Dan Henry was the only assembly candidate whose name appeared on the ballot. (Emily Files)
Dan Henry has won a Skagway Assembly seat by a razor-thin margin.
The race was too close to call after Tuesday’s vote. Henry had received 153 votes. Write-in candidate Philip Clark was just seven votes behind. Another write-in candidate, Roger Griffin, was also close, with 125 votes.
The Canvass board tallied 79 early voting, mail-in, and questioned ballots Thursday afternoon.
In the final count, Henry eked out a victory by five votes. He received 174 votes to Clark’s 169. Griffin ended up with 149.
The other assembly seat was handily won by write-in David Brena. He earned 311 votes in the end.
The remaining ballots also solidify write-in challenger Monica Carlson’s victory over incumbent mayor Mark Schaefer. Carlson earned 288 votes to Schaefer’s 223.
Soon-to-be Assemblyman Henry served in Skagway government for about 19 years until last fall, when he was required to report to federal prison for failing to pay income taxes.
Henry has also been reprimanded by the Alaska Public Offices Commission twice. The commission found him in violation of candidate disclosure laws in 2016 and 2017. There is a third complaint against Henry pending with APOC now.
Clark was a political newcomer. He launched a write-in campaign after seeing the sparse field of candidates for the two open assembly seats.
The election results were certified at Thursday’s assembly meeting.
Henry, Brena and Carlson’s first assembly meeting in their new seats will be Oct. 19.
This report has been updated to reflect the assembly’s certification of election results and the number of ballots counted Thursday.
Certified Results
Borough Mayor (one seat)
Monica Carlson 288
Mark Schaefer 223
Borough Assembly (two seats)
David Brena 311
Philip Clark 169
Roger W. Griffin 149
Dan Henry 174
Dewey McCracken 80
School Board (two seats)
Cara Cosgrove 214
Chezare Doxey Leipold 82
Heather D. Rodig 330
Denise Sager 328
