Fairbanks North Star Borough Assemblymember Mindy O’Neall announced Wednesday that she intends to run for Fairbanks city mayor in the upcoming municipal election.
In a prepared notice, O’Neall said living in Fairbanks has taught her “what it means to take responsibility for my community.”
“I’m running because I believe Fairbanks can be a place where residents and visitors feel safe, connected, and proud to call home,” O’Neall said. “We deserve a city that’s beautiful, accessible, and thriving, and that takes fresh energy and proven leadership. I’m ready to lead that effort as Fairbanks’ next mayor.”
O’Neall has served on the Assembly for nearly six years and terms out in October. She’s served in the role of presiding officer a few times, including for the current 2024-2025 cycle.
In her announcement, O’Neall cited 20 years of experience “leading community-based organizations and public-sector initiatives focused on housing, economic development, and public safety.”
That includes the private sector in restaurants, radio, arts and the public sector experience such as working for the Alaska Legislature, the Interior Gas Utility, Laborers Local 942 and her current position as the executive director of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center.
“I really think that it’s time for Fairbanks to have some different leadership,” O’Neall said on Wednesday. “I’m most excited to elevate the issue of the city and have an honest conversation about where our talent is going.”
She’s also pushed for streamlining and strengthening development in downtown Fairbanks in line with the Assembly’s adoption of the Downtown Fairbanks Plan, bolstering funding for public safety and services and deregulating downtown parking requirements.
“The City of Fairbanks has great bones, what it needs now is a heartbeat,” O’Neall stated. “With a community-first approach, we can restore our golden heart reputation.”
O’Neall faces incumbent Mayor David Pruhs. Pruhs filed his intent to run with the Alaska Public Offices Commission on Dec. 11, 2024.
O’Neall filed her intent to run with APOC on Tuesday.
Filing with APOC is required for candidates who intend to engage in campaign activity, accept and spend campaign contributions.
“I look at this as a wonderful opportunity to showcase to Fairbanks two different styles of leadership,” Pruhs said Wednesday.
O’Neall agreed.
“There are a lot of changes that are happening in the world, and we are ripe for a discussion of where we are going,” O’Neal said. “It’s the thing I love about local politics, come look at issues from different perspectives.”
Since being elected in October 2022, Pruhs has advocated for stabilizing the Fairbanks Police Department and the Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center’s chronic retention and staffing issues, including supporting a retirement incentive plan for police officers and increasing the city’s hiring bonus.
Pruhs noted that under his leadership, the Fairbanks Fire Department grew by 25%, the city successfully added a third ambulance, additional fire captains and nine firefighters/EMTs. He also noted he’s improved snowplowing on city streets by implementing a new cycle focused on arterial streets on the first day, and subdivision streets over the next three following days.
“In the two years I’ve been here, I’ve accomplished a lot,” Pruhs said. “It’s been great and I look forward to it again.”
He has also been pushing for clearing up or abating properties within city limits, such as the burned portion of the Alaska Motor Inn on Fourth Avenue and spearheading potential development ideas for what will replace the Polaris Building once it’s demolished.
Pruhs has also advocated for strong economic development policies in Fairbanks and ensuring the city has a stronger presence on borough commissions, such as the Economic Development Commission and the Planning Commission.
He noted that under his tenure, the city successfully negotiated a potential $40 million wrongful conviction and arrest lawsuit filed by Marvin Roberts, George Frese, Kevin Pease, and Eugene Vent. The four Alaska Native men were arrested and later convicted for the fatal beating of teenager John Hartman in 1997. They continued to maintain their innocence over much of the nearly 18 years they served in prison until the state vacated their conviction in 2015, when new evidence came to light that other suspects might have been responsible for Hartman’s beating and death.
The four men sued the city and four officers in 2017, kiking off a lengthy legal battle. Vent, Pease, and Frese settled in 2023, each for $1.59 million, while Roberts continued the lawsuit on his own. In March, he agreed to a $11.5 million settlement, $9.5 million of which the city must pay over a three-year period.
Pruhs noted that the three-year installment eases the burden on city taxpayers, while also bringing some closure to Roberts.
The local filing period for municipal elections with the respective city of Fairbanks, North Pole, or Fairbanks North Star Borough municipal clerks opens July 15 and closes July 29. The deadline to withdraw ends Aug. 5.