Candidates in American Fork’s 2021 Municipal Election (updated 10/6/21)

The filing period for candidates in American Fork’s 2021 municipal election ran from June 1 to June 7. Two candidates, including the incumbent, filed for mayor. Three candidates, including both incumbents, filed for the two available city council seats. All terms are four years.

Because neither race has more than two candidates per seat, there will be no municipal primary election. There will be only the general election in November. We will likely see little campaign activity before Labor Day.

Candidates for Mayor

Candidates for American Fork Mayor are one-term incumbent Brad Frost and challenger Tim Holley.

Both have campaign websites; here are Mayor Frost’s and Mr. Holley’s.

Contact information and brief profiles of both candidates are at the official American Fork City website.

Candidates for City Council

Candidates for American Fork City Council are incumbents Staci Carroll and Ryan Hunter, and challenger Carissa George. Carroll is a one-term incumbent. Hunter was appointed several weeks ago to fill the seat vacated by the passing of Barbara Christiansen.

Here are links to the candidates:

• Staci Carroll: campaign website and Facebook page
• Ryan Hunter: campaign website and Facebook page
• Carissa George: Instagram

Contact information and brief profiles of all three candidates are at the official American Fork City website.

Musings

Earlier this year, numerous city residents applied to fill Barbara Christiansen’s seat. Besides Ryan Hunter, who was appointed, and former Councilmember Heidi Rodeback, who said she didn’t plan to run for the next term, there were at least two I thought would make particularly fine candidates. A few of the others might have acquitted themselves well too.

I didn’t expect them all to file for the election, but I thought two or three might. Since the didn’t, I won’t name them.

I’m pleased that we’re having an election; I don’t like to see incumbents run unopposed, even when I like the incumbents. I think it’s bad for good government.

I’ll be back later in the election cycle, as opportunities present themselves to meet and examine the candidates. Expect information and probably some opinion too.

More, Later Thoughts (October 6)

I finally met the two challengers and chatted briefly with them at a lunchtime event last week. It was at American Fork High School, and the audience was students who are old enough to vote for the first time in this election. Since I was the moderator and had some control over the questions, among other things, I won’t offer any commentary. I prefer to wear one hat at a time.

The American Fork Chamber of Commerce will host a meet-the-candidates event on Thursday, October 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the American Fork Senior Center (54 East Main Street, American Fork). Voters will have the first hour to meet and greet the candidates informally. City council candidates will debate at 7:00 p.m., and mayoral candidates will debate at 8:00 p.m. I will post audio recordings of from the event here at AFElection.info, within a few days of the event.

If You’re a Candidate

If you’re a candidate and care to supply links, photos, etc., I’m easy to find. I’ll update this page as I get further information. (Latest update: October 6, 2021)

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Thanks for reading! Comments are always welcome, within the bounds of common civility and relevance.

About AFelection.info

Not everyone who sounds off about our local politics does it in the open, with his or her real name clearly attached. But that’s how it works here. It’s a matter of honor. Views offered here have authors’ names on them, so you can assess their credibility, and so you know whom to blame for errors and anything else you don’t like. Writers here don’t hide behind handles, pseudonyms, or an organizational name to mask their identity.

I probably should mention that, despite my long (but not current) service on assorted City committees and task forces and my occasional work on political campaigns, I am in no sense or degree an official spokesperson for any current candidate’s campaign or for any office, officer, or other governmental or administrative entity of American Fork City.

AFelection.info is my joint project with local businessman Rod Martin. We decided several elections ago that one of the best things we could do to insure the quality of local government was to help candidates’ words and thoughts spread to the voters. We rely on informed voters’ common sense and a firm hope that there’s something Darwinian about letting candidates talk.

In case that’s not enough, we unashamedly add some analysis and opinion.

I do the bulk of the writing, but well-written, well-reasoned, relevant guest writing has appeared here before, and I’d love more of it. You may consider that an invitation.