behind Nelson.

Should the results stand after absentee ballots are counted on Friday (10-05-18), the Sitka Assembly will be Gary Paxton, Kevin Mosher, Valorie Nelson, Aaron Bean, Kevin Knox, Steven Eisenbeisz, and Richard Wein.

Eric Van Cise and Amy Morrison are the top vote getters for the Sitka School Board. After 17 years of consecutive service, Cass Pook will no longer be on the Sitka School Board.

Proposition 1 passed by a margin of 59 to 41. The senior sales tax exemption will be reinstated once the election results are certified on October 9th, and the $350 rebate program removed. This effectively reverses the Sitka Assembly’s decision earlier this year.

Proposition 2 failed by a margin of 44 to 56. The statewide smoking ban, which went into effect yesterday (10-01-18), will apply in Sitka. Current establishments that allow smoking, including the Pioneer Bar, Ernie’s Old Time Saloon, and the American Legion Post 13, will be expected to comply. Smoking is now banned in those establishments.

These results are unofficial. Election officials must still count up to 550 absentee/advanced voting ballots (they have received 532 so far), 29 question ballots, and 4 personal representative ballots. The city will conduct that counting at 3 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall on Friday, October 5th.

Here are the unofficial voting results:

PROPOSITION 1: Reinstate senior sales tax exemption? 
Yes – 1413 votes
No – 985 votes

PROPOSITION 2: Exempt Sitka from statewide smoking ban? 
Yes – 1053 votes
No – 1339 votes

MAYOR
Gary Paxton – 1372 votes 
Benjamin Miyasato – 662 votes
Aaron Bean – 321 votes
Write-Ins – 28

ASSEMBLY
Kevin J Mosher – 1029 votes
Valorie Nelson – 946 votes
Brinnen Carter – 900 votes
Sheila Finkenbinder – 823 votes
Blossom Twitchell – 783 votes
Write-Ins – 19

SCHOOL BOARD
Eric Van Cise – 1546 votes
Amy Morrison – 1411 votes
Cass Karras Pook– 1127 votes
Write-Ins – 12 votes

Captains from Precinct 1 hand their ballot counts to election officials. Sitka’s polls closed at 8 p.m. and election results were delivered shortly after, around 9:10 p.m. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)