Skagway's city hall and museum. (Greta Mart)

Skagway’s city hall and museum. (Greta Mart)

Skagway has competitive races for both borough assembly and school board this election. The candidate filing period closed Monday.

Three candidates are running for two open assembly seats, currently occupied by Tim Cochran and Spencer Morgan. Cochran is running for re-election, Morgan is not. Cochran works for Petro Marine Services and has served two three-year terms on the assembly.

He is running against Orion Hanson and David Brena. Last year, real estate developer Brena ran for assembly as a write-in candidate. He said at the time that his opposition to the proposed tidelands lease with White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad spurred him to run for office. Brena lost to incumbent Steve Burnham Jr. and Jay Burnham. The lease was rejected in a public vote.

Hanson has not run for assembly before. He is currently the chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission and works as a general contractor.

The Skagway School Board race will also be a three-way contest for two open seats. The two members whose seats are set to open are both running for re-election. Darren Belisle is a longtime school board member who works for AP&T. Mark Smith was appointed to an open seat on the board last year. Because of his appointment, that seat holds a two-year term instead of the usual three years.

Newcomer Jaime Bricker is also vying for a spot on the school board. Bricker works for White Pass and serves as the Skagway Traditional Council president.

In Haines, one new candidate put her name in the mix this week. Haines School bookkeeper Judy Erekson brings the number of candidates for two open assembly seats up to three. Incumbent Diana Lapham and author Heather Lende are also running for assembly.

So far, just one person has filed for two open seats on the Haines School Board. Longtime board member Sarah Swinton is hoping to retain her seat.

Haines residents have a few more days to become candidates. The filing deadline is this Friday.

Local elections take place Tuesday, Oct. 4.