Four Kodiak residents vie for an open Assembly seat

Four Kodiak residents are competing for an open Assembly seat, and the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly will pick one of them Thursday night.

The seat opened when Dave Johnson resigned in late June, and because more than 90 days remain in his term, the Assembly fills it by appointment rather than a special election. Whoever gets the nod serves until the October election, when voters choose someone to finish the term.

The four applicants are Mark Anthony Vizcocho, Shawn Brekke, Kaleb Callahan, and Alexander Sweeney. Vizcocho, president of the Filipino American Association of Kodiak, noted in his application that Filipinos make up a large share of Kodiak's population but haven't always had a seat at the table in elected leadership.

The Assembly interviews all four at a 6 p.m. work session Thursday, then makes the appointment at its regular meeting, with the winner sworn in the same night. If members can't agree, they've held July 23 in reserve.