For this year’s League of Women Voters candidate forum, the nonpartisan civic organization partnered with KTOO and the Juneau Empire to broadcast live from @360.
Moderator Alyson Currey started things off with a reminder that early voting has already begun in Juneau’s Oct. 2 municipal election.
“This year, there is one mayoral seat and four seats open for Assembly — one seat for areawide Assembly, one seat for District 1 and two seats for District 2,” Currey said.
Juneau voters can vote for who will fill each one regardless of where they live.
The forum began with the three candidates running unopposed for school board. Topics ranged from teaching sexual consent in schools and addressing gun violence in schools.
For the Assembly portion, three out of four mayoral candidates were present, and all but one Assembly candidate.
Currey opened with a question about $250,000 allocated by the Assembly to explore a second bridge crossing to Douglas Island.
All of the candidates seemed to support the concept and the potential development prospects North Douglas might provide.
Answers varied more widely on a question about “the road” and whether Juneau should look into alternative plans to extend its road system up the Lynn Canal.
Most candidates said the road would offer economic growth and make Juneau a more attractive option for people, but several pointed to the state’s budget deficit and argued that the declining Alaska Marine Highway System deserves more attention.
Several candidates brought up their support for better access to affordable child care, an issue that almost wound up on the local ballot. The Assembly ended up rejecting the ballot measure, as well as two others.
The Assembly portion lasted nearly two hours. Candidates also addressed questions on red flag gun laws, climate change, vacancies in the police department and the growth of cruise ship tourism.
In his closing statement, incumbent Assembly member Loren Jones, who is running unopposed, said candidates have done all they can. Now it’s up to voters.
“You have to go vote, you have to take 10 people with you to vote. If you can, get a hundred people to vote,” Jones said. “The thing you have to do, your job now, is to vote. We’ve done ours.”
To hear candidates full answers, you can watch the entire candidate forum below and find more municipal election coverage online.
