2021 Anchorage mayoral election
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| Turnout | 31.88% (first round)[3] 38.35% (runoff)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Interactive map version Runoff results by precinct:
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| Elections in Alaska |
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The 2021 Anchorage mayoral election was held on April 6, 2021, to elect the mayor of Anchorage, Alaska.[1] As no candidate received at least 45% of the vote in the first round, the two candidates with the highest vote share, Forrest Dunbar and Dave Bronson, advanced to a runoff on May 11.[2][5] The election was officially nonpartisan. Incumbent independent acting mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, first appointed to the position in October 2020, was eligible to run for reelection to a full term, but did not run.[6][7][8] The deadline to register to vote in the first round was March 7. Mail-in ballots were sent out starting on March 15. On May 21, 2021, after a narrow loss, Dunbar conceded the race to Bronson.[9] Bronson was sworn in on July 1.[5]
Background
[edit]Ethan Berkowitz was elected mayor in 2015 and 2018 and was ineligible to run for a third term. On October 13, 2020, he announced his resignation through his chief of staff Jason Bockenstadt at a meeting of the Anchorage Assembly, Anchorage's city council, to be effective October 23. The resignation came after a reporter made allegations that he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with her.[10] Felix Rivera, chair of the Anchorage Assembly, was next in the line of succession to the office. After a failed attempt immediately following the resignation announcement, the Assembly met in a special meeting on October 16 to reorganize itself, installing Austin Quinn-Davidson as Assembly chair with Rivera as vice-chair. This move allowed Quinn-Davidson to succeed to the office of mayor and allowed Rivera to retain his position presiding over Assembly meetings.[10] Quinn-Davidson is both the first female and first openly gay mayor of Anchorage.[11] On November 4, the Assembly voted not to hold a special election for the position of mayor, meaning that the next election for the seat would be the regularly scheduled one in 2021.[12]
General election
[edit]In the leadup to the general election, it was widely believed that there would be a runoff between Dunbar and one of the more conservative candidates.[5]
Candidates
[edit]Major candidates
[edit]- Dave Bronson (Republican), former U.S. Air Force and commercial pilot[13]
- Forrest Dunbar (Democratic), Member of the Anchorage Assembly (2016–present), member of the Alaska Army National Guard[14][15]
- Bill Evans (Independent), Member of the Anchorage Assembly (2014–2017), board and two-time co-chair of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce[13]
- Bill Falsey (Independent), Anchorage Municipal Manager (2017–2020)[13]
- George Martinez (Democratic), educator, former special assistant to Ethan Berkowitz for economic development[13]
- Mike Robbins (Republican), businessman[13]
Other registered candidates
[edit]- Anna Anthony[16]
- Jeffrey Brown, social services worker[16][5]
- Darin Colbry (Republican), candidate for Governor of Alaska in 2018[16][13][17][18]
- Heather Herndon, real estate developer, construction, project manager, accountant, portfolio private placement financier[16][17][13]
- Jacob Seth Kern (Democratic), perennial candidate[8][16][19]
- Reza Momin[16]
- Albert Swank Jr., civil engineer[16]
- Jacob Versteeg, compliance examiner[20]
- Joe Westfall[16]
Withdrawn
[edit]- Eric Croft (Democratic), former state representative, former member of the Anchorage Assembly, former president of the Anchorage School Board, and candidate for governor of Alaska in 2006[8][17]
- Dustin Darden, maintenance worker and perennial candidate[21][22][16]
- Nelson Jesus Godoy, activist and candidate for mayor in 2018[8][16]
Declined
[edit]- Austin Quinn-Davidson (Independent), incumbent acting mayor[17]
Endorsements
[edit]Dave Bronson (R)
- Jamie Allard, current Anchorage Assemblyman
- Rick Mystrom, former mayor (also endorsed Martinez and Robbins)[5]
