City of Woodinville

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.

Sarah Perry is a small business owner, nonprofit fundraiser, and Democratic activist who is challenging incumbent Kathy Lambert for King County Council in District 3. Perry has years of experience building financial support for nonprofits and universities in the Puget Sound area.

Perry is running on a platform of supporting small businesses, protecting farmlands and the environment, and improving transportation. In particular, she wants to provide more support for the 40% of the district in unincorporated King County that can't rely on city leadership for investments and infrastructure. In our interview with Perry, she presented a detailed overview of her campaign as a strong advocate for growth management. She wants to promote urban forests, preserve the district's natural areas, usher in alternative energy sources, and improve wastewater and storm runoff in open spaces. Perry also wants to see an equity lens brought to COVID recovery, ensuring that new modes of transit are brought to the district, supporting behavioral health, and assisting those struggling with affordable housing.

While the King County Council is officially non-partisan, Perry's opponent, longtime Republican Kathy Lambert, has lost touch with this diverse and rapidly changing district. Lambert has voted against transit access for years, including voting to end Seattle's downtown free-ride zone. She also voted against making the county sheriff an appointed position, which was proposed to give the council and county executive more oversight in the wake of protests against police brutality. Lambert was the only "no" vote on the 2019 bill to use state money to fund early learning, post-secondary education, and in-home care providers.

Lambert received broad criticism in early October for a mail piece from her campaign that singled out the only Black member of the King County Council with fear-mongering and divisive language. All six Democrats on the council, as well as King County Executive Dow Constantine, denounced the attack and said it has no place in our public discourse. 

We need to elect leaders who will bring people together to create meaningful change, not tear each other down and divide us with hateful rhetoric. Perry's extensive civic engagement and track record of collaboration has earned her overwhelming support from community leaders and progressive organizations. Vote for Perry for new progressive leadership on the King County Council from District 3.

Michelle Evans is the owner of a strategic marketing consultancy business. She has volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and Habitat for Humanity, and on the board of directors for the Whatcom County Boys and Girls Club.

Evans' candidacy is focused on improving the quality of life for residents through increasing affordable housing options, protecting parks and open spaces, and supporting more diverse voices in the city. She would advocate for the creation of an affordable housing trust, selectively relax zoning, and offer developers incentives to achieve the first priority. Evans also supports funding a parks and recreation center, creating a diversity council, and adding more safe sidewalks and bike lanes. She is backed by progressive endorsements, including a local Democratic group and environmental advocates.

Phil Mark was appointed to this seat in July 2021 after Councilmember Charles Price resigned. Mark has worked as a volunteer for the Woodinville Wine Country Visitor Center and in his homeowner's association board. Choosing a new council member from two candidates for the race - Mark and Michelle Evans - was unusual. As a very new council member, Mark's record and policy positions have yet to be fully seen. He states that if voters retain him, he will encourage small and local businesses and low-cost housing, promote youth recreation opportunities, and support tourism.

We lean towards Evans for her more progressive platform and her community support.

Robin Lynne White is challenging incumbent Rachel Best-Campbell for Woodinville City Council, Position 3. White works in product management for a lung disease diagnostics company. She volunteers with events and organizations researching cures for cancer.

White is running on a progressive platform that includes instituting environmental protections, increasing and improving transit options, supporting small Woodinville businesses, and creating affordable housing. She has earned a number of key endorsements in this race from our partner organizations and the local Democrats.

Councilmember Rachel Best-Campbell is running for re-election on a moderate platform that includes expanding public green spaces, reducing traffic congestion, and opposing the Woodinville transfer station. Since joining the council in 2019, she has not been a strong progressive voice and has been particularly disappointing on climate action.

Robin Lynne White is the best choice in this race for Position 3 on the Woodinville City Council. She deserves your vote to bring strong progressive leadership to city hall.

Incumbent Mike Millman is running unopposed for his seat on the Woodinville City Council.

He was appointed to fill Mayor Elaine Cook's Position 4 seat after she decided to vacate her council seat and move out of the country in December 2020. A former station captain of the Everett Fire Department, he has twice served as Woodinville Fire District Commissioner. As the only candidate running, when elected he will serve until the term for the seat is complete in December 2023. We hope Millman will use the next two years to pursue a more ambitious progressive agenda on the Woodinville City Council.

Sarah Arndt is a Woodinville Public Spaces Commissioner who is running for Woodinville City Council, Position 5.

Many of Arndt's priorities seek to improve or expand on the city's natural and built infrastructure. Arndt wants to focus growth in the downtown core, prioritizing sustainable buildings and keeping commercial spaces affordable for small businesses. She also wants to see the city form more walkable "pocket" neighborhoods by increasing walkability, maintaining the tree canopy, and adding bike lanes. Arndt wants to also be an advocate for affordable housing with equitable zoning practices, with an eye on racial equity in public policy and distribution of city services.

Also vying for this open seat is general contractor and business owner Jesse DeGroff. DeGroff does not have a campaign website available as of late October but says that he wants to advocate for small businesses and provide more affordable housing options. However, DeGroff's available positions are not as nuanced as Arndt's, whose five years on the advisory commission has given her deeper insight into the city's needs. For example, in regards to repositioning funding from law enforcement to reduce police brutality and issues of accountability, DeGroff says that he would only seek to provide visibility on how money is spent in law enforcement. However, Arndt proposes that the city join the North Sound Response Awareness, De-escalation and Referral (RADAR) program, which would pair mental health professionals with officers on behavioral health calls, increasing the level of safety and service for officers and residents. Similarly, Arndt would examine the city's code to increase the city's housing stock on much-needed below-market rate housing, while DeGroff says more simply that he would consider those who needs starter homes.

