Seven applied. One won.
Alicia Hughes-Skandijs is the newest member on the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, as voted unanimously by the Assembly on Monday night.
She replaces Jesse Kiehl, as he vacates his seat for the State Senate for District Q. She will serve until the next regularly scheduled election in October. At that time, the District 1 seat will be placed on the municipal ballot.
Mayor Beth Weldon thanked Kiehl for his time served, saying, “Congratulations from a very grateful community. You’ll be remembered for your caring heart.”
Kiehl thanked the Assembly before submitting his official resignation.
“It has been a singular privilege to serve you, and serve with all of you,” he said to the Assembly. “We occupy [the seats] for a time, but they are not ours. They are the privilege of getting to work for our community.”
Hughes-Skandijs said she received an email a few hours earlier informing her of the decision. None of the other applicants were present at Monday’s meeting. No discussion was given to the choice in the special session meeting, and Assembly members were not immediately available to comment.
“I’m feeling really, really excited,” she said minutes after the official vote. “Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, so I’m excited to see what it’s like once I get going.”
She said her main focus will be to work on the goals the Assembly already has set, including helping provide affordable child care and housing to Juneau residents.
“I’ve just gotten gradually more and more involved in following what the city was doing the longer I’ve lived here,” she said.
Hughes-Skandijs has been a Juneau resident for 12 years and this is her first time seeking office, according to her letter of interest. She served as chair and treasurer for the Juneau chapter of the Alaska State Employees Association and a contract negotiator for the Southeast region. She is also on the board for the Alaska Folk Festival and the League of Women Voters, according to her letter of interest.
She said she considered running in the past, but as to whether she will seek election in October she said, “Let’s let me get started. We’ll see.”
• Contact reporter Mollie Barnes at mbarnes@juneauempire.com or 523-2228.
Alicia Hughes-Skandijs