- Dan Sullivan, current United States Senator from Alaska
Forrest Dunbar (D)
State officials
- Johnny Ellis, former Majority Leader of the Alaska Senate[23]
Organizations
- AFL–CIO[24]
- AFSCME Local 52[23]
- Anchorage Democratic Party[23]
- Anchorage Education Association[23]
- Anchorage Firefighters Union[23]
- Ironworkers Union Local 751[23]
- IBEW Local 1547[23]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302[23]
- Laborers' Union, Alaska District[23]
- Planned Parenthood (also endorsed Martinez)[24]
- Teamsters Local 959[23]
- Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 367[23]
Bill Evans (I)
- Chuck Kopp, former state representative (Republican)[25]
- Dan Sullivan, former mayor, nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Alaska in 2014, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2016 (Republican) (no relation to U.S. Senator from Alaska Dan Sullivan)[26]
George Martinez (D)
People
- Rick Mystrom, former mayor (Republican) (also endorsed Bronson and Robbins)[5]
Organizations
- Planned Parenthood (also endorsed Dunbar)[5]
Mike Robbins (R)
- Rick Mystrom, former mayor (also endorsed Bronson and Martinez)[16]
Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of February 18, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate (party, if known) | Total raised | |
| Anna Anthony | did not file | |
| Dave Bronson (R) | $162,482 | |
| Jeffrey Brown | did not file | |
| Darin Colbry (R) | $0 | |
| Forrest Dunbar (D) | $252,216 | |
| Bill Evans (I) | $98,480 | |
| Bill Falsey (I) | $106,285 | |
| Heather Herndon | $0 | |
| Jacob Seth Kern (D) | did not file | |
| George Martinez (D) | $60,086 | |
| Reza Momin | did not file | |
| Mike Robbins (R) | $210,058 | |
| Albert Swank Jr. | $0 | |
| Jacob Versteeg | did not file | |
| Joe Westfall | did not file | |
| [27][24] | ||
Debates
[edit]Five candidates did not participate in either debate: Anna Anthony, Darin Colbry, Jacob Seth Kern, Reza Momin, and Jacob Versteeg.
| 2021 Anchorage mayoral election debates | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Date & time | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | |||||||||||||
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee |
||||||||||||||||||
| Dave Bronson | Jeffrey Brown | Forrest Dunbar | Bill Evans | Bill Falsey | Heather Herndon | George Martinez | Mike Robbins | Albert Swank Jr. |
Joe Westfall | |||||||||
| 1[28] | February 16, 2021
|
Tom Hewitt
|
P | N | P | P | P | N | P | P | N | N | ||||||
| 2[30] | March 18, 2021
|
West Anchorage
Community Councils |
Unknown
|
Not recorded
|
P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | ||||
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Dave Bronson |
Forrest Dunbar |
Bill Falsey |
Mike Robbins |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent pollster at APOC[31] | Released March 8, 2021 | – (V)[b] | – | 20% | 22% | 8% | 8% | 9%[c] | 33% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Dave Bronson | 24,567 | 32.96 | |
| Nonpartisan | Forrest Dunbar | 23,054 | 30.93 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Falsey | 9,551 | 12.82 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Evans | 7,073 | 9.49 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Robbins | 5,766 | 7.74 | |
| Nonpartisan | George Martinez | 2,753 | 3.69 | |
| Nonpartisan | Heather Herndon | 451 | 0.61 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeffrey Brown | 307 | 0.41 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anna Anthony | 306 | 0.41 | |
| Nonpartisan | Albert Swank Jr. | 231 | 0.31 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joe Westfall | 83 | 0.11 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jacob Seth Kern | 52 | 0.07 | |
| Nonpartisan | Reza Momin | 52 | 0.07 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jacob Versteeg | 43 | 0.06 | |
| Nonpartisan | Darin Colbry | 31 | 0.04 | |
| Write-in | 205 | 0.28 | ||
| Total votes | 74,525 | 100.00 | ||
Runoff
[edit]In the leadup to the runoff, third-place primary finisher Falsey and sixth-place finisher Martinez endorsed Dunbar, while fifth-place finisher Robbins endorsed Bronson.[33][34] Fourth-place finisher Evans did not make an endorsement.
