For the past eight years, Sarah Vance has been a reliable member of the Republican caucus in the Alaska House of Representatives, winning election four different times in a district covering the southern Kenai Peninsula.
But in this August’s primary election, something unusual happened: An independent challenger, Brent Johnson of Clam Gulch, beat Vance by more than 13 percentage points.
As a member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, [candidate Brent Johnson] presided over arguments about school closures.
“Tustumena Elementary, which is five miles down the road from our house, where I went to school as first grader through sixth grade, closed, and that’s a big deal. People are mad about that,” he said.
Johnson said the district has a lot of home-schooled students, but even if that proportion is 30%, that means 70% of local students are using public schools.
“We care about public schools, and I’m not opposed to homeschool, but I care about public schools too,” he said.
Dana sez, as a graduate of Seldovia High School in 1969 and a member of that 70 percent, I do, too. Brent Johnson will better represent that view in Juneau, so he’s got my vote.
I also believe that Brent will work better with JKT*, who is almost certainly going to be our next governor. Vance has been a Dunleavy stalwart.
Read the full story here. (Alaska Beacon)
*Yesterday Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed JKT for governor.
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