Ciudad de Bellevue

Incumbent Dow Constantine has been a strong and effective leader for King County. Throughout his two terms in office, Constantine has improved King County Metro transit service and promoted the health of our natural environment. Constantine is leading efforts to protect King County from the Trump administration by proposing to triple the Veterans and Human Services Levy and offering regional support for the Paris climate agreement.

He is running against retired engineer and light rail opponent Bill Hirt, who is not running an effective campaign. Constantine has clearly earned another term as King County Executive.

Mitzi Johanknecht has worked in law enforcement for 32 years and is running to "restore honor and integrity to the Office of Sheriff." She believes the controversies surrounding the Sheriff’s office have been demoralizing for the department and a distraction for officers in the community. Johanknecht is against safe injection sites but has pledged to uphold any local laws surrounding these sites. She says she has never reported anyone to ICE and is a strong proponent of restorative justice. Johanknecht earned the support of staunch progressives such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal and The Stranger newspaper.

Johanknecht is challenging Sheriff John Urquhart, who was first elected in 2012 after serving 23 years as a sergeant and department spokesperson, where he was twice named Officer of the Year. As Sheriff, Urquhart has been an ally on a wide range of progressive issues. He supports sanctuary cities and protecting immigrant communities, and he was an outspoken critic of two anti-transgender ballot measures. He has been endorsed by a number of progressive organizations.

However, Urquhart has also been plagued by very troubling ethics issues in recent months. Late last year, reports surfaced that Urquhart was accused of raping a colleague 15 years ago. The FBI, Seattle Police Department, and the King County Prosecutor’s office investigated the allegations and did not find grounds to pursue criminal charges against him. However, the county ombudsman’s office faulted Urquhart for blocking an internal investigation into his behavior. You can read a lengthy description of the events here. In the closing days of the election, Urquhart has faced renewed criticism for attempting to bully and intimidate people who accuse him of wrongdoing and because a representative of his campaign threatened to release one accuser’s medical records to discredit her charges.

We expect our leaders in law enforcement to uphold the highest ethical standards and maintain the trust of the community they are sworn to protect. For this reason, we cannot recommend Urquhart and believe Johanknecht is the best choice in this race.

Denice Carnahan is running for King County Council, District 9. As an experienced businesswoman, she has a deep understanding of the needs of working families and the many challenges facing King County. As a candidate, Carnahan is prioritizing the development of long-term transportation and public safety solutions that equitably enhances King County communities. She is focused on ensuring that King County remains a great place to raise a family.

Carnahan is running against Republican incumbent Reagan Dunn, who has opposed responsible growth legislation and progressive tax reform measures during his tenure. His lack of principled leadership has stifled progress on the county level. For her progressive vision, Carnahan deserves your support in this race.

Randy Grein is running for Bellevue City Council, Position 2. Grein is running a low-profile progressive campaign with the support of local Democratic Party organizations. He is focused on making city government more accessible to the community and addressing pressing local issues like traffic congestion, affordable housing, and homelessness.

Grein is running against conservative incumbent Conrad Lee, who has been on the Bellevue City Council for more than 20 years. Lee has been a consistent conservative voice on the council, opposing the expansion of light rail and new housing options for homeless people. Grein is the best choice in this race.

Karol Brown is the founder of World One Law Group, an immigration law practice that helps businesses and families handle their immigration affairs. She was chair of the 41st Legislative District Democrats and was also the former Policy and Advocacy Director at OneAmerica, an immigrant rights advocacy organization. Her campaign is focused on keeping Bellevue affordable for working families, improving transit, and public safety.

Brown is running against Jared Nieuwenhuis, the marketing director for HeR Interactive, Inc. Nieuwenhuis is backed by the conservative members of the current Bellevue City Council. Brown's experience and progressive values make her the clear choice in this race.

Community leader Janice Zahn has served on the City of Bellevue Transportation Commission since 2013. Previously, she was a manager for construction projects for the Port of Seattle, where she gained experience making sustainable transportation decisions on a regional scale. Zahn is running to ensure that the Eastside grows responsibly while protecting access to affordable housing for residents. She also wants to implement a climate change policy that reflects the city's values.

Zahn is running agains Phillip Yin, who ran as a Republican for Lt. Governor last year and lost in the primary to former state Senator Cyrus Habib. Zahn has earned strong progressive support and is the best choice in this race.

Lynne Robinson is running for re-election to the Bellevue City Council, Position 6. Since joining in 2014, Robinson has prioritized supporting small businesses, increasing responsible development, and protecting the environment at the local level. She is focused on addressing the needs of Bellevue families by focusing on education, affordable housing, and human services for vulnerable community members.

Robinson is running against attorney Steven Fricke, who is running on a conservative platform against expanding options for housing the homeless in Bellevue. Because of her track record as a progressive advocate on a range of local issues, Robinson is the best choice in this race.

My-Linh Thai is running for reelection to the Bellevue School Board, Position 5. In her first term on the school board, she singlehandedly raised the issue of racial equity in education; because of her advocacy, racial equity is now a core guiding principle of the school board. As a Vietnamese refugee who moved to Washington at age 15 without speaking a word of English, Thai has an acute understanding of the true difference public education can make in the life of a child. Because Bellevue is the most diverse city in the state of Washington, Thai is best equipped to represent and advocate for all students in her district. She wants to enhance communication between all "clients" of the school district (parents, children, teacher, and staff) and close the achievement gap in math and reading.

Her opponent, Hugh Gladner, is running against the "cronyism" of the current school board and espousing a platform of transparency, partnering with charter schools, and getting more people in the district involved with the school district.

We recommend My-Linh Thai in this race.