City of Shoreline

Sen. Joe Nguyen was elected to the Washington state Senate in 2018 and has worked as a senior program manager at Microsoft since 2013. His parents were refugees from Vietnam who came to White Center, where Nguyen was born and raised.

During Nguyen's time in the Legislature, he has been an advocate for Washington's families and equality, including playing a leadership role in fully funding the Working Families Tax Credit. In addition, he co-sponsored legislation to require anti-racism and equity training in public schools.

Nguyen is running for county executive to implement sweeping actions on the affordable housing crisis, to reform the criminal justice system with deep changes and accountability, and to make the state's economy work for everyone, not just the wealthiest people. In particular, Nguyen has proposed to make all transit services free to improve access and increase ridership. He also wants to leverage the new Regional Homelessness Authority to significantly scale up the building of affordable housing.

Nguyen has the support of elected leaders including state Reps. Kirsten Harris-Talley and David Hackney as well as state Sen. Bob Hasegawa and Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. Nguyen is a progressive choice if you're looking for new leadership in the executive's office who will prioritize racial justice and systemic change.

Incumbent Rod Dembowski is an attorney who has represented District 1 since 2013. He has served in county affairs in several capacities, including as a pro bono counsel for the King County Superior Court, policy analyst in the county executive's office, and special prosecuting attorney.

If re-elected, Dembowski will continue working on sustainable human services funding, protecting the wild areas of the Puget Sound region, and looking for sustainable transit funding that improves transportation options. He also wants to expand housing with an eye on reducing commute times and increasing affordability for workers and families. While on the council, Dembowski has sponsored several progressive reforms, including giving grocery workers hazard pay in the pandemic and moving to make the sheriff an appointed position through the council and an advisory committee.

Challenging Dembowski is Kenmore resident and first-time candidate Sally Caverzan. According to her LinkedIn, she has worked as a long-term care social worker and is passionate about the environment. Her official voters' guide statement says that she would support instituting term limits for politicians, expanding mental health and addiction care with the creation of a King County regional treatment facility, and increasing supportive and permanent housing.

Dembowski has earned broad support from elected officials, reproductive health and environmental organizations, labor unions, and many more. We recommend Dembowski for King County Council in District 1 because of his proven track record of progressive leadership.

Incumbent and businesses consultant Ryan Calkins has successfully pushed the port in a more progressive direction during his first term. The current Port of Seattle commissioners have enacted several crucial reforms over the last few years, including ensuring at least a $15 minimum wage for airline catering workers and starting an accelerator mentorship program aimed at increasing access to contracting jobs for women- and minority-owned businesses.

If re-elected, Calkins states that he will continue to lead on mitigating the environmental impacts of the airport and port operations, promoting living wage jobs, improving immigration policy, and more. He has earned broad support from progressive and Democratic Party organizations.

His opponent is Norman Sigler, the owner of a consulting firm that focuses on finding diverse executive leadership. He serves as a precinct committee officer and is on the executive board of the King County Democrats Central Committee. Sigler wants to focus the port on environmental and economic justice, stating that he would invest port profits into improving neighboring communities. He states that he would promote a green economy, work to end systemic racism and keep the port honest, but does not have as detailed of a policy agenda. For example, in a forum for Port of Seattle candidates, Sigler stated that he would seek "putting mandates" on cruises and airlines, while Calkins specifically stated that he would support electric aviation, cleaner fuels, and high-speed ground transportation over short flights.

Calkins has an excellent record on the port and broad support from the progressive community. Calkins is the best choice for Port of Seattle, Position #1.

Hamdi Mohamed is running for Seattle Port Commissioner, Position 3 with a visionary agenda for the port that centers the needs of the workers, the environment, and the broader community. Mohamed's family fled Somalia and settled in the SeaTac region when she was 5 years old, with her mother working in the airport. Mohamed now works in the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice as a policy advisor and has helped manage the millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds that went to community-based organizations in King County.

As a resident of SeaTac, Mohamed lives in one of the communities most affected by airport pollution. Given that none of the current commissioners live in South King County, she seeks to bridge the gap between port policy and lived experience. She wants to expand the port's efforts to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy and restore habitats for salmon and orcas. Through greater direct partnership with workers, Mohamed wants to protect unions, provide pandemic relief, and prioritize workplace health.

In our interview with Mohamed, we were incredibly impressed by her drive to improve the lives of those who work and live near the port. One recent example of her accomplishment was her work with Beyoncé and Tina Knowles to provide free coronavirus testing and supplies to local organizations and working with the King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission to center language access in COVID-19 relief.

Mohamed is running against incumbent Stephanie Bowman, who has served on the commission since 2013. Bowman is proud of the port commission's progress on many fronts, including expanding youth job training opportunities in partnership with Seattle Public Schools, making stormwater improvements, and developing a noise insulation program for homes close to the airport. She states that one of her most important accomplishments was tripling the number of interns, many of which were youth of color from marginalized communities. If re-elected, Bowman would focus on improving economic opportunity at the port for all, including union members, women-owned businesses, lower-income workers, and more.

