Two weeks before the deadline to sign up, no one has yet challenged either of Juneau’s two sitting delegates to the Alaska House of Representatives.
If no one submits a letter of intent to the Alaska Division of Elections before June 1, Rep. Cathy Muñoz, R-Juneau, and Rep. Sam Kito, D-Juneau, will run unopposed in this fall’s primary election and general election for House districts 34 and 33, respectively.
The deadline for a write-in general-election candidacy isn’t until Nov. 3, but write-in candidates face long odds without significant financial backing.
Sen. Dennis Egan, D-Juneau and the capital city’s lone delegate to the Alaska Senate, does not face re-election until 2018.
Kito has filed letters of intent with both the Alaska Public Offices Commission (which monitors political fundraising) and the Division of Elections. Muñoz filed a letter of intent to fundraise with APOC late last year but the Division of Elections has not yet received her official candidacy.
Muñoz confirmed to the Empire earlier this week that she does intend to run again.
Nancy Courtney, chairwoman of the Tongass Democrats, said by phone that “we may have some people interested, but no one’s registered” to run against Muñoz.
Similarly, Capital City Republicans treasurer Don Habeger said he isn’t aware of anyone planning to run against Kito. Ginger Johnson, whose phone number is listed as the official contact for CCR and is active in both the Capital City Republican Women and CCR, said she also isn’t aware of any possible challengers.
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com.
