Two seats on the Homer City Council are up for grabs in October. So far, three candidates have officially filed to run.
Kimberly Ketter filed to run on Monday. Ketter ran in 2016 and received 181 votes.
Caroline Venuti filed on Thursday. Venuti is a lifelong Alaskan. She has served on the Library Advisory Board, the City Transportation Committee and sat on the founding board of the Homer Boys and Girls Club.
Homer resident and stay-at-mother Sarah Vance is running for her first time. Vance became a local public figure when she took on the role of spokeswoman for Heartbeat of Homer, the political action committee that pushed for the recall of three council members.
Current council members Catriona Reynolds and David Lewis were both subject of the recall election, and their terms are ending this fall. Both have said they do not plan to run.
Those looking to run will have until Aug. 15 to file at the city clerk’s office by noon. You can see all three candidate profiles on the city’s website.
Five seats on the Kenai Borough Assembly are also open, including Homer’s seat. Homer representative and current Assembly President Kelly Cooper has filed for reelection. If reelected, it would be Cooper’s second term.
She has served as assembly president since 2016, and is currently on the Alaska Municipal League’s board. She has also served on the South Peninsula Hospital’s Operating Area Board, as president on the Homer Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and on the borough’s Health Care Task Force.
One of Homer’s seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education is open as well. Current board member Mike Illg has filed for reelection.
