Preliminary results show Cooper leading in Palmer mayor race; changes coming to Houston council

What you need to know:

• Jim Cooper held a preliminary lead in a five-way race for Palmer mayor after polls closed Tuesday, while two city council races in Palmer remained too close to call. In Houston, preliminary results showed new candidates leading incumbents and a trio of controversial ballot measures headed for defeat. 
• Two city council races in Wasilla were uncontested. In the race for Seat C, Mark Schmidt led Sue-Sue “Sue2” Scott, 97 to 54, with 159 ballots yet to be counted.
• Early results in Houston, Wasilla and Palmer do not include a tally of early and absentee ballots. Full results are expected by Friday evening.

• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

PALMER — Preliminary results in a five-way race for Palmer mayor showed Jim Cooper with a clear lead after polls closed Tuesday, while council races in Houston and four ballot propositions showed clear winners and losers.

In Wasilla, two city council races were uncontested Tuesday, while a third showed incumbent Mark Schmidt leading Sue-Sue “Sue2” Scott, 97 to 54, in the race for Seat C, according to preliminary results.

Update: Former mayor, newcomers win in Palmer; Houston gets three new council members

Palmer, Wasilla and Houston hold elections annually on the first Tuesday in October. Final tallies are expected later this week after early and absentee ballots are counted by a canvass board in each city. Matanuska-Susitna Borough elections for Assembly and School Board are scheduled for Nov. 4.

Election Day tallies showed the top two candidates in the five-way Palmer mayoral race separated by 54 votes, with Cooper leading John Alcantra, 157 to 103, with a total of 261 early and absentee ballots not yet counted. Josh Tudor received 56 votes, Victoria Hudson 39, and Cachet Garrett 7, according to preliminary results. Cooper is a current council member and former Palmer mayor and Alcantra, Tudor and Hudson are current city council members.

In a race for two three-year Palmer City Council seats in which the top two vote-getters win, Allison Collins led with 231 votes, followed by Amanda Graham with 197 and incumbent Carolina Graver with 160, according to preliminary results.

Sherry Carrington led the race for a one-year Palmer City Council seat, 227 to 88, over Aundra “Omega” Jackson.

A Palmer ballot question on whether the city manager may live within five miles of city limits appeared headed for approval, 227 to 134, according to preliminary results.

In Houston, with 93 votes yet to be counted, Jason Kahn led incumbent David Childs, 125 to 89 in the race for Seat E, according to preliminary results. Callie Courtney led Ron Bass, 155 to 56, in the race for Seat F, and Dan Lewis led incumbent Laurie Faubert, 153 to 64, for Seat G.

Controversial Houston ballot measures also showed clear results on Election Day, according to the preliminary count.

A measure to temporarily increase the city’s sales tax to fund road construction appeared headed for defeat, 167 to 55. A separate measure asking whether the city should establish an airport was also trailing, 166 to 55.

A question on whether to designate Houston Thunder Festival as a city holiday was failing, 190 to 31, while a similar measure to designate Houston Founders Day as a holiday was passing, 179 to 49.

In Wasilla, voters selected city council members for three seats Tuesday, with 154 ballots cast and 159 still to be counted.

Races for Seats C and E were uncontested, with Timothy Johnson and Alina Rubio receiving 129 and 130 votes, respectively, according to preliminary results.

Voter turnout in Palmer sat at about 12% with about 628 votes cast through early and absentee voting and on Election Day. In Wasilla, turnout was about 4% with 313 votes cast. In Houston, turnout sat at about 17%.

Early and absentee ballots will be counted in Palmer starting Oct. 8, with final results expected by late Friday, according to the city’s website. The election is scheduled for certification on Oct. 13.

In Houston, early and absentee ballots will be counted Friday, with certification scheduled for Oct. 13. The city is set to select a new mayor from among sitting council members during a special meeting on Oct. 20.

Outstanding early and absentee ballots in Wasilla will be tallied by the canvass board Friday, with certification scheduled for Oct. 13.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com

This story was updated late Oct. 7 to include results from Houston. It was updated Oct. 8 to reflect the correct date of Palmer‘s certification vote.