However, we were extremely disappointed when Bowman voted in 2015 to allow Shell Oil to base its arctic drilling operations in Seattle. In addition, she voted to use taxpayer money to file a legal challenge against SeaTac's $15 per hour minimum wage. In our interview with Bowman this year, she stated that she had been on the commission for less than six months before the wage increase vote, and believed that the council did not have the regulatory authority to make the change. On the Shell vote, she said that the commission was not transparent enough about it and that she would rather have ships come to Seattle ports where the environmental standards are the highest.

We believe Mohamed would be a stronger leader for progress at the port and would bring much-needed representation to the commission for South King County communities. We strongly support Hamdi Mohamed for her dedication to the community, her progressive agenda, and her backing by progressive organizations.

Incumbent Peter Steinbrueck is running for his second term in Position 4 on the Seattle Port Commission. He is an architect and former Seattle City Council member who has also served on the boards of many organizations in his history of public service, including the Washington Environmental Council, AIA Center for Civic Leadership, and Walkable Livable Communities Institute.

If re-elected, Steinbrueck has vowed to push the status quo on the economic, social, and political issues that matter to everyone in the region. In our interview, he stated that he supports a just and fair transition to clean fuels, one that includes electrification at the port as well as reducing ultrafine particulates and other kinds of pollution. He points to the port's job and apprenticeship programs, many of which offer opportunities to youth of color, women, and others as indicators of the types of policies he wants to continue moving forward. Environmentalism is his great passion, he states, and he believes that as the port recovers from the pandemic and evolves that he would continue to support climate justice at all levels, from workers' health, habitat restoration, and more.

John Ramsdell is a behavioral health clinician running unopposed for Shoreline City Council, Position 1. In his campaign, Ramsdell is emphasizing his work organizing the community to develop a lot into a public park and his fundraising experience with the Westminster Triangle Neighborhood Association. Ramsdell's platform includes increasing affordable housing options and creating policies that will reduce energy and water use, and promoting green building and sustainable consumption. He also wants to expand Shoreline's park system.

David Chen was previously in this race as well but dropped out at the end of June after accepting a position in Portland, Oregon. He will still appear on the ballot as he dropped out after the deadline to be removed.

Ramsdell is unopposed and is a fine choice for Shoreline City Council, Position 1.

Laura Mork is running unopposed to Shoreline City Council, Position 3. She works for Premera Blue Cross and previously worked in technical services for an aircraft company. Mork chairs the Shoreline Planning Commission and has served as a wastewater commissioner. Her campaign platform includes investing in the infrastructure of all neighborhoods, local park improvements, and efforts to reduce Shoreline's climate footprint. Mork also pledges to apply an equity lens to the needs of everyone who lives and works in the community.

Mork is unopposed in this race and is a solid choice for Shoreline City Council, Position 3.

Eben Pobee is running unopposed for Shoreline City Council, Position 5. He is a finance manager who was appointed to the Shoreline Community College Board of Trustees in 2020. Pobee also helped found a local nonprofit arts organization called JHP Legacy and serves as their artistic director. His campaign platform includes building a safe and healthy community, bringing more accessible gathering spaces to the community, and improving lighting on streets and walking paths.

Pobee is unopposed in the race for Shoreline City Council, Position 5, and deserves your vote.

Christopher Roberts is running unopposed for re-election to Shoreline City Council, Position 7. He served as mayor of Shoreline from 2016 to 2017 and has served on the council since 2010. A member of the Choctaw Nation, Roberts has pushed for inclusive policies in local government and in the city itself. Roberts is seeking a regional approach to help Shoreline's people experiencing homelessness and is focusing on affordable housing and transportation in the upcoming years. He is also an advocate for affordable and reliable internet for all.

Roberts is unopposed in this race and deserves your vote for Shoreline City Council, Position 7.

Emily Williams is running for re-election to the Shoreline School Board in District 2 after joining the board last year. Williams is an educator, small business owner, racial equity advocate, and a parent. She previously directed Learning Center Seattle, a youth re-engagement program with Seattle Central College and Seattle Public Schools. Williams has also worked as an advisor to marginalized Lake Washington students, including those with disabilities, those from low-income backgrounds, and first-generation college students.

Now, Williams is running a progressive campaign to continue making Shoreline schools as equitable as possible so that all students can reach their full potential. In her time on the board already, Williams has backed the implementation of ethnic studies in Shoreline schools and an anti-racism policy for the district. She joined the board in the worst of the pandemic and has been a strong voice for science-backed safety protocols to keep students, teachers, and staff safe.

Tyann Nguyen, a special education paraeducator, is challenging Williams for the District 2 director seat. Nguyen has a background in education and youth services but lacks a detailed campaign platform and a website as of mid-October.

Emily Williams is the best choice in this race because of her broad progressive support and her clear vision for the position.