The ballot is set: Here’s who is running for this year’s Assembly, 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 Amanda Ryder has since withdrawn, leaving four candidates on the field for school board.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)

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)

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)