Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- Mayor Dianne M. Keller has her first rival in her bid for a second term as mayor.

Councilwoman Diana Straub, who worked as chairwoman for Keller's 2002 mayoral campaign, has signaled her intent to run in the 2005 Wasilla mayoral race by filing with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

Straub and Keller have been friends for a few years, Straub said, and together pulled off a challenging mayoral race some people said would never get off the ground.

Now the two women are acting as their own campaign managers and going head-to-head for the city's top seat. In Wasilla's strong-mayor form of government, being mayor is a full-time job, with a $73,246 yearly salary.

Straub said she's filing because she has seen a growing divide between how Keller does business and how Straub believes business should be done.

"Dianne and I just have some business practices that are different," Straub said. "In the last six to eight months, I've just seen that difference really broaden. I think the residents need to have a choice."

Keller, reached in Anchorage by cell phone Wednesday, said she was surprised to hear Straub had filed but says that won't change her campaign strategy. She expected competition, she said, and has worked to put together a solid campaign, showcasing what she's accomplished in nearly 10 years of city service.

"She's probably not going to be the only person to file for that seat," Keller said. "I anticipated a challenge ... I'm just going to work my (campaign) plan."

Straub hasn't been shy about saying she would like to be Wasilla's mayor. But when she's talked about it in the past, it's been with the clear caveat that she would wait until Keller finishes her second term. After Straub returned from a few months' work as office assistant for freshman state Rep. Mark Neuman in Juneau, she said, the difference between her and Keller's operating style was more apparent to her.

Straub cited brash behavior on the part of the mayor as one of the primary examples of their different business approaches. Keller, in some council meetings, has cut off other council members, interrupted them and, on occasion, done the same to citizens giving public testimony.

"I treat people differently," Straub said. "I think all people deserve dignity and respect, especially in public, especially when you're the mayor."

Keller said she treats people with dignity and respect but also runs council meetings with an eye toward keeping business moving. She said she's a strong supporter of people's right to participate in government and speak their opinion.

"It's so important for everyone in America to have the ability to do that," Keller said. "People have the right to come to a council meeting and say what they want -- as long as it's not a personal attack or obscenities."

Straub said although she has filed a letter of intent to run, her candidacy is not yet solid. She will use the remaining weeks before the city's filing deadline, she said, to gauge how much support she's likely to get.

She has a number of things to consider, she said, including recent news that her husband, in the Alaska National Guard's 297th Support Battalion, is training for deployment to Iraq. In addition, she's a stay-at-home mother of three children, ages 10, 12 and 13.

"I do have to balance that out. Can I be a good mayor, and can I be a good mother?" Straub said.

The official filing period for city offices is from 8 a.m. July 18 to 5 p.m. July 29.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission opens its filing period for municipal candidates 18 months before an election. An early filing allows candidates to begin raising campaign money.

Several years have passed since two elected Wasilla city officials competed for the mayor's seat. In 1996, Councilwoman Sarah Palin filed to run against Mayor John Stein, and a volley of ads from both candidates flooded local media. Council members at that time said the two kept their cool at the council table, however.

"I don't recall anything happening," said Phil Lockwood, a former councilman. "They were both pretty good about keeping it out of the council chambers."

Lockwood, who was unseated by Keller, a council candidate during the 1996 election, said the election marked a significant shift in city philosophy. Stein and Palin represented two groups with different philosophies of what direction the city should go, Lockwood said.

Palin, according to news reports at the time, characterized Stein as a "good ole boy" who lost touch with the people. Stein touted the benefits of his experience gained as a four-term mayor. The mayor is now limited to two terms.

Pat Hjellen, a former Wasilla mayor and council member in 1996, said she vaguely recalled an agreement between Palin and Stein to keep the upcoming election out of council discussions. She said she didn't remember the election becoming an issue at the council table but added that different people operate differently. Lockwood said likewise.

"It depends on the individuals involved, as to whether they're going to bring it up or not," Lockwood said.

Both Keller and Straub said they see no reason the election should become an issue at the council table.

Daily News reporter Rindi White can be reached at rwhite@adn.com or 907-352-6709.