We recommend Arndt in this race for her more detailed and more progressive platform and recommendations from progressive organizations.

James Randolph is running for Position 7 to bring new leadership to the Woodinville City Council. He has been active in the community, including serving on the King County Site Advisory Group to oppose a new waste transfer station in Woodinville. Randolph also partnered with local businesses, activists, and elected leaders to organize the Woodinville Black Lives Matter march last year. If elected, Randolph would work to bring people together for common goals, improve transparency, and promote equity across the community.

Randolph is challenging retired pharmacist Gary Harris, who was elected mayor by his fellow city council members this January. He has served on the council since 2018 and has also volunteered as a PTA president as well as president of his homeowner's association. Harris has taken a moderate and cautious approach on the council that hasn't matched the scale of needs in the community.

Randolph is the best choice for Woodinville City Council, Position 7.

Jacqueline McGourty is running for re-election to Northshore School Board in District 1. She has worked in the biotechnology industry for three decades and was elected to the school board in 2017 where she now serves as the vice president. In her leadership role, she has hosted community forums on equity issues facing the Northshore school district.

In her time on the school board, McGourty advanced mental health support, upgraded learning facilities, and worked to provide internet access and digital devices to all students. Her strong campaign platform includes ensuring students are able to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, closing opportunity and outcome gaps, and making more progress on inclusivity and access to education for all students. In this race, she is endorsed by local Democrats and a number of elected leaders.

McGourty is being challenged by Elizabeth Crowley, a Boeing employee and concerned parent running without a background in community leadership. Her top campaign priorities are increased cybersecurity for teachers and students as well as stronger communication between the school district and the community.

McGourty is the best choice in the race for Northshore School Board Director representing District 1.

Incumbent director Sandy Hayes is running for re-election to represent District 4 on the Northshore School Board. Hayes first joined the school board in 2009 and has also served as a leadership consultant for the Washington State School Directors’ Association since then. Outside of public service, she runs a restorative justice practice.

Since joining the board, Hayes has led school district improvements such as building both Ruby Bridges Elementary and North Creek High School, creating one-to-one student access to laptops for learning, and purchasing three electric buses to reduce the school district’s carbon footprint. In this race, she is prioritizing expanding arts programming, achieving digital equity including universally accessible broadband, and building an adaptable curriculum to support career paths that may not yet exist. Hayes defines her campaign against the reactionary politics of some conservative school board candidates, and she has been widely endorsed by progressive elected officials and organizations.

Aerospace professional and consultant Chris Roberdeau is also in this race. Earlier this year, Roberdeau participated in a reactionary rally to unseat board members for not going back to in-person learning sooner, despite science-based health concerns. Unfortunately, he also subscribes to the Trump-led, right-wing efforts to not teach honest, up-to-date history to students. Roberdeau is not a progressive choice.

Hayes is the best choice to represent District 4 with her background in law, community leadership, and direct school board experience. She deserves your vote to continue bringing positive change to the school district.

Incumbent school board director Amy Cast is running to retain her seat representing District 5 on the Northshore School Board. Cast has served the school district since first being elected in 2013. Outside of elected office, she runs her own website design company and serves as a leadership consultant for the Washington State School Directors’ Association.

On the board, Cast has helped Northshore to become one of the highest performing school districts in the state through work like adding language immersion programs, investing in alternative career paths through the Career and Technical Education class, and implementing social-emotional health curriculum for kindergartners and up. If elected, she has detailed suggestions to increase equity, including incorporating Universal Design for Learning, expanding cultural competence curriculum, and investing in student services like social-emotional learning, mental health supports, and wrap-around financial need programs. Cast is also prioritizing thoughtful budgeting after a 20% increase in the student population, and she wants to fund programming for modernized skill-building.

The other candidate in this race is Amy Felt, an attorney, NSD parent, and PTA member. Felt wants to amplify student voices while improving relationships between all school stakeholders including parents, administrators, teachers, unions, and board directors. She supports spending to close learning gaps between students and funding mental health resources.

Cast is the best choice in this race because of her widespread support from local leaders and organizations as well as her clear plan for bringing positive change to the school district.

Katie Grainger is running for King County Public Hospital District 2, Commissioner Position 4. Grainger works as a communications consultant with Clinical Care at Providence. She was the first in her family to receive a college degree and went on to earn a master's at the University of Washington. Additionally, Grainger serves as an ambassador with the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation.

Grainger believes her experience living with an autoimmune disease paired with her work at a health care nonprofit makes her well-poised to bridge hospital administration and patient needs while bringing a community focus. If elected, she wants to work on health care reform at the local level in the service of the health and wellbeing of all district residents.

Grainger is facing retired emergency doctor Charles Pilcher. He was elected to Commissioner Position 4 in 2010 and is running to cut funding for services. While Pilcher is the only physician on the board, he does not appear to be a progressive choice.

Katie Grainger is the best candidate for King County Public Hospital District 2, Commissioner Position 4.