Petersburg’s municipal election received the highest number of ballots this year in over a decade. A total of 1,280 ballots were cast and canvassed, including one outstanding ballot. It was the highest turnout since Petersburg voted to become a borough in December 2012, which saw just over a hundred more ballots than this year.
There were a couple of contested races for local office this year, namely for mayor and for Petersburg’s Borough Assembly.
It was Bob Martin’s first time running for an assembly seat. He was at moose camp near Cape Fanshaw when he heard he was elected. He said he felt relieved, but also surprised that over 800 residents voted for him.
“I just felt really, a really heavy responsibility, try to keep all those voters happy, the people that voted for me, and even the people that didn’t,” he said. “I really want to try to walk the line of keeping the most people happy with my decisions.”
Martin said he wants to involve the public more in the decision-making process. He hopes people continue to share ideas, especially when it comes to addressing housing needs in Petersburg.
“At this point, there are no bad ideas. Let’s get them all out there, then we can sort through them,” he said.
But right now, he said Petersburg’s finances are the top priority.
“The most important thing, the very basic thing I need to work on, is the budget. We can’t do much of anything unless we get the budget figured out. And beyond that would be these things like housing and to keep funding the schools and stuff like that,” he said. “The budget doesn’t sound like an interesting issue, but that’s … probably issue number one.”
Martin tried a digital campaign this year; he hoped memes on social media would draw a younger crowd to the polling station.
“We had heard that the younger people weren’t voting, and I don’t know if that made a difference at all, but at least we had some fun with that,” he said.
Martin said he’s grateful for the voter turnout, and looks forward to learning and working with the assembly.
Also elected to the assembly this year is Jeff Meucci. Meucci has prior experience serving on the assembly, and even spent a few years in the 90s as Petersburg’s mayor.
“Now, the hard work comes … just trying to sort out how we’re gonna get through these tough times financially here,” he said.
Meucci’s focus is on school funding, housing, the new hospital project, tourism, the local commercial fishing fleet, as well as addressing food-conditioned bears in town. He says those issues are important to the community, and it’s important to him to listen.
“Part of the thing about being on the assembly is you get the opportunity to talk to … a wide range of people in the community who honestly have different views on a lot of things,” Meucci said. “It’s important for me to understand what those views are … when I’m trying to make a tough decision. So that’s the cool part about small town politics in Alaska. I just love it.”
Meucci said the campaign was “intense,” but he feels ready to return to a seat at the dais and move forward.
“People that weren’t maybe the most happy about … the elections, I want them to continue to reach out, and I’ll reach out to them,” said Meucci. “We’re all in this together, and local politics is so important to me that I really value the input from the community.”
Petersburg also elected a new mayor this year. Bob Lynn is moving from his assembly seat to take on mayoral duties.
“Slow and steady,” he said, “We’re going to keep moving forward.”
Lynn expects challenges coming from the state and federal governments that Petersburg will need to work through locally.
“I think this is going to be a trying time to keep … services moving forward and without, you know, big disruptions and that type of thing,” he said. “Going to take a little bit of ingenuity here.”
Lynn said he wants to follow through on the commitments he made in his campaign and continue making progress, talking with representatives in Washington D.C. and touching base with local organizations.
“Anything I can do to keep it open, keep the dialog moving along,” he said. “There’s times when we need to make decisions, and there’s times when you just need to let things … ferment a little bit before you make a decision. And hopefully we can, all of us, can move in that direction.”
The Petersburg Borough certified the election results at a special assembly meeting on Oct. 10, marking the official change in local office.
As the meeting adjourned, longtime mayor Mark Jensen —who did not run for reelection after nearly two decades in local office— flashed a smile, held up the mayor’s gavel and turned toward Lynn.
“Here you go, member Lynn,” Jensen said, echoed by light laughter in the Assembly Chambers.
Jensen endorsed Lynn for the position during the campaign.
Lynn’s move to the mayor’s seat means there is a vacancy on the assembly. Four other vacant positions remain among the borough boards. Martin was chair of the Harbor and Ports Advisory board, and is vacating that position. Letters of intent to fill an open seat can be submitted to the borough clerk; each position is temporary, lasting until next year’s municipal election. Appointments will be made at the Nov. 3 assembly meeting.
Lynn, Meucci and Martin will swear into office at the next Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting on Oct. 20.
Scott Newman’s assembly seat expired this year; he ran for mayor instead, but lost to Lynn. After the polls closed on election night, Newman told reporters that he had wanted to use the mayor’s position to advocate more actively for the community, and hopes Lynn will as well.
Donna Marsh was the only incumbent in the assembly race, but was not reelected to her seat. Although disappointed with the results, she said she has high hopes for the community.
“It’s been a good run. I have appreciated the opportunity. It’s been very humbling,” she told KFSK before the canvassing meeting. “It’s been a huge learning experience … And I am considering about submitting a letter of interest for this open seat left vacant by assembly member Lynn … I’m considering it. Beyond next year? Who’s to say?”
The last outstanding ballot counted at the election canvassing cast a vote for Newman and Marsh — as well as a no vote for Proposition 1. It didn’t change the outcome of the unofficial election results, but narrowed the margins even more, with the ballot measure officially passing by only eight votes.
The final, certified vote count for each race in this election can be found here.
This story was updated on Nov. 5, 2025 with photos of Martin and Meucci swearing into office.
