MEA 2024 Election Results

The results of Matanuska Electric Association’s (MEA) 2024 board election were announced at the end of the cooperative’s Annual Meeting on April 30 and confirmed at the MEA board meeting on May 13. MEA Members reelected incumbents Bill Kendig in the Susitna West District and Maxwell Sumner in the Susitna East District; both will serve four-year terms.

A total of 3246 votes were counted. Of these, 1873 (58 percent) were mail-in ballots, 1337 (41 percent) were cast electronically, and 36 (1 percent) were cast in-person at the MEA Annual Meeting—members used those voting methods in similar proportions in 2023. Turnout was about 12 percent of eligible members, up slightly from last year. 13 votes were write-ins, which were not counted, as per MEA Bylaws.

In the Susitna West District, incumbent (and board president) Bill Kendig was reelected to a third term in a fairly tight race. Kendig received 865 votes (47.5 percent) to challenger Henrik Wessel’s 824 (45.2 percent); the third candidate, Darren Kessler, received 133 votes (7.3 percent). Kendig, who has served on the MEA Board since 2016, will not be able to run for reelection in 2028 due to MEA’s board term limits. Kendig is a realty broker and also has served on the board shared by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) since 2019.

Bill Kendig, from his MEA board profile

In the Susitna East District, incumbent Maxwell Sumner received 916 votes (64.9 percent) to 495 votes (35.1 percent) for challenger Daniel Baldwin. This will be the first full term for Sumner, who originally was appointed to the Susitna East seat in December 2022 after the resignation of Mark Kelsey (Kelsey himself had been appointed by the Board in July 2022, after Robert Doyle resigned to accept an appointment as a Commissioner on the Regulatory Commission of Alaska). Sumner owns and operates a residential and small commercial construction business and also serves on the board of the Mat-Su Home Builders Association.

Maxwell Sumner, from his MEA board profile

In 2025 MEA members will elect the director representing the Matanuska District (which includes areas east of Wasilla, including Palmer and Sutton) and one At-Large director representing the entire membership.

2024 MEA board election results