Darrell Windsor filed to run for a seat on the Sitka Assembly on Wednesday. Windsor owns Sitka Appliance Repair and is a long-time member of the Sitka Planning Commission.
KCAW’s Hope McKenney sat down with Windsor on Friday (8-7-26) to talk to him about his bid for an assembly seat, and what he hopes to address, if elected.
WINDSOR: Well, I’ve been in Sitka for 32 years. [I’ve] seen a lot of changes in 32 years. And I’ve been on the Planning Commission for 15 years. So, on the Planning Commission, we make recommendations to the Assembly. So, I thought I’d like to be on the other end for once, get the recommendations given to me.
KCAW: Yeah. So, I was going to ask you about that. You are a long-serving member on the Planning Commission, you’re the current chair as well, but this is your first time running for a seat on the Sitka Assembly. Why now? What are the issues affecting Sitkans that are making you want to to run?
WINDSOR: Of course, the biggest one is housing and the tourism. Those are two really hot items that we have to figure something out. I mean, I understand this is a tourist town, and that’s our main business. But it seems like half the population doesn’t want it, and the other half does.
KCAW: Do you have specific policies you have in mind for how to address those issues?
WINDSOR: I do on the housing, but I really don’t want to say right now. But yeah, I’ve got an idea.
KCAW: So, why should Sitkans vote for you?
WINDSOR: I think Sitkans should vote for me because I’m level-headed. I like to hear both sides and try to make an intelligent decision. I just don’t jump off the bat because I feel this way or that way. I like to hear it all. So, I think if you want a balanced somebody to make a decision, I’d be good for that.
KCAW: What else should people know about you? We know that you’ve served on the Planning Commission for a long time, but what should people know about you before they vote in the municipal election this fall?
WINDSOR: Well, I think a lot of people know me. I do appliance repair, so I’ve met probably at least 40% of the population of Sitka, so they understand that I don’t jump in. You know, I try to think things through and I try to apply that with the same thing I do on my job with troubleshooting: figure out the problem, then try to fix the problem. I feel I’ll be the same way on the assembly.
KCAW: And so you mentioned these big issues of housing and tourism affecting Sitkans right now, and I know you don’t want to go into all the details. But if elected, how do you propose to address those longstanding challenges here in Sitka?
WINDSOR: Well, like I said, I’ve got an idea. I really don’t want to say it right here. [Find] a way to get some property out to people, and an affordable way of getting property out to people.
