Togiak mayor defeated in election

MARY LOCHNER

October 08, 2008 at 4:09PM AKST

Togiak citizens voted in Oct. 7 city council elections to shake up the former power regime.

Former Togiak mayor Gary Carlos lost his city council seat in a three-way race to Norine Antone, gaining only 65 votes to her 158. Isaac Tuday, the other contender in the race, got 28 votes.

Unlike many communities, the city of Togiak does not directly elect its mayor. Instead, the seven members of the city council do. They vote for one of their members to be appointed mayor.

The city council holds a new vote for mayor every time a new city council is elected by the people of Togiak, city clerk Margie Coopchiak said. A new mayor is appointed by the city council a week after the election, she said.

Carlos’ son, former city councilmember Sean Carlos, who was also up for re-election, was beat out by Andrew Franklin, who garnered 177 votes to Carlos’ 75.

George Arkanakyak, Sr., who ran unopposed for the remaining city seat up for election, got 222 votes.

The other four seats on the seven-member city council, which were not up for re-election, are held by city council members Kevin Ramey, Leroy Fox, Anna May Ferguson and Evelyn Yanez.