City of Sammamish

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.

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.

Amy Lam is running for Sammamish City Council, Position 1. She works as the creative director at Seattle's Museum of History and Industry. Lam has come prepared for public office with a detailed plan on how to harness technology and innovate to improve the city. Her campaign priorities include providing everyone in the community with fast and affordable municipal internet service and creating a technology advisory board to provide better data on traffic patterns and infrastructure. She also wants to kickstart a climate action plan to reduce Sammamish's carbon footprint. 

Lam is facing Josh Amato. Amato is the former communications director for the Washington state Republican Party who later worked as a political consultant for conservative campaigns. During his previous campaigns, he worked to oppose a ballot measure that would have expanded badly needed transit access in King County.

Lam is the best choice in the race for Sammamish City Council, Position 1.

Sammamish City Council Position 3 candidate Nazir Harb Michel is a qualitative researcher at a tech company that enables immigrants to send remittances to their families. Michel is a Lebanese- and Mexican-American Muslim and earned a doctorate degree in Arabic Linguistics, which he has used to be a community advocate to oppose Islamophobia. Additionally, Michel volunteers as a representative for King County Democrats and is a board member of Washington’s Truman Scholars Association.

Michel’s platform is focused on celebrating diversity, improving the city's walkability, adhering to environmentally sustainable codes, service-oriented budget decisions, and equitable access to resources like internet and laptops until COVID restrictions lift. He wants to bring the entire community together to make Sammamish a better place for everyone to live, and to do this he believes in the principles of open dialogue and community engagement. 

Incumbent mayor Karen Moran is also in this race to retain the seat she was elected to in 2017. Before joining the council, Moran served as the commissioner and board president of Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District. She is running a reactionary campaign against smart growth and lacks a platform outside of the issue.

Nazir Harb Michel is the best choice for Position 3 and will bring progressive leadership to the Sammamish City Council.

Kali Clark, a Sound Transit employee with the Emergency Plans and Prevention department, is running for Sammamish City Council, Position 5. Clark holds a degree in environmental engineering and previously worked both with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and as a wildland firefighter for the state's Department of Natural Resources. Clark says that, if elected, she would be the first out LGBTQIA+ member in the council's history.

She is running to bring the community together to make Sammamish a more livable, affordable, and thriving city for all. Clark’s public service in wildlife management, protection, and planning has required her to collaborate with many Sammamish stakeholders and apply specialized knowledge to community needs. Her campaign priorities include investing in sustainable transportation, emergency preparedness, responsible wildlife management, and community health.

Also in this race is Rich Benack, who serves in Position 6 on Sammamish’s Human Services Commission. Benack is a veteran, private investigator, martial arts instructor, and hypnotherapist. He has also run several courses in psychic attacks and self-defense. His platform for city council lacks detail but includes an emphasis on funding law enforcement as well as protecting the environment, though he lacks the experience that Clark has in environmental management.

Clark would bring progressive values and steady leadership to Position 6. She's the clear choice in this race for Sammamish City Council.

Karen Howe is running for Sammamish City Council, Position 7. Howe is a leader in both private and nonprofit sector work, where she serves as president for SammamishFriends.org, which focuses on local sustainability efforts. She has also been a business manager in marketing. Howe has experience in public service through appointed positions on the King County Children and Youth Advisory Board as well as the Prescription Drug Assistance Foundation.

Howe is running on a progressive platform that includes affordable housing for all Sammamish residents, climate action to protect the local ecosystem, and investing in city infrastructure updates. If elected, she also wants to create more direct communication between residents and members of city government, including introducing participatory budgeting to address the city’s falling revenue.

Howe is running against Melanie Kelsey, who works in finance at Microsoft. Kelsey wants to focus on the budget if elected, but she won’t say whether she would cut services or increase public revenue to cover existing programs. She also lists infrastructure, environmental protection, affordable housing, and public safety as her top issues but offers vague policy suggestions to address them.

We recommend Karen Howe in this race because of her support from our partners as well as her clear commitment to progressive values. She is the best choice for Position 7 on the Sammamish City Council.

Sydne Mullings is running for re-election to Issaquah School Board, Position 4. Mullings was elected to the school board in 2019 and has worked at Microsoft since 2008. She is also a board member of After-School All-Stars Puget Sound. In her time on the school board Mullings has worked to support the social, emotional, and mental health of students, foster a welcoming environment for all, and engage different voices from the community. If re-elected Mullings will prioritize facilities that serve all students and enhance learning environments using environmentally sustainable strategies.

Also in this race is Dr. Wendy Ghiora, a retired public school principal who has worked in both public and charter schools. She also authored, "Unleashing the Student's 'I Can'" a personal account of her time as a teacher and administrator. If elected, Ghiora would prioritize supporting students who struggled with online learning during the pandemic and pushing the district to set high goals for student achievement.

Mullings is the best choice in the race for Issaquah School Board, Position 4.

Leah Choi is challenging incumbent Cassandra Sage to represent District 3 on the Lake Washington School Board. Choi is a first-time candidate with a background in financial planning, education, and science.

Choi is running on a progressive platform that starts with bringing climate education front and center in public schools to prepare the next generation to face this crisis. She also supports technical training programs for alternative paths to success, following the science on later start times for adolescents, and improving equity work so that all Lake Washington students can thrive.

Incumbent Cassandra Sage was first elected to the school board in 2017 and has pushed a more moderate agenda since joining. In this race, she is prioritizing equity and inclusion, academic recovery, and mental health support across the school district. Outside of school board work, Sage is a family advisor at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

We recommend Leah Choi in this race because of her endorsements from our partner organizations and her clear progressive vision for the seat. She deserves your vote to serve on the Lake Washington School Board in District 3.

Incumbent Mark Stuart is running for re-election to Lake Washington School Board in District 4. Stuart was first elected to the school board in 2013 and now serves as the board vice president. Outside of elected office, he works in global media relations and volunteers as the president of the Sammamish Rotary.

Stuart is running to rebuild, focusing on what remote learning highlighted about equity, health, and access in the school district. He wants to invest in mental and emotional support for students as well as social-emotional learning and equity programs. Stuart’s top three campaign priorities are investing in diversity and inclusion programming, implementing anti-discrimination policy, and improving communication between the school board and the community. In this race, he is supported by a number of our progressive partner organizations as well as important elected leaders.

Vishal Misri, a former executive at a digital service company who now works for Amazon, is challenging Stuart in District 4. Misri is a parent of a Lake Washington school district student and a member of the PTA. He is running to improve mental health services, teacher support, equity and inclusion measures, and school infrastructure.

Mark Stuart deserves to be re-elected to the Lake Washington School Board in District 4 to continue advocating for an equitable and well-resourced school district. We recommend him because of his strong support from our partners and his proven track record of progressive leadership.

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.