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Mark Springer Declares Write-In Candidacy For October Election

Bethel City Council member Mark Springer declared his candidacy as a write-in candidate on August 28, 2018.
Christine Trudeau/KYUK

Bethel City Council member Mark Springer will be a write-in candidate in October’s municipal elections.

Springer intended to file his candidacy last week, but missed the deadline due to an unexpected medical emergency. "I had a toothache," he explained, "and on a Sunday afternoon it was decided by the powers that be that I was going to go to the hospital." He had a high fever and started convulsing; doctors at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation diagnosed him with sepsis.

Springer profusely thanked the emergency room at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital for saving his life. He asked a relative to file his candidacy on his behalf while he was in the hospital, but the application arrived 20 minutes after the filing deadline.

City Clerk Lori Strickler accepted Springer’s declaration of candidacy for a write-in on Tuesday morning. Springer says that he’d look forward to serving on City Council again, as there is still a lot of work to be done. "I think we’re going to be struggling with the budget even as we write it," he said. "We’ll be struggling with revenue after the closure of the liquor store. That’s worth every penny, but nevertheless, it just makes things tougher."

Bethel’s municipal elections will be held on October 2.