City of Mill Creek

Jared Mead is running to retain his seat on the Snohomish County Council in District 4. He previously served in the state Legislature and was appointed to the council in 2020 after Terry Ryan resigned, winning his election in 2020 for the final year of the term. Last year, Mead chaired the Regional Law & Justice and Human Services committee on the council.

Mead is a strong progressive who has worked to prohibit discrimination, fight the climate crisis, and secure an energy-independent state for future generations. His campaign priorities include reducing traffic and pollution through transit-oriented development and protecting the county's urban growth areas. In this race, he is supported by many local progressive leaders and our partner organizations.

Mead faces a challenge from Republican Brenda Carrington. She has a business background in construction and landscaping and lost to Mead in last year's election. Carrington opposes new funding for essential services and disagrees with efforts to redirect some funding to community safety and prevention.

Mead is the clear choice for Snohomish County Council in District 4.

Incumbent Stephanie Vignal is running for re-election for Position 2 on the Mill Creek City Council. Vignal first joined the council when she was appointed in 2019 and was then elected in 2020 to complete the rest of the term. During this time, she was elected by her fellow council members to serve as the mayor pro tem. Previously, Vignal served on the Parks and Recreation board. She has worked in the private sector in property management and small business financial management.

In office, Vignal has spearheaded bridging communication between city and state policymakers and serves as the council liaison with the Alliance of Housing Affordability. If re-elected, she wants to invest in public green spaces and city infrastructure, work on making Mill Creek as inclusive as possible, and focus on positive economic development as the state looks forward towards life post-pandemic. Vignal has received a number of endorsements from key progressive leaders and organizations, both locally and statewide.

Challenging Vignal in this race is Nicholas Swett, a Republican precinct committee officer. Swett lacks a campaign website and detailed platform as of mid-October.

Vignal is by far the best choice in this race and deserves your vote for Mill Creek City Council, Position 2.

Benjamin Briles was first appointed to the Mill Creek City Council in 2020 and is now running to retain his seat in Position 3. Before joining the council, Briles was first appointed to the Mill Creek Arts & Beautification Board, and then later both the Mill Creek Blvd Sub-Area Project Advisory Committee and the Snohomish County Planning Commission. Outside of public service, he worked as an engineer with Boeing.

Enhancing public spaces with an eye for beauty and inclusion has always been a focus for Briles. One of his early government projects was featuring local high schoolers’ art traffic-signal box wraps. To continue building community and bettering Mill Creek, Briles wants to strategically manage growth, expand city services, plan ahead for traffic and city service needs, and maintain Mill Creek’s unique character. In this race, he has earned the endorsements of a number of local progressive leaders.

Conservative challenger and Boeing manager Connie Allison is also in this race. Allison wants to cut social services and opposes affordable housing for Mill Creek.

Benjamin Briles is the clear choice for Mill Creek City Council, Position 3.

Incumbent Brian Holtzclaw is running for re-election to Position 4 on the Mill Creek City Council. Holtzclaw joined the council in 2014 and has served as mayor since September 2020. Outside of elected office, he works as general counsel for a development company. If re-elected, Holtzclaw wants to focus on developing the 14-acre public lot adjacent to the Mill Creek Sports Park, strengthening responsible budget management, and increasing post-pandemic economic growth through tourism.

Eric Cooke, an agent with the Washington State Department of Revenue, is challenging Holtzclaw in this race. Cooke is running on a more conservative platform, advocating for exclusionary housing policy that would make Mill Creek less affordable, increased police patrolling in all neighborhoods rather than alternative community safety programs, and cutting social services. He is not a progressive choice.

We recommend Brian Holtzclaw in this race for Mill Creek City Council, Position 4.

Melissa Duque is running for Mill Creek City Council, Position 6. Duque has been a member of the Mill Creek Park and Recreation Board since 2018 and has served as board chair since 2020. Outside of public service, she works with nonprofits and foundations on communications and project management to build change.

If elected, Duque wants to expand and protect public green spaces, foster responsive and transparent government, ensure economic recovery for Mill Creek businesses, and be smart about city growth. Duque began to actualize some of these goals during her time on the Parks and Recreation Board, where she worked on the opening of Exploration Park and the updates to Heron Park. In this race, Duque has earned an impressive slate of endorsements from progressive leaders and Democratic organizations.

Duque is facing incumbent council member Adam Morgan. He first joined the council after being appointed in 2020 to fill the spot left vacant by Mike Todd. Morgan is running on a conservative platform that doesn't represent the people of Mill Creek. If re-elected, Morgan would reduce funding for essential services that support local families and keep our community safe.

We recommend Melissa Duque for Mill Creek City Council, Position 6 because of her progressive support and her strong community focus.