Landmine Staff Anchorage election predictions

Today is the 2022 Anchorage municipal election! Landmine staff went through the five Assembly races. Below are our thoughts and predictions. After reading, let us know your thoughts and why you agree or disagree in the comments section.

Please join us tonight for our live election coverage. We will be streaming on Facebook Live and YouTube from 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm. We will have a panel discussing the races and results as well as interviewing candidates.

2022 Anchorage Municipal Election

District 2 – Seat A – Eagle River/Chugiak

  • Kevin Cross
  • Gretchen Wehmhoff
  • Vanessa Stephens

Prediction: This is an open seat because Assembly member Crystal Kennedy is not seeking re-election. Eagle River/Chugiak is the most conservative part of Anchorage. Conservative Kevin Cross has the endorsement of Kennedy, Assembly member Jamie Allard, and Mayor Dave Bronson. This race has not attracted a lot of money, but Cross has outraised Gretchen Wehmhoff, reporting more than $38,000 to her some $14,000. Vanessa Stephens has reported no income. We are going with Cross. 


District 3 – Seat D – West Anchorage

  • Kameron Perez-Verdia
  • Nial Sherwood Williams
  • Liz Vazquez

Prediction: Progressive incumbent Kameron Perez-Verdia is once again being challenged by conservative Liz Vazquez. Perez-Verdia beat her in 2019, garnering 50.5% of the vote to Vazquez’s 39.8%. Perennial candidate Dustin Darden got 8.8%. Vazquez has reported more than $77,000 in income, but Perez-Verdia has reported more than $113,000. Vazquez has run a lackluster campaign. We are going with Perez-Verdia. 


District 4 – Seat F – Midtown Anchorage

  • Meg Zaletel
  • Kathy Henslee

Prediction: Progressive incumbent Meg Zaletel is being challenged by conservative Kathy Henslee. Henslee unsuccessfully challenged Representative Chris Tuck (D – Anchorage) in 2020. Henslee has outraised Zaletel, reporting more than $156,000 in income compared to Zaletel’s some $103,000. Zaletel, who was a co-sponsor of the controversial mask mandate in October, has been targeted by conservatives. But she beat a recall attempt last year by almost 20 points. They have both been campaigning hard. This is a tough one. We are calling it a toss-up. 


District 5 – Seat H – East Anchorage

  • Stephanie Taylor
  • Christopher Hall
  • Forrest Dunbar

Prediction: This is by far the most expensive race. Progressive incumbent Forrest Dunbar has reported more than $262,000 in income. His conservative challenger Stephanie Taylor has reported more than $194,000. That is over $450,000 combined! Dunbar narrowly lost the mayoral race to Dave Bronson last year but beat Bronson in East Anchorage. While Taylor has been campaigning hard, Dunbar is a tenacious campaigner and is well-known in East Anchorage. Christopher Hall, who has reported no income, will get few votes but the votes he does get will pull from Taylor. We are going with Dunbar. 


District 6 – Seat J – South Anchorage

  • Darin Colbry
  • John Weddleton
  • Randy Sulte

Prediction: This is also an expensive race. Progressive incumbent John Weddleton has reported more than $145,000 in income. His conservative challenger Randy Sulte has reported more than $161,000. Darin Colbry has reported no income. Sulte is a newcomer to politics but he’s been running a hard campaign. Weddleton was first elected in 2016, garnering 44.45% of the vote against conservative Treg Taylor, who got 39.77%. But Mark Schimscheimer got 15.1% of the vote in that election, meaning Weddleton likely would have lost a heads-up race. Weddleton did not have an opponent in 2019 when he ran for re-election. Weddleton has tried hard to be portray himself as independent, but his association with the progressives on the Assembly has frustrated many South Anchorage voters, who lean conservative. We are going with Sulte. 

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Crage
1 year ago

Progressives will make a clean sweep for Assembly seats and s hook board. If all of Anchorage’s coalition voting blocks come out in force Anchorage will remain on a sound path and move forward with its diversity platform.

Akwhitty
1 year ago
Reply to  Crage

Yes we have seen a lot of progress in the town. Out of control spending on Vagrants. Exploding property taxes. Loss of civil liberties by the unelected mayor and her cronies. The shit show will continue with a progressive pace.

Tucker
1 year ago
Reply to  Crage

Crage, ya got tired of the echo chamber at ADN, huh?

Last edited 1 year ago by Tucker
Crage
1 year ago
Reply to  Tucker

🖕

Joel Adams
1 year ago
Reply to  Crage

What are Progressives progressing towards, Crage? “Move forward with its diversity platform” as if diversity in itself is a good and positive goal. I can think of a thousand diverse things that are horrific and that I want nothing to do with.

Crage
1 year ago
Reply to  Joel Adams

Progressives are the blue wave keeping you dingbats away from majority control of city government. 😆