Anchorage Municipal Election This Week And School Board Decision To Close Schools [Updated]

[UPDATE:  Added two photos just below, and screenshots of voting results for props 1, 9, and 4 at the bottom.]

Basically, the votes counted so far have put candidates for Assembly and School Board who are considered the more liberal candidates ahead.  

Except for Assembly District 4.  

On election night (April 7, 2026), Janice Park was trailing Dave Donley by 89 votes.  But tonight she's moved ahead. 

[UPDATE April 11, 2026:  I remembered that I had pictures of these two candidates.  Donley at the School Board where he argued against closing the schools.  Park at a campaign event for Bill Hill. ]

Dave Donley

Janice Park

The next night (April 8, 2026) Park was trailing Donley by 79 votes

On April 9, 2026. Park was trailing by only 21 votes.  

And tonight, April 10, 2026, Park moved ahead by 21 votes.  There are 60 unresolved votes - presumably these are questioned ballots and I'm sure both candidates will be watching those closely.   

Meanwhile the two school bonds continue to have more no votes than yes votes.  

Proposition 1 is behind by 747 votes.

Proposition 9 is behind by 566 votes.  

I can't help but think that voters, especially parents at schools scheduled to be closed or given to charter schools, were not going to vote for funding for Lake Otis Elementary (to be taken over by the charter German immersion school) or for funding for the Campbell STEM school which is now planned for closure. 

The Board had a financial shortfall to work out.  If these numbers continue, they're going to have a larger shortfall.  They really are out of touch if they didn't see this coming. 

And as I mentioned in the previous post, since all the left leaning candidates beat right leaning candidates, under normal circumstances, the school bonds should have passed.  Bonds for parks and for the performing arts center and the library passed.  

I'd also note that the Police bond looks to be going down to defeat as well.  I don't know what happened there.  Police used to always get their bonds passed.  Is there a new public wariness about the police due to ICE or other issues?  I really have no sense of what is happening there. 

Announced today, the parents of Campbell STEM school have filed suit to keep their school open.  And I heard something about Rilke Schule (the German school) parents not happy about the change.  I don't know how many, but let's see how that plays out.  

And an ironic note - Dave Donley is  one of the two School Board members to vote against closing the schools.  

[UPDATED April 11, 2026:  Here are the April 10 updates for Props 1, 9 (Schools) and 4 (Police)

You can see all the results at the Muni Elections page.

The propositions have a much larger vote count because they are voted on by all Anchorage voters while the Assembly candidates are chosen only by people in their districts.  School Board candidates, while technically in districts, are voted on by all Anchorage voters. ]

Democracy Fair Draws Crowd To Loussac

The League of Women Voters sponsored a Democracy Fair at Loussac Library in Anchorage Saturday. 

On the 4th floor there were twenty tables staffed by employees and volunteers for Municipal agencies and non-profits.  

email: alaskamarchon@gmail.com

Facebook:  Alaska March On

Bluesky:  @alaskamarchon.bsky.social

In the Marston Auditorium there were speakers most of the day.

And in the Moose Room, they had two showings of the film The Officials about election officials who, despite all the the attempts to challenge the 2020 elections stood firm.  

The Anchorage Equal Rights Commission takes complaints about discrimination in housing, employment, and other areas in businesses and in government agencies within the boundaries of Anchorage.  

equalrights@anchorageak.gov 

it was a good way to meet a lot of people from a wide range of groups who are working to preserve democracy in the United States.  [I know, that sounds bizarre, but that's where we are.  The outcome is uncertain.]  Each group has its own key issue and approach, but my sense was they were all open to working together when that made sense.  Ultimately they all have a common goal.  

My personal goal is to work to get as many non-voters to vote, with a particular focus on young voters.  Not much is going to change in Alaska politics unless we engage the people who have decided that 'voting is not my thing' or 'every party is equally corrupt so why vote?’  A huge swath of people eligible to vote, regularly do not vote.  They can make all the difference.  There are several groups that seem to be working toward that goal and I will follow up with them.