Local Votes and Special Kids – RedState

Can you consider that right here it’s tuning up to be mid-November, and we don’t have any snow on the ground? Maybe there’s something to this complete “El Niño/La Niña” factor after all, although one wouldn’t assume it will get this far north. More seemingly it’s just the conventional, anticipated variation in climate. Either method, come on, Alaska, we’re primed for some snow.

If you don’t like snow, truthfully, you shouldn’t live in Alaska. Besides, a little snow makes it a lot simpler to observe big, tasty snowshoe hares in the woods behind our little neighborhood.

Now then: As you’ll have seen, Republicans took a severe beating in last week’s midterm elections. Now, there’s some good news out of the 2026 elections hereabouts, in our nook of the Susitna Valley; it doesn’t appear like the borough is getting a new gross sales tax, although some of our local workplace races are still being tabulated.

• Mat-Su Borough voters appeared poised to reject proposed gross sales taxes and expanded borough authority over highway tasks, while a measure extending college board phrases from three to 4 years was narrowly passing. Jesse Sumner held a slender lead over incumbent Ole Larson in a college board race, while Tom Bergey and Philip Licht led Assembly races in Districts 1 and 2, respectively.
• Most Mat-Su-area state legislative races remained undecided, with slender margins separating candidates and 1000’s of absentee ballots still uncounted.
• Final unofficial borough election outcomes are anticipated by next week, while closing unofficial state outcomes are usually not anticipated until Nov. 18, after absentee ballots are counted and any needed ranked-choice tabulations are accomplished. The Mat-Su Borough doesn’t use ranked-choice voting.

Here’s the big one:

The preliminary rely launched early Wednesday confirmed Mat-Su voters soundly rejecting a proposed new 5% alcohol gross sales tax, 20,187 to 15,229. A measure including both a 1% gross sales tax and a new $75,000 property tax exemption for most owners was also failing, 22,284 to 12,215.

That’s a good factor. My liver wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t subject it to the occasional snort.

Alaska Man rating: 5 photographs of hoochinoo.

Now, a bit of completely satisfied news; Alaska’s Special Olympians are headed for Wasilla for the start of the Special Olympics Alaska’s 2026 state bowling event. Good for them!

“Our athletes are very competitive and they take their training very seriously,” Special Olympics Alaska president and CEO Sarah Arts said. “So you’ll see a lot of turkeys this weekend. You’ll see maybe even a couple four-baggers, some five strikes in a row. We have some really good competitive bowlers here this weekend.”

While competing against each other, the athletes, coaches and volunteers in attendance took the prospect to reconnect and bond.

“Bowling means having fun, cheering friends and teammates on, and just being supportive,” athlete Aubree Hall said.

“I’m here to cheer my friends on,” Jan Pendleton concurred. “I hope they win. I hope we get that team trophy.”

These are some particular children, and all Alaska is proud of them. The Special Olympics are one of the charities my spouse and I donate to every yr, and it’s great to see these children giving it their all; strikes me as a lot more compelling than watching a bunch of millionaires operating up and down a sportsball discipline.

Alaska Man rating: Many, many excellent video games and completely satisfied children.

Now, let’s discuss about the continued state of Alaska’s elections; no, they aren’t performed yet.

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