BULLETIN–Several candidates filed for municipal office in the final hours before the city’s 5 p.m. deadline today. City Clerk Sara Peterson provided the complete list of candidates. Candidates for mayor are Steven Eisenbeisz and Gary Paxton; candidates for Assembly (two seats) are Marshall Albertson, Amy Bethune, Diana Dapcevich, Crystal Duncan, Rebecca Himschoot, Leo Jimmy, Steve Lee and Frederick Olsen Jr. Candidates for School Board (two seats) are Andrew Hames, Cass Pook and Blossom J. Twitchell.
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Three more candidates filed for Assembly today, with the possibility of more coming before the 5 p.m. deadline for the Oct. 6 city election, the city clerk said.
The latest Assembly candidates are Diana Dapcevich, Rebecca Himschoot and Marshall Albertson. Steve Lee and Leo Jimmy filed previously as candidates for the two open Assembly seats.
The Assembly terms of Richard Wein and Steven Eisenbeisz are ending this year. Wein said today he does not plan to seek re-election and at press time today Eisenbeisz had not stated his intentions.
Gary Paxton has filed to run for re-election as mayor. Two School Board seats are on the ballot. (See story on this page.)
Interviews with any late-filing candidates will appear in the Sentinel on Monday.
Dapcevich was born in Sitka and moved to Washington state with her family when she was in middle school. She is a graduate of Western Washington University. She moved back to Sitka four years ago, and is a tax professional at Dapcevich Accounting Service. She is a volunteer at the Alaska Raptor Center.
Since coming back to Sitka, Dapcevich said, she’s become more invested in the community, which has led to her running for Assembly.
“I think the community needs a more inclusive government that’s willing to engage the people,” she said. “We have such a diverse community. It’s important everyone is represented, and that representatives are working hard to respond to their needs.”
In her years of tax work, she said, she’s gotten to know people of different backgrounds, professions and cultures, which has given her a “unique perspective” on the town and citizens’ needs.
One of her goals as an Assembly member would be to “empower small businesses: it’s what Sitka’s made of,” she said.
She is the granddaughter of John Dapcevich and niece of Marko Dapcevich – two former mayors – but she’s eager to forge her own path in politics here.
Commenting today on his decision not to seek reelection, Wein said, “I would like to thank everyone for the kind considerations offered to me during my tenure as Assemblyman.”
After the close of filing at 5 p.m. today the Sentinel will publish the final list of candidates on the newspaper website www.sitkasentinel.com.
