Bronson’s mayoral win shows Anchorage voters are over COVID-19

Dave Bronson is the mayor now. Good. After a tumultuous campaign that followed an even crazier presidential election last fall, Anchorage can finally rejoice in knowing that things can return to normal.

Though I’m young, I’ve seen my fair share of Alaska politics, and have observed various visions of what direction politicians think our state and the city of Anchorage should take. This mayoral election is an example of the backlash happening around the country to Democratic leaders and their policies in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it be the recall that Gov. Gavin Newsom faces in California, the backlash against Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his handling of the virus in New York, Anchorage is a local, smaller-scale representation of these larger movements.

Communities have grown tired of the same old shutdowns, the stifling of the economy and other aspects of the state and local responses to COVID-19. We’ve seen restaurant owners, other small businesses and parents of school children, along with many others, faced with tremendous economic struggles over the past year, and only when faced with the threat of losing office did Democratic leaders around the country actually listen to these constituents.

This election was a turning point for city politics. To borrow mayor-elect Bronson’s campaign slogan, this is a new direction for Anchorage. As we move further past the COVID-19 pandemic, will this trend toward a new perspective be seen across other areas of Alaska? Other states across the country? For how long after the pandemic can politicians run campaigns on the so-called COVID-19 question — whether previous leadership acted appropriately given the circumstances? It worked for Bronson, but can it work for others? The real test will be whether Bronson and other politicians like him across the country, if and when they win, stick to the promises they made, and whether those promises work out in their constituents’ favor. This new direction for Anchorage is a test run for the new direction other cities across the country could also take.

Americans don’t want to continue along the current trajectory they’re on, and Anchorage’s mayoral election, and others like it across the country, prove that. They want a new vision for their futures, and are willing to trust outsiders to make it happen. As the pandemic continues to subside, local political leaders will continue to face questions over their handling of the pandemic. And as voters across the country are given the opportunity to choose a new direction, it will be fascinating to see which path they choose to take.

Scott Santaella is a West High graduate and current Temple University senior studying political science and history.

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