Candidates get out the vote

Monday, October 04 2010

Unalaska, AK – Tomorrow, Unalaska residents will vote for their preferred candidates - which means it's been a busy week for everyone running for City Council or for mayor. While this campaign season has been quieter than previous years, candidates are still doing what they can to get out the vote.

Jessica Culp is one of three candidates for City Council Seat C, and she was one of the first to put signs up around the community explaining her platform. She hopes that maybe that will help give her an edge.

"I got my materials out there early on so people had the chance to read about my values and see if they felt that I would be a good addition to the council," says Culp.

In the past couple of weeks, other candidates have also put up signs around town, placing them on corkboards at the grocery store or at local restaurants. Most of the candidates agree: it's hard work campaigning, and it's particularly difficult when you have other responsibilities. Here's incumbent Mayor Shirley Marquardt, who is running for reelection against city council member Dick Peck.

"It's hard to find time to do the things that I would like to do," says Marquardt. "I just think that I've been campaigning the past three years in doing my job."

This is part of why friends, and especially family, are so important to making campaigns run smoothly. Roger Rowland is the incumbent city council member, and he's running against Culp along with Skip Southworth. He says that his family has been a major part of his reelection campaign.

"My daughter could be called my campaign manager," says Rowland.

Meanwhile, Southworth says that his family has put a lot of energy backing him, too, sometimes from afar.

"I just hung up the phone with [my daughter]," says Southworth. "And she said, Yup, I did my absentee ballot this morning.'"

Voting will take place at City Hall tomorrow.



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