Snohomish County

Nicole Ng-A-Qui is running for Snohomish County Council in District 1. Ng-A-Qui has owned a small business for nearly 20 years and has experience working in forestry and restoration ecology as well as education. She served on the policy advisory council for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program for two years.

Ng-A-Qui’s campaign is focused on making Snohomish County a model for sustainable development, keeping forests and watersheds healthy while protecting jobs and keeping the budget balanced. She is endorsed by local leaders including County Councilmember Megan Dunn and Rep. Emily Wicks as well as community groups including the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe and the Snohomish County Democrats.

She is facing incumbent Nate Nehring and Richard Yust. Nehring was elected in 2017 on punishing drug users and opposing greater investments in community services as alternatives to law enforcement. Nehring is supported by staunch Republicans including Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dave Reichert. Yust is a small business owner but is not a serious candidate. He does not have a coherent platform or relevant experience.

Ng-A-Qui is the best choice in the race for Snohomish County Council in District 1.

Jared Mead is running for re-election to a four-year term 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.

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.

Also in this race is Republican candidate Brenda Carrington. Carrington has a business background in construction and landscaping and opposed Mead for the same position last year. Carrington opposes new funding for essential services and disagrees with efforts to redirect some law enforcement funding to community safety and prevention. 

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

Brandy Donaghy is a community organizer and Navy veteran who is challenging incumbent Councilmember Samuel Low for Snohomish County Council in District 5. She is a strong progressive whose campaign priorities include COVID-19 recovery that incorporates community support, housing security, justice reform, and maintaining green space. Donaghy serves on the board of directors for the Communities of Color Coalition. She also regularly volunteers to provide emergency services and disaster relief to the Snohomish community.

Low has been an outspoken Republican voice on the council. In June, Low voted against $4 per hour hazard pay for grocery store workers on the front lines of the pandemic. Earlier this spring, he badgered and voted against the appointment of a young woman of color to the Regional Law and Justice Council because he disagreed with some of her social media posts.

Donaghy would bring a much-needed progressive perspective to the council and is the obvious choice for Snohomish County Council in District 5.

Incumbent David Simpson is running to retain his seat as Commissioner of District 1 for the Port of Everett, which he was elected to in 2019 to fill an unexpired term. Simpson also works as a member of the Committee for Housing and Community Development. He has an extensive record in public service, having served as an Everett City Council member, a Washington state representative for the 38th Legislative District, and a member of the Snohomish County Charter Review Commission representing county council District 2. Simpson has also worked in the aviation industry as a manufacturing engineer and aviation mechanic.

Simpson's campaign platform prioritizes economic development, environmental protections, and living wages. He has a slate of projects underway, including the Waterfront Place Central Development, that he believes will help Everett and the port recover from the community and economic impact of the pandemic.

Simpson faces a challenge from Scott Murphy, an Everett City Council member since 2013. Murphy strongly emphasizes his business background and has previously boasted of expanding Everett’s police budget during his time as a council member despite public support to reallocate some of those funds to community alternatives. If elected, he would push the port in a more politically conservative direction.

Snohomish County has benefitted from Simpson's commitment to bringing community-minded leadership to the port. David Simpson is the clear choice for Port of Everett Commissioner in District 1.

Matt Kuehn is running for Bothell City Council, Position 5. He serves as Rep. Davina Duerr's legislative aide and previously worked for Sen. Guy Palumbo. His platform includes expanding the park and trail systems, creating more walkable neighborhoods, and increasing affordable housing.

Also in this race are incumbent Ben Mahnkey and Galen Altavas. Mahnkey is an Amazon employee running on a platform that includes praising police officers without offering any mention of increased accountability or reform. He mentions minimizing tax increases but does not offer actual solutions for how to fund essential services in Bothell. Altavas has worked at King County Metro and at Panasonic Avionics as an IT manager. He currently works at the Snohomish County Public Utilities Department. Altavas does not have a detailed campaign platform and does not appear to be particularly progressive.

Kuehn is the best choice in the race for Bothell City Council, Position 5.

Alicia Crank is running for Edmonds City Council, Position 1. Crank currently works as the chief development officer at a local nonprofit and serves as the vice-chair of the Edmonds Planning Board. She has extensive community leadership experience including working for the Edmonds Senior Center, Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, and the Edmonds Sister City Commission.

In this campaign, Crank is prioritizing housing affordability, transparent and responsive government, thoughtful growth, and public safety such as reducing gun violence. She has proposed green building practices and constructing mixed-use developments to make sure that Edmonds can grow while remaining committed to environmental sustainability and economic diversity. Crank is running a strong campaign and has earned endorsements from progressive elected officials and organizations.

