Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

NORTH POLE–A three-way race for North Pole Mayor ended in a virtual tie between Doug Isaacson and Dave Pieczynski on Tuesday with more than 30 votes remaining to be counted.

Isaacson drew 152 votes, while Pieczynski drew 151 votes. A third candidate, Diane Williams, received 32 votes. The winner could be decided as soon as Tuesday when the city’s absentee and questioned ballots are counted.

“I’m down by one,” said Pieczynski, a 42-year-old meat cutter. “It’s better than losing.” All three candidates are past or present city council members.

Isaacson, the 48-year-old president of Gold Coast Mortgage, presented himself as the more polished choice.

He spent his estimated $4,000 in campaign contributions on items such as professionally-made signs and red T-shirts with Santa’s Choice written on them in a play off the Christmas theme of North Pole, a town of about 1,600 people located 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks.

Pieczynski’s campaign spending totalled about $500, a combination of his own money and contributions. He painted his own signs, but started campaigning earlier than Isaacson and managed to capture the endorsement of the sitting mayor.

“We both are very much in love with our city,” Isaacson said. “We both want to see the best for our city.”

Williams said she spent about $100, recycling old campaign signs and printing flyers off of her home computer.

“I think that either one of them will do a good job,” the 40-year-old office manager said. People who voted for Isaacson said they liked his personality.

“He’s easy to talk to and approachable,” said Lorna Canete, a payroll accountant who voted at city hall.

“He has good eye contact,” said Amy Samuel, a medical assistant and another city hall voter.

Pieczynski supporters said they shared his views.

One voter liked Pieczynski’s position on where North Pole police should patrol.

“I couldn’t care less if people do 70 (mph) on the Richardson Highway,” said J.R. Holder, an auto parts specialist. “Let troopers handle that.”

Isaacson will spend the next week preparing for his daughter’s wedding, while Pieczynski said he’ll begin taking down his 60-odd campaign signs. Williams is retiring from politics with thoughts of going back to school.

City Clerk Kathy Weber will announce the winner next week after she is notified by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Clerk following the count of the final ballots. There are at least 21 questioned ballots to be counted and a dozen absentee ballots.

“We have another week of butterflies,” Weber said.

Staff writer Amanda Bohman can be reached at 459-7544 or abohman@newsminer.com.