Assembly, school board candidates make cases at televised forum before early voting starts Friday

3 candidates for 2 school board seats discuss AI in classrooms and absenteeism; 8 Assembly hopefuls in 3 races discuss trust in city government, ICE agent deployments

Eight candidates seeking three Juneau Assembly seats participate in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Juneau at the KTOO Studios on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This is a developing story.

All 11 candidates in Juneau’s Oct. 6 municipal election got a chance Wednesday evening to air their positions on key issues to residents during a televised forum two days before ballots are mailed and drop boxes open on Friday.

Eight candidates seeking three Juneau Assembly seats and three candidates seeking two Juneau Board of Education seats took part in the forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Juneau and livestreamed by KTOO. Information about three tax-related ballot propositions and how to vote in the election was also presented during the 90-minute forum.

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See also:

• Assembly, school board candidates get first chance to distinguish themselves at downtown forum

• Future of Goldbelt dock, Eaglecrest, second crossing loom large at Douglas candidate forum

• Where Juneau Assembly candidates stand on CBJ’s budget, cruise tourism limits and homelessness

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The school board candidates were featured during the first 20 minutes of the forum, answering questions on topics that included the district’s budget-driven consolidation two years ago, policies for use of technology and AI in schools, mental health support for students, and high absenteeism rates.

The three contenders — first-term incumbents Britteny Cioni-Haywood and David Noon, and challenger Christine Johnson — are seeking two seats. They are listed as a single group on the ballot. Voters are allowed to select two and the two candidates with the most votes will win the seats.

Assembly members made their cases during the final hour of the forum with a different set of questions, including citizen trust in local government, addressing future housing and landfill needs, imposing limits on cruise tourism, and whether the city should be supportive if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are deployed locally.

Two of the three races are competitive: The Areawide seat is being sought by incumbent Paul Kelly, and challengers Brad Sapp and James McCants. The open District 2 seat is being sought by Karla Hart, Malachi Thorington, Joyce Niven and David Morris. Mila Cosgrove is unopposed for the District 1 seat.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.