Candidate Ken Castner leads in the race for Homer’s mayor by about 100 votes, according to unofficial results.

However, Castner’s lead over his opponent David Lewis is not guaranteed. Approximately 320 absentee, questioned and special needs ballots still need to be counted. Nine additional ballots could also arrive by mail.  

Still, Castner said he’s elated that his message of cooperation and unity resonated with voters.  Castner is running as a “citizens’ mayor” and promises that if elected, he will not break ties on the council.

Results for the Kenai Peninsula Borough municipal elections rolling in. With all six precincts reporting results in the race for the District 9 seat on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, incumbent Willy Dunne leads Troy Jones by 85 votes. It’s unclear how many absentee ballots are outstanding.

KBBI reached Dunne at Alice’s Champagne Palace where he was joined several supporters and other municipal candidates for an election night party.

There will be a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System or IPAWS Wednesday morning. The emergency alert will be sent to nearly all cell phones in the U.S. at 10: 18 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time. Cell phones on certain wireless carriers will receive a text notifying them of the test. Phones will also make a loud alert tone.

Two minutes later, radio stations and TV stations will broadcast an Emergency Alert System test message.

Homer voters are deciding between two candidates on Tuesday with very different visions for the role of the mayor on the Homer City Council.

Candidate Ken Castner ran as a “citizens’ mayor,” promising not to break ties or make proclamations.  He is against dedicated funds, such as the Homer Accelerated Roads and Trails fund.

David Lewis campaigned on topics such as taxing bear-viewing operations, increasing traffic at the large vessel haul out and pushing the city to become a four-season destination.

The state Department of Natural Resources extended the comment period on a draft management plan for Kachemak Bay State park and other recreation areas on the southern Kenai Peninsula. DNR announced the extension Tuesday.  

Alaskans will now have until Nov. 16 to comment on the plan. DNR also plans to hold a public meeting on the plan in Homer later this month. The department originally gave residents 30 days to comment on the plan when it released the draft last month.  

Voters across the borough headed to the polls today to cast their ballots in favor of candidates for Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, service area boards and school board. Kenai Peninsula residents also weighed in on a few ballot propositions.

On the southern peninsula, incumbent Willy Dunne and businessman Troy Jones are running for the District 9 seat on the assembly.

Homer residents and those across the Kenai Peninsula will head to the polls Tuesday. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. There are two polling locations in Homer: City Hall and Homer Senior Citizens.

The mayoral race is the only contested race in Homer. Former City Council Member David Lewis and Ken Castner are both running to replace current Homer Mayor Bryan Zak.

Both city council members Donna Aderhold and Heath Smith are up for re-election, but both are running unopposed.

Sandhill cranes appear to have had a good nesting season near Homer this summer. Kachemak Crane Watch Co-founder Nina Faust said while most of the birds have flown south to California for the winter, the citizen-science based program found that most were successful in raising their colts.

“We had 63 colts hatched from 33 nests that were reported, and out of that, 48 colts survived to fledging,” Faust explained. “That’s 13.2 percent better than last year.”

Former Homer City Council member David Lewis is attempting to become Homer’s mayor for the second time. Lewis lost to current Homer Mayor Bryan Zak in 2016. This election cycle, Lewis has his eye on finding ways to shore up the city’s budget without new taxes while simultaneously pushing the city’s capital projects across the finish line.

Lewis left the council last year after three terms on the panel. Lewis has also sat on other city boards during his time on and off the council.