Moto is on track for a 2nd term as Northwest Arctic Borough mayor

With votes trickling in after Tuesday’s election, Dickie Moto is on track to win his second term as Northwest Arctic Borough mayor.

Moto is leading the count with 548 votes, according to unofficial results. His sole opponent, Carl Nasruk Weisner, has 364 votes.

During his first term as borough mayor, Moto said he has been focused on expanding the Village Public Safety Officer program to every village. He said he has also been supporting alternative energy sources to bring living costs down in the villages and putting some borough funds into savings to prepare for a decline in Red Dog Mine revenue.

Weisner, who now works for the Native Village of Kotzebue’s housing department, ran for mayor to assist municipal governments in fiscal management, find ways to address declining borough revenue and support young borough residents. He said Tuesday that he appreciated the voters who supported him.

“I’m proud of and am thankful for all of the good people who lifted me up during the campaign,” Weisner said. “Best wishes to Mayor Moto and his administration.”

[Longtime Northwest Arctic elected official challenges current borough mayor]

Assembly and School Board races

In a race for the assembly’s Seat A, incumbent Elmer Armstrong Jr. is leading against Elsie B. Sampson, 376 votes to 337. The third candidate for the seat, Walter W. Downey, has 183 votes so far.

Armstrong Jr. has been serving in Seat A since 2016 and said he is running to keep improving public safety and local infrastructure and addressing the high cost of living in the region.

Sampson has said that if she is elected, she wants to work with regional, state and national organizations to ensure financial transparency, keep projects on schedule and improve community wellness.

[Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly candidates bring up ideas for declining budget and mental health needs]

The only candidate for Seat B, Austin Swan Sr., has gained 819 votes so far. He is running for his fifth term to keep improving the local VPSO program, securing a reliable source of revenue for the borough and relocating the village of Kivalina.

Incumbent Reid Paaluk Magdanz, running for Seat J, has received 800 votes.

Magdanz’s focus is preparing the borough budget for the Red Dog Mine revenue decline by finding spending to cut and areas to prioritize. He also wants the borough to prioritize services that promote mental health and healing for the residents.

In a race for Seat K, incumbent Walter G. Sampson has gotten 554 votes while Johnson Greene received 354. Sampson hasn’t responded to questions about his candidacy and Greene had said he wants to address the high cost of living and fuel in the region.

Running for the School Board’s Seat B is incumbent Millie Hawley. She received 784 votes. Hawley has said she wants to continue supporting students and move forward with projects such as creating family units at the Alaska Technical Center.

Shannon Melton has gotten 807 votes running for School Board’s Seat F.

There are 36 questioned ballots and one absentee ballot, according to unofficial results. The borough will be canvassing the results on Friday at 9 a.m., said Stella Atoruk, borough clerk.