Wasilla forum looks to connect voters with candidates ahead of October election

What you need to know:

• Mat-Su Sentinel will host a Wasilla candidate forum Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Menard Center, featuring candidates for mayor and city council ahead of the Oct. 6 election.
• Candidates will answer voter-submitted questions and discuss local issues.
• The free, public event is part of the Sentinel’s broader election coverage and aims to engage voters in a city where turnout regularly sits below 10%.
• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

WASILLA — Mat-Su Sentinel will host a candidate forum Sept. 24, giving Wasilla voters an opportunity to meet candidates for mayor and city council and hear directly from them ahead of the Oct. 6 election.

The forum begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Menard Center in Wasilla. Doors open at 6 p.m., and light refreshments will be served.

The event will bring candidates together to answer questions and discuss issues facing Wasilla.

Questions and topics will include those submitted by voters through the Sentinel’s annual voter guide process, giving residents an opportunity to help shape the conversation and hear where candidates stand on issues important to the community.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to submit questions during the event.

The forum will follow a format similar to the Sentinel’s candidate event in Houston last year, which gave voters a chance to meet and interact with candidates in a friendly environment. It was the first candidate forum in Houston in more than a decade.

The Wasilla forum is intended to provide the same opportunity for city voters this year, creating a space for candidates to discuss their views and for residents to learn more about the people seeking to represent them in city government.

RSVP now for this free event

Voter turnout in Wasilla city elections has historically been low. In 2025, 593 of the city’s 7,960 registered voters cast ballots, a turnout of about 7.4%. Turnout was higher in 2023, the city’s most recent mayoral election, when 1,265 of 7,745 registered voters cast ballots, or about 16.3%.

The forum is part of the Sentinel’s broader election coverage. This year, that includes its annual voter guide and a pair of unique voter-centered town hall events for Mat-Su area state House and Senate races and Mat-Su Borough Assembly and School Board races.

Through the voter guide process, the Sentinel asks readers to submit questions and identify issues they want candidates to address. Those responses help inform the forums.

The Sept. 24 forum is free and open to the public. Registration is also free. Tickets are being used to help organizers estimate how many people plan to attend.

-- Contact Mat-Su Sentinel at contact@matsusentinel.com