Two council members and a former state senator run to replace term-limited Wasilla Mayor Glenda Ledford

Wasilla voters will choose a new mayor Oct. 6. Mayor Glenda Ledford has served two consecutive terms, and city code bars a third in a row, so the seat is open.

Three candidates are on the ballot: City Council members Stu Graham and Alina Rubeo, and former state Sen. David Wilson. The winner serves a three-year term.

If no one gets more than 40% of the vote, the top two advance to a runoff, which the city expects to hold Nov. 10. That happened the last time three people ran for mayor, in 2020. The first-place finisher got 38.6%, and Ledford won the runoff three weeks later by 61 votes. Graham finished third in that race. Only 721 ballots were cast.

Graham holds council Seat B, and Rubeo holds Seat F; Ledford named Rubeo deputy mayor in 2023. The mayor can't also sit on the council, so if either wins, the council would appoint someone to fill the open seat until the October 2027 election. Three of the six current council members, including Rubeo, first joined by appointment.

In the city's voter guide, Rubeo describes herself as a second-generation Wasilla resident who has owned local businesses for more than 20 years. Wilson, who served in the state Senate from 2017 to 2024 and on the Wasilla City Council before that, writes that he helped bring millions of dollars in investment to the Mat-Su. Graham did not submit a statement.

Graham and Rubeo are registered to report their campaign finances with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. Wilson is registered as exempt, which applies to candidates who don't plan to raise or spend more than $5,000.

Two council seats are also on the ballot. Bruce Webb is unopposed for Seat C. In Seat D, incumbent Ian Crafton faces David Seals, chairman of the city planning commission.

Early voting is open at City Hall, 290 E. Herning Ave., through Oct. 5. Applications for an absentee ballot by mail are due to the city clerk by 5 pm Tuesday, Sept. 29. On Election Day, polls are open 7 am to 8 pm at City Hall for precinct 27-420 and at the Menard Sports Center for precinct 27-425.