politics

The five candidates running to represent House District 6 all say if elected they’d prioritize the interests of Alaska’s rural population. But they differ on how they’d do that, while balancing the state’s budget and preserving the Permanent Fund dividend.

Voter turnout was down in Tuesday’s election, both here in the Interior and statewide.

The outcome of votes cast in the Interior on Tuesday for top statewide offices and ballot measures apparently were the same as the statewide outcome.

Turnout was heavy Tuesday at several polling places in some communities around the Interior.

Redistricting has thrown two incumbent North Pole Republican lawmakers into a new district, and created one of the more unusual political matchups in this year’s primary: District 1 Representative Tammie Wilson versus District 2 incumbent, Doug Isaacson, for the new District 3 seat.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Byron Mallott pitched a plan to help Alaskans cope with rising energy costs during a campaign swing through Fairbanks over the weekend. Mallott says he wanted to talk his plan here in the Interior, where home heating costs are highest – especially for rural and Bush communities.

People from around Alaska and Outside are arriving in Fairbanks to bid final farewell to former territorial governor Mike Stepovich. Stepovich died Feb. 14 at the age of 94 in California. His body was returned to Fairbanks last week.