Mackie, Smith win School Board seats

Smith, 71, is a political veteran, although he's been out of office for many years.

He was running for a seat with no incumbent. He got about 40 percent of the vote. His nearest challengers were Tommy O'Malley, a career teacher, and James LaBelle, a child-welfare liaison.

The seat Smith won is being vacated by Tim Steele.

Smith was a backer of the April 2009 tax-cap initiative that voters approved. He served in the state Legislature starting in 1966. He also served on the Anchorage Assembly from 1975 to 1985. He campaigned as a fiscal conservative. He said he favored small class sizes and wanted to take a look at administrative positions at district headquarters.

Mackie, 41, will retain the seat she first won a year ago on the seven-person board.

Mackie is a stay-at-home mother who has worked in the legislative and executive branches.

"I've only been on the board one year and I think people realize one year is not a very long time and they are willing to invest in me and let me keep going," Mackie said. "Hopefully, I will serve them well."

Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau said she was pleased Mackie got re-elected. "She deserves another term and we have enjoyed working with her on the board."

"While Mr. Smith hasn't been very active, we'll just need to work together on various issues and get him the information he needs," she said of Smith's election. "He certainly has strong feelings about the budget and the taxes and he represents a part of the community that feels that way. We'll just have to work with that."