Sitkans elected three candidates for seats on the assembly and school board in Tuesday’s (10-7-25) municipal election, but one race is still too close to call.
Katie Riley — a local fisherwoman and Sitka Conservation Society staffer — beat out the five other Sitka Assembly candidates with 1,300 votes. In an interview on Wednesday, Riley said she’s grateful to the community for showing her support and for the volunteers who helped with her campaign.
“I want to encourage people to stay engaged, because this is really just the start, right? It’s one step,” Riley said. “There’s going to be other things that need to be voted on. There’s going to be issues that are important to people, that need your input. It’s one thing to hear from everyone about what those important issues are right now, but we need to keep having those conversations so that we can take action.”
With absentee ballots still left to count, and only a 14-vote difference between candidates Thor Christianson and Sherri Blankenship, the second open assembly seat is too close to call.
Incumbent Paul Rioux swept up the most votes Tuesday, securing his seat for a three-year term on the Sitka School Board. He said he’s honored to be chosen, and was glad to see strong turnout for this year’s election. Rioux said on the campaign trail, voters expressed concerns about high turnover, both in school administration positions and on the board, but he’s hopeful that’s changing.
“Anytime you have turnover like that, it’s kind of disruptive,” he said. “I hope that we’ve turned a corner, and that we are moving into a new phase of building a solid foundation with teamwork, and that the next immediate future is going to be looking bright.”
Rioux said he is looking forward to working with newcomer Courtney Amundson, who scored the second school board seat — a two-year term. KCAW has reached out to Amundson for comment.
Overall, 2,064 ballots were cast in the 2025 municipal election. More than 70 remaining absentee ballots will be counted on Friday, and the results will be certified at the Sitka Assembly meeting on Oct. 14.
