Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt, right, greets Greg Smith after Smith applied to run for one of two Assembly District 1 seats in this falls municipal election on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Watt said, “Welcome to the fray.” (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt, right, greets Greg Smith after Smith applied to run for one of two Assembly District 1 seats in this falls municipal election on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019. Watt said, “Welcome to the fray.” (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

The ballot is set: Here’s who is running for this year’s Assembly, school board seats

Thin field of candidates for vacant Assembly and school board seats

UPDATE: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Amanda Ryder withdrew from the school board race. Read more here

City Clerk Beth McEwen for the City and Borough of Juneau declared the application period for candidates for the vacant Assembly and Juneau Board of Education seats closed Monday afternoon.

There were four candidates for four Assembly seats, and five candidates for the two school board seats. Amanda Ryder has since withdrawn, leaving four candidates on the field for school board.

“I’m excited. I think it’ll be good,” said Ryder. “I have a granddaughter in the schools so I want to see them do well.”

The application period to get certified and appear on the ballot is now over. People may apply to be a write-in candidate until five days before the election. The requirements to be elected as a write-in candidate are the same as the formal candidates; a write-in candidate must be a resident in the area they’re running for the last year, and they must be a registered voter who is not restricted from voting.

Amanda Ryder, left, signs her application for Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, to run for one of two open school board seats in this falls municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Amanda Ryder, left, signs her application for Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, to run for one of two open school board seats in this falls municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

With four seats and four candidates for the Assembly, it’s likely that those names on the ballots will be elected directly, barring a win by a write-in candidate. The most important decision there will be whether Alicia Hughes-Skandijs or Greg Smith gets more votes. This will decide who gets the three-year seat and who gets the one-year seat.

“I hope I can be a good representative, a good listener, and a good voice for the people’s issues,” said Smith as he submitted his candidacy paperwork.

The school board elections will be somewhat more fraught. With five candidates and two seats, there will be winners and losers in the election. These two seats are not geographically restricted, like most of the Assembly seats, and both are for three-year terms.

“Welcome to the fray,” City Manager Rorie Watt said.

Election day will be on Oct. 1. Polls will open at 7 a.m.

Greg Smith signs his application in front of Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, to run for one of two Assembly District 1 seats in this falls municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Greg Smith signs his application in front of Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019, to run for one of two Assembly District 1 seats in this falls municipal election. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Candidates

Assembly Areawide – One open seat (three-year term)

Carole Triem

Assembly District One – Two open seats (One for a three-year term and one for a one-year term)

Alicia Hughes-Skandijs

Greg Smith

Assembly District Two – One open seat (three-year term)

Wade Bryson

Juneau Board of Education Candidates

Bonnie Jensen

Emil Robert Mackey III

Amanda Ryder (Withdrawn)

Deedie Sorensen

Martin Stepetin Sr.


• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 523-2271 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.


More in News

Bob Girt works with the Alaska Youth Stewards on Prince of Wales Island in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Bethany Goodrich / Sustainable Southeast Partnership)
Threads of the Tongass: Building a sustainable future

“These students can look back and say, ‘I helped build that. I was a contributor.’”

KTOO, Juneau's public radio station, is photographed in Juneau, Alaska, on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Public radio facing cuts as Congress moves to pull back funding

KTOO could lose one-third of its budget if the House passes a bill cutting funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting

Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo
The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday, April 14.
Ships in port for the week of July 19

This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2025 schedule.… Continue reading

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Thursday, July 17, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Eaglecrest Ski Area. (Ben Hohenstatt | Juneau Empire File)
Hiker rescued from gully at Eaglecrest

The woman got stuck in a gully after taking a wrong turn

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Wednesday, July 16, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

The Dimond Courthouse in Juneau, Alaska, is seen in this undated photo. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire file)
Juneau man pleads guilty to murder of infant

James White pleaded guilty yesterday to the murder of 5-and-half-week-old Kathy White

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Megan Dean shakes hands with the new Arctic District commander Rear Admiral Bob Little on Friday. Vice Admiral Andrew J. Tiongson, commander of the Pacific Area, smiles. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
US Coast Guard receives new commander, new name for Alaska

The Arctic District’s new icebreaker will visit Juneau next month

City and Borough of Juneau City Hall is photographed on July 12, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Juneau Empire file)
Municipal election candidate filing period opens July 18

The filing period runs from July 18 at 8 a.m. to July 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Most Read