Endorsements
[edit]Dave Bronson (R)
- Rick Mystrom, former mayor[5]
Forrest Dunbar (D)
State officials
- Johnny Ellis, former Majority Leader of the Alaska Senate[23]
Organizations
- AFL–CIO[24]
- AFSCME Local 52[23]
- Anchorage Democratic Party[23]
- Anchorage Education Association[23]
- Anchorage Firefighters Union[23]
- Ironworkers Union Local 751[23]
- IBEW Local 1547[23]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302[23]
- Laborers' Union, Alaska District[23]
- Planned Parenthood[24]
- Teamsters Local 959[23]
- Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 367[23]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[d] |
Margin of error |
Dave Bronson |
Forrest Dunbar |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Survey Research[35] | April 9–12, 2021 | 322 (LV) | ± 5.5% | 44% | 45% | 11% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Dave Bronson | 45,937 | 50.66 | |
| Nonpartisan | Forrest Dunbar | 44,744 | 49.34 | |
| Total votes | 90,681 | 100.00 | ||
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Republican Mike Robbins joins 2021 Anchorage mayoral race". Anchorage Daily News. August 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "Dave Bronson, backed by 'Save Anchorage' group, enters crowded mayoral race". Anchorage Daily News. August 26, 2020.
- ^ Official Results 2021[permanent dead link]
- ^ Official Results 2021[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h "In a crowded race, many candidates for Anchorage mayor say they're aiming to make it to an expected runoff". Anchorage Daily News. February 15, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ George, Kavitha; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (October 17, 2020). "Assembly reorganizes, elects Austin Quinn-Davidson to become interim mayor". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ Buxton, Matt (August 8, 2018). "Progressive Quinn-Davidson wins big in Anchorage Assembly special election". The Midnight Sun. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Mathews, Cheyenne. "Anchorage municipal manager files to run for mayor". Alaska's News Source.
- ^ "Bronson set to win race for Anchorage mayor; Dunbar concedes". Anchorage Daily News. May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Goodykoontz, Emily (October 16, 2020). "Anchorage Assembly chooses Austin Quinn-Davidson to serve as acting mayor". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Anchorage chooses 1st woman, openly gay acting mayor". NBC News.
- ^ "Anchorage Assembly rejects special election for mayor". Anchorage Daily News. November 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g George, Kavitha; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (January 18, 2021). "Candidates begin filing for Anchorage municipal office". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Here's who has filed to run for Anchorage mayor and the Anchorage School Board so far". Anchorage Daily News. January 21, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Forrest Dunbar". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Here are all the candidates running for Anchorage mayor and school board". Anchorage Daily News. January 30, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "2021 Anchorage mayoral race takes shape with a crowded field". Anchorage Daily News. December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ "Darin Colbry". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Staff, T. N. L. "Anchorage Mayoral Candidate Profiles | The Northern Light". Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "2021 Elections Mayor Candidate - Jacob Versteeg". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Dustin Darden". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Mayoral election in Anchorage, Alaska (2021)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Endorsements". Forrest Dunbar for Mayor. Retrieved June 9, 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e "Dunbar so far outraises competitors for Anchorage mayor's office by tens of thousands of dollars". Anchorage Daily News. February 18, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Evans offers clear-headed, unifying leadership for Anchorage". Anchorage Daily News. February 7, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ George, Kavitha; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (December 21, 2020). "Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan endorses Bill Evans". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ George, Kavitha; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (February 19, 2021). "Dunbar, Robbins lead in fundraising for Anchorage mayoral race". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Watch: 6 Anchorage mayoral candidates debate homelessness and housing in online forum". Anchorage Daily News. February 17, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Video
- ^ "Candidates for Anchorage mayor are set to debate in online forum Thursday night. Here's how to watch". Anchorage Daily News. March 19, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Independent pollster at APOC
- ^ https://www.muni.org/Departments/Assembly/Clerk/Elections/Election_Results/2021_Official_Results-_initialed.pdf [dead link]
- ^ Goodykoontz, Emily. "Falsey endorses Dunbar and Robbins endorses Bronson in race for Anchorage mayor". Achorage Daily News.
- ^ Goodykoontz, Emily. "George Martinez endorses Forrest Dunbar in Anchorage mayoral race". Achorage Daily News.
- ^ Alaska Survey Research
- ^ http://www.muni.org/Departments/Assembly/Clerk/Elections/Election_Results/May_11_2021_Mayor_Runoff_Election_Official_Results.pdf [dead link]
External links
[edit]Official campaign websites
- Dave Bronson (R) for Mayor Archived January 11, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Forrest Dunbar (D) for Mayor
- Bill Evans (I) for Mayor Archived March 9, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Bill Falsey (I) for Mayor Archived January 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Heather Herndon for Mayor Archived March 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- George Martinez (D) for Mayor
- Mike Robbins (R) for Mayor Archived January 23, 2021, at the Wayback Machine