FAIRBANKS — Beyond differences in substance and message, the campaigns of the two finalists for mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough offer a contrast in style and resources. Where Luke Hopkins has received a level of financial support not seen for a municipal candidate in Fairbanks in years, Tammie Wilson has received backing through a small-budget, door-to-door campaign.

The candidates split two-thirds of the vote in the municipal election’s first round. Wilson, a registered Republican, is a self-described conservative who surprised many by besting other, more experienced conservatives early this month. Hopkins, a registered Democrat, was viewed by many as the most left-leaning of six candidates on the original ballot. The office of borough mayor is nonpartisan, but shades of partisan philosophy have nonetheless crept into the race’s outskirts.

The question left unanswered is how the thousands of votes up for grabs in Fairbanks, where more than half of all registered voters are independent or nonpartisan, will go. Twenty-eight percent of voters here are registered Republicans, and 14 percent are Democrats.

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Wilson’s campaign has drawn energy from a relatively new, loose issues group known as the Interior Alaska Conservative Coalition. Her campaign literature also is prominent at functions such as meetings of a task force formed by former Alaska House candidate Schaeffer Cox to monitor gun legislation and the lawmaking process in general.

The coalition opened an office, roughly 1,000 square feet at the corner of Minnie Street and the Old Steese Highway, early this year and has stayed busy through the election. Its stated interests include protecting gun and private property rights and dissolving the nation’s central banking system.

Wilson was an early member, interested in adding conservative voices to help her on the nine-member Borough Assembly. Others familiar with municipal issues and the public process helped curious residents — and, in particular, helped prospective candidates — find public meeting schedules and agendas and learn the basic structure of local government.

“A typical complaint, especially for local elections, is that people are apathetic,” said Mike Prax, a former assemblyman involved with the coalition. “This is how you can do something — start at the local level.”

Wilson has spent her time since announcing her candidacy walking from door to door across the borough. She said she and volunteers use a borough-wide map to keep track of which neighborhoods they’ve visited and which remain unexplored. She usually walks alone but said she occasionally brings a volunteer from the coalition.

Prax also is a district vice chairman for the state Republican Party. But he said that while Interior Alaska Conservative Coalition members are of like conservative minds, the group is not affiliated with the party.

The coalition originally sought to affect the three early October assembly races, but volunteers at the offices spread reminders of the runoff date, prepare Wilson campaign literature and ask callers to vote for Wilson.

“They’re learning as they go,” said Wilson, who is completing her first year as an assemblywoman. “I can’t wait to see how they do.”

Prax said the group avoids endorsing candidates and is thus exempt from the Alaska Public Offices Commission’s election-related financial disclosure requirements. State election rules require groups that receive or spend money to influence the outcome of an election to register with APOC, a specialist for the commission said. That spending can cover the use of rented office space or phone lines, he said.

Wilson’s campaign had collected more than $22,000, largely from small contributions, a week before the Oct. 6 vote. That figure was less than all but one other candidate for mayor.

Among Wilson’s informal campaign advisers are Republican legislative staffer Rynnieva Moss, volunteer Maria Rensel and campaign manager Rick VanderKolk, the campaign said.

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While many of Wilson’s closest backers are self-described conservatives, much of Hopkins’ support, judging by campaign contributions, comes from Democrats or from Anchorage.

Hopkins reported in late September having raised at least $68,000 before the Oct. 6 vote. On Friday he said that figure has increased by at least $20,000.

That’s easily more fundraising than anyone in the six-candidate mayor’s race, and it is more single-cycle campaign income than any Fairbanks municipal candidate has had in six years. Rhonda Boyles raised and spent more than $100,000, adjusted for inflation, on a victorious 2000 campaign for mayor, easily outspending opponents. Three years later, Boyles and successful challenger Jim Whitaker each reached or neared the $80,000 fundraising mark.

Of Hopkins’ income as reported late last month, about one-tenth had come from political action committees, often political arms of unions. Another estimated $9,000 arrived from people in Anchorage or Southeast. That total included contributions from a number of Democratic political figures including state Senate majority leader Johnny Ellis, state Democratic Party chairwoman Pat Higgins, and David Ramseur, chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Mark Begich.

Hopkins has dismissed as “way out there,” any suggestion that Democrats might have worked to prevent multiple liberal candidates from running for mayor and splitting votes in the first round.

Interior Democratic chairman David Valentine said the same thing.

“Mr. Hopkins’ intent to run was widely known in political circles for some time,” Valentine wrote in an e-mail to the Daily News-Miner. He said there was no party-related planning during the race for mayor.

Hopkins said Monday that five years of assembly experience has left him the know-how to plan much of his own campaign. When he does seek advice, he said, he might turn to his son and campaign manager, who has served as a legislative aide for Democrats, or to others with experience in political or energy, such as former state Rep. John Davies, incumbent Sen. Joe Thomas, both Democrats, or entrepreneur Bernie Karl, a registered Republican.

Hopkins also has received support from public worker unions including a $1,000 check from the Alaska Public Employees Association shortly after he announced in 2008 that he’d run for mayor. Borough officials negotiate with that association during contract renewals. Hopkins said that support would not put him in an awkward position when contract negotiations arrive, and that similar support has not influenced his past votes from the assembly — the borough’s legislative branch — on union contracts.

“If you look at the (Public Employment Relations Act), it says bargaining and negotiations will be done in good faith,” Hopkins said. “That’s what everybody commits to, and that’s the way bargaining should go.”

Contact staff writer Christopher Eshleman at 459-7582.

Tammie Wilson

1979: Graduates (as Tamara Ebbler), Jersey Community High School, Illinois

1982: Marries Robert Wilson

1983: B.S. in education, Illinois State University

1984: Teacher, Bluffs School, Illinois

1987: Manager, three rental properties

1989: Opens Jim’s Attic, antiques and collectibles, Alton, Ill.

1992: Coach, Little League, girls soccer, Alton

1999: Opens 8,000-square-foot mall for antiques and collectibles, Jerseyville, Ill.

2001: Tanana Valley Fairgrounds grounds crew

2004: Volunteer, Santa’s Clearinghouse

2005: Joins borough Air Pollution Control Commission

2006: Love INC board director and vice president

2007: GVEA, chairwoman District 3 nominating committee

2007: Clearinghouse volunteer manager

2008: Receives “Golden Heart” Award, Flint Hills Resources

2008: Elected, Borough Assembly

2009 (June): Files paperwork for mayor

Luke Hopkins

1966: Graduates, Branford High School, Connecticut

1971: Opens Enep’ut Shops, wooden toy manufacturing business

1972: Board director, Enep’ut Day Care Center

1974: Joins UAF carpenter shop

1977: Marries Elyse Guttenberg

1993: Promoted, facilities manager operations and maintenance, UAF

1996: Vocational education task force, school district

1997: Joins Planning Commission

1999: Organizing committee, Farthest North Annual Jewish Film Festival

2000: Special projects manager, UAF

2002: Vice chairman, Planning Commission

2004: Elected, Borough Assembly

2005: Chosen as presiding officer, assembly

2005: Joins FMATS policy committee

2007: Board director, Alaska Gasline Port Authority

2007: Work group, Subcabinet (state) Panel on Climate Change

2008 (Oct): Files paperwork for mayor

Sources: Hopkins and Wilson campaigns, News-Miner archives