By Delcenia Cosman

Homer Independent Press

The candidate lists are set for multiple Kenai Peninsula Borough races in the November general election, with the closure of the candidate filing period Monday.

Five seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly are up for election this year. Homer’s District 8 seat, currently held by Kelly Cooper, is the most contested with three candidates in the running. 

Cooper said she won’t seek reelection, and will instead throw her support behind Theo Noomah.

Born and raised in Homer, Noomah left Alaska to attend college but returned with his family in 2024. He holds degrees in public policy and education and linguistics, and currently serves on Homer’s Economic Development Advisory Commission. 

“With a degree in public policy and a career in business analytics, I know how to understand policy documents, work with constrained budgets, and make informed decisions in the face of difficult problems,” Noomah wrote in his candidate statement.

Larry Anthony is a retired law enforcement officer from Arizona. He currently works as chief operations officer for the Alaska Bus Company and coaches Pop Warner football in Homer. He said in his candidate statement that his law enforcement experience taught him the importance of accountability and fiscal responsibility, and those values continue to guide him today.

Matt Bullard co-owns and operates a dental office in Homer with his wife and is a volunteer firefighter/EMT with the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. He currently serves on the South Peninsula Hospital Board of Directors; his term expires in December. He also ran unsuccessfully for the Homer Electric Association Board of Directors last year.

Bullard wrote in his candidate statement the education he received from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy granted him a unique understanding of the marine industry on the peninsula.

“On the Assembly, I’ll work to keep the Peninsula business-friendly and focused on getting the basics of governance right first,” he said. 

The candidate elected to represent Homer will serve a three-year term on the assembly, ending November 2029.

Neither KPB School District seat representing Homer or the southern Kenai Peninsula are up for election this fall. 

Three seats are open on the South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board, each for a three-year term. 

Incumbents Francie Roberts and Tamara Fletcher, respective board president and treasurer, are each running uncontested to keep their seats for a second term. Meg WrightSmith is uncontested to replace current board member Erin Workman.

WrightSmith owns and operates Maitri Holistic Therapy & Wellness on East End Road. With a background in behavioral health and business management, she plans to advocate for the strategic allocation of service area funds to maintain South Peninsula Hospital facilities and technology and keep care accessible.

Borough mayor incumbent Peter Micchiche is uncontested in his bid for reelection. 

A former state senator and Soldotna mayor, Micciche was first elected as borough mayor in a February 2023 special election, after former mayor Charlie Pierce resigned to run for state governor. Micciche held onto his seat in the regular election in October 2023. 

After November, he’ll serve another three-year term.

Micciche said in his candidate statement he’s committed to keeping the cost of living in the Kenai Peninsula Borough affordable by capping property taxes, lowering energy costs, funding schools sustainably and maintaining conservative budgets.

Review all candidates in the upcoming borough election on the KPB website.