Republican state representative Sarah Vance, who has held a southern Kenai Peninsula seat including Homer for eight years, faces a strong challenge from independent Brent Johnson in next month's election, the Alaska Beacon reports.
Johnson, a Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member from Clam Gulch, finished more than 13 points ahead of Vance in the August primary, reversing her 9-point lead over him two years earlier. The result matters statewide: a mainly Democratic coalition controls the Alaska House with 21 of 40 seats, and Johnson has confirmed he would join it.
Vance says she would stay with fellow Republicans, in the minority or a new majority. The coalition plans to push in 2027 for changes to school funding, such as setting budgets early and adding automatic inflation increases, ideas Johnson says he supports.
Source: Alaska Beacon
