Beth Weldon, mayor of the City and Borough of Juneau, announced that she is running for a second mayoral term. She shared the news Friday morning on local radio and confirmed the information to the Empire Friday afternoon.
The election will take place on Oct. 6. So far, she is the only candidate in the mayor’s race.
“I appreciate the community’s support and encouragement to run for a second term,” she said in a phone interview Friday.
Weldon said that she is eager to continue contributing to several projects that have been part of her first term, including addressing the city’s financial situation with the visitor industry battered by the pandemic, a lack of child care options and helping to find solutions for the city’s unsheltered residents.
She said she’s also interested in helping to keep the cost of living in Juneau down.
“In choosing to run again, I want to continue doing the projects where I think I have things left to contribute,” she said. “Especially, the child care piece. That started with me, and I’d like to follow through on that.”
During her tenure as mayor, Weldon has steered the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, convened a Visitor Industry Taskforce, and worked closely with state and federal officials to re-start the cruise industry, which the pandemic has sidelined.
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Weldon, a fourth-generation Douglas resident, was first elected to the post in 2018. At that time, she was partway through her term on the City Assembly when she resigned to run for mayor.
•Contact reporter Dana Zigmund at dana.zigmund@juneauempire.com or 907-308-4891.
