RUNNING: 2021 Anchorage Mayor’s Race – issues and candidate Q&A responses

Hometown, Alaska - Alaska Public Media

Anchorage on an April evening. Taken April, 2008. Photo from Flickr/Wikipedia, by Frank. K. Creative Commons License 2.0 Generic

UPDATE: Candidate responses to Alaska Public Media’s 2021 Mayor Candidate questionnaire are now available at Running 2021. Fifteen candidates filed to run; 9 candidates returned the questionnaire. Albert Swank, Reza Momin, Anna Anthony, David Bronson, Darin Colbry and Jacob Seth Kern did not respond. (Scroll for a full list of candidates and seats.

The mail-in election is April 6, and ballots will be sent to voters on March 15, the day of today’s program.

Our format for RUNNING is different this year. Candidates are not live on the air. In advance, we invited candidates to fill out an issue questionnaire. On today’s Running, a panel of engaged citizens who follow city issues in Anchorage, will discuss some of the relevant issues. They will add context and opinion from their experience. The panelists have not seen candidates’ answers in advance, and will not recommend or endorse any candidates. The point of the panel is to flesh out the topics on behalf of voters looking to mark their ballots. What issues should voters weigh as they consider candidates?

After each discussion, the host will highlight candidate responses to these same issues. Fifteen candidates are running for Mayor; nine candidates returned questionnaires.

As always, questions and comments are invited throughout the hour. Direct your questions to email at [e-mail]. Please join us for this important local political discussion of issues facing Anchorage and candidates’ ideas to address.

HOST: Kathleen McCoy

PANELISTS:

• Bill Popp, President and CEO, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation
• Kevin McGee, President, NAACP in Anchorage
• Ayyu Qassataq, Vice President & Indigenous Operations Director, First Alaskans Institute
• Dr. Richard Mandsanger, Senior Fellow, Rasmuson Foundation

LINKS:

• Mayoral candidates’ 2021 RUNNING answers will be posted here after the March 15 program.
• Mayoral candidates as listed on the municipal website

PARTICIPATE:

• Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
• Send e-mail to [e-mail] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
• Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
• LIVE: Monday, March 15, 2021 at 10 a.m
• RE-AIR: Monday, March 15, 2021 at 8 p.m.
• PODCAST: On this page after the show

THE CANDIDATES (with links to candidate’s websites)

• Bill Evans
• Heather Herndon
• Bill Falsey
• Forrest Dunbar
• George Martinez
• Jacob Versteeg
• Wm. Joe Westfall
• Mike Robbins
• Albert Swank
• Reza Momin
• Anna Anthony
• David Bronson
• Darin Colbry
• Jacob Seth Kern