The general election wouldn’t settle it. Voting in Tuesday’s runoff wouldn’t determine the next Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor, either. The absentee votes will make all the difference.
With all 28 precincts reporting shortly after p.m. Tuesday, Charlie Pierce held a 226 vote lead over Linda Farnsworth-Hutchings.
“Cautiously optimistic," is how Hutchings described the mood as she and her team had a late dinner Tuesday evening.
With a slim lead, Pierce said he was ready to be the next mayor.
“I was in it to win it, and all it takes is one vote and I’ll take that one vote more than she [Hutchings] can garner and I’ll serve as the mayor and I’ll be honored to do it.”
If voter turnout measurements are an indication, in-person voting dropped by about 60 percent between the regular and runoff elections. If that trend holds true for absentee ballots, it would mean about 450 votes left to count.
Check back for updates as they're available.
