Palmer mayor recall too close to call as final ballots await count
Updated election results are expected Friday following the official count of nearly 200 early and absentee ballots.
Update: Voters reject recall of Palmer Mayor Steve Carrington
What you need to know:
- The special election to recall Palmer Mayor Steve Carrington remained undecided Tuesday, with preliminary results showing 99 votes for the recall and 97 against. About 190 early and absentee ballots are still to be counted.
- Final results are expected Friday. The election is expected to be certified during a regular Palmer City Council meeting scheduled for next week.
- Carrington is accused of official misconduct for hiring an outside attorney without City Council approval amid a controversy involving former City Manager Stephen Jellie. He said he took that step due to “legal uncertainties” heading into a contentious closed meeting.
Palmer — The outcome of the special election to recall Palmer Mayor Steve Carrington remained too close to call after polls closed Tuesday, with nearly 200 early and absentee ballots yet to be tallied.
Preliminary results showed 99 votes in favor of the recall effort and 97 votes against it.
About 190 early and absentee ballots remain to be counted. A canvass board is scheduled to meet this week to tally those ballots, and official results are expected by late Friday.
Recall proponents allege that Carrington is guilty of official misconduct because he overstepped his authority when he hired an outside attorney last year without first obtaining City Council approval.
Carrington said he authorized the agreement due to “legal uncertainties” surrounding accusations against former Palmer City Manager Stephen Jellie, according to a statement included on the special election ballots.
If the recall is approved, Carrington will remain in office until the election results are certified. Certification is expected during a regular Palmer City Council meeting scheduled for next week.
If the referendum is rejected, Alaska state law prohibits filing a new application to recall Carrington for six months. Carrington’s current term ends in October, and he does not plan to run for reelection, he said in an interview.
The cost of holding the special recall election could reach $18,000, City Clerk Shelley Acteson said in an interview. That estimate covers a wide variety of related costs, including attorney fees for reviewing recall petition applications, printing ballots and publishing election notices.
Two campaign groups were registered to raise money and purchase materials for the recall election, according to Alaska Public Offices Commission data.
A special interest group registered as “Recall Steve Carrington” lists Cindy Hudgins and Jackie Goforth as officials. The pair also helped lead a special election effort in 2022 that recalled three Palmer City Council members.
A ballot proposition group registered as "NO Recall for Palmer MayorSteve.com" lists Carrington and former Palmer City Council member Richard Best as officials. Best resigned from the council last month.
A complaint filed by Goforth with the commission on May 7 alleges that officials with the No Recall for Palmer MayorSteve.com group failed to properly disclose financial contributors on campaign signage.
The commission denied a request for an expedited hearing during a virtual special meeting on the matter Tuesday afternoon. A nonexpedited hearing will be scheduled for a later date, officials said during that meeting.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com
