A last minute write-in candidate makes six candidates running for four seats on the Haines school board. Keely Baumgartner filed as a write-in candidate last week, to run for a three-year term. Today we hear from Baumgartner, as part of our candidate profile series.
Keely Baumgartner is a Haines High graduate and moved back here with her family in 2017.
She filed as a write-in candidate last week. According to borough code, write-ins have up to five days to file before the election.
Photo courtesy of Keely Baumgartner
“It was a big decision for me, you know, I missed the initial deadline, partly because I’m very busy. And I wanted to make sure I was in the right headspace and time commitment to be part of the board,” Baumgartner said. “And there was just so much outpouring of encouragement, and you should go for it. And everyone was just pushing me to do it. So I decided to go for it. And that’s why I filed at the last minute.”
The 36-year-old works as a nurse at the SEARHC clinic, her husband is a sixth grade teacher and cross country coach, and their two children are enrolled in the elementary school.
“The small town feel,” she replied when asked why she chose Haines. “It’s a great place to raise kids. Jordan, my husband is also from a small town in Alaska. So we always knew we wanted to end up in rural Alaska with our kids.”
This is her first run for school board. Baumgartner says it was partly inspired by her experience on the health advisory committee, a group of school board and SEARHC clinic administrators. It formed at the start of the pandemic, and meets weekly to advise the school district on COVID policies.
“Being part of the Health Advisory Committee has really piqued my interest into the school board,” she said. “It’s something I always considered doing when I moved back to Haines, but never really took that leap. And over the last year, I’ve gotten a little bit more involved. And I want to continue that with the school board so that hopefully, when this pandemic is over, I can help be involved in other non COVID related issues.”
She says she’s not running on any specific issue, but sees it as a community service.
“My background as a nurse, I feel like I kind of see things through the health caregiver lens a lot of times, but that’s not my only focus. You know, like I said before, I’ve lived with a teacher and I have heard about different things that they would want to see improved. And I have my own children now…I just want to continue to serve the community and the kids and their overall well being,” she said.
Voters must write in Baumgartner’s full name on the ballot and fill in the oval next to it in order for the vote to be tallied.
She is one of six school board candidates, the others include Brian Clay, Shannon Dryden, Kevin Shove, Michael Wald and Jonathan Wray.