Crank is running against incumbent Councilmember Kristiana Johnson and Brian Hartman. First elected in 2012, Johnson has made environmental protections a focus of her time on the council. Unfortunately, she sent a racially insensitive email last year regarding federal grants for white-owned and Asian-owned businesses that drew criticism from her fellow council members. She has since apologized but the situation raises concerns about her ability to engage an equity lens and to serve all Edmonds residents.

Hartman is a precinct committee officer and senior director of enterprise technology at Blue Origin. He does not have a strong campaign presence but has emphasized that his business background would translate to economic leadership if he is elected.

Alicia Crank is the best choice in this race and deserves your vote for Position 1 on the Edmonds City Council.

Incumbent Luke Distelhorst is running for re-election to Position 2 after being appointed to the Edmonds City Council in 2020. Before joining the council, Distelhorst worked for Community Transit in Everett and in the private sector abroad. He serves as a council liaison on the Diversity Commission and as a board member for the Alliance for Housing Affordability, amongst other council-related community positions.

During his time on the council, Distelhorst authored the Housing and Relief Fund and a resolution banning residential evictions during the pandemic. His campaign is focusing on affordable housing, public safety and reducing gun violence, climate action, and equitably supporting Edmonds’ underserved communities. Distelhorst has widespread support from local Democratic and progressive organizations as well as elected officials.

There are three other candidates in this race. Lora Petso is a former city council member who served in Edmonds from 2000 to 2003 and from 2010 to 2015. Petso is a lawyer and local business owner who has made her platform in this race about resisting policy to make housing more affordable in the Edmonds area. Also in this race is Janelle Cass, a former bioenvironmental engineer for the Air Force and small business owner who serves on the board of directors for the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce. Cass' platform is more moderate than that of Distelhorst and aims to commit to the needs of businesses and prevent zoning changes, which would keep housing out of reach for those who need more affordable options. The final candidate, Will Chen, is an auditor of large corporations as well as a small business owner. Chen currently serves on a lot of community groups including as Edmonds Citizen’s Housing commissioner. His platform lacks detail but is centered around his business background, council transparency, and post-COVID economic recovery.

Distelhorst is a strong progressive and the best choice for Edmonds City Council, Position 2.

Incumbent Cassie Franklin was the first woman ever to be elected mayor of Everett. Before becoming mayor, Franklin was an Everett City Council member and served in a number of organizations and programs addressing homelessness.

Her tenure as mayor, which began in 2017, came at a difficult moment in the city's financial history. Washington cities are required by law to produce a balanced budget. With a deficit of $18 million for the city, up from $15 million inherited before her term due to pandemic-related causes, Franklin and the city council cut costs to balance the budget. Their budget closed service locations like the Carl Gipson Senior Center and the Forest Park Swim Center, reduced library hours, and eliminated city-sponsored events like fireworks, the animal farm, and flower festival, along with laying off or voluntary separating from over 130 employees. Disappointingly, despite calls by Black activists to reduce or move funds from the police department budget into more community services, the police budget was not cut like most other departments. Franklin states that the department's body camera program and training efforts are meeting the changes demanded by activists.

Budget aside, Franklin has worked hard in the pandemic to administer pandemic relief funds and issued a stay-home directive in the early days of the COVID crisis.

Franklin's opponents are Steve Oss and Ron Wittock. Neither have campaign information or websites available as of mid-July. While Franklin is more moderate, her endorsements on both the conservative and progressive ends of the spectrum represent local faith in her second run, and she is the only viable choice in this race.

Retired firefighter Don Schwab is running for Everett City Council in District 3. He worked as a firefighter for more than three decades and has served on various boards in the community and at the state level, including as a board member of the Snohomish County Red Cross and on the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters. He currently works for Snohomish County Treasurer Brian Sullivan and as an associate faculty member at Everett Community College.

Schwab states that the police and fire departments should be fully staffed and funded. He notes that Everett has one of the highest rates of COVID infections in the state, and supports expanding paid sick leave and family leave. He also supports fast-tracking the light rail system to stimulate economic development downtown and along Evergreen Way, promoting housing density, and improving citywide energy efficiency among other considerations.

Schwab is running against Lacey Sauvageau and Jacob Vail. Sauvageau is a 911 dispatcher for Snohomish County. She previously ran as a Democrat for Rep. Emily Wicks' House seat for the 38th Legislative District. Her previous campaign website is not accessible as of mid-July. During her previous run, she stated that she would focus on the environment and smaller class sizes, among other priorities. She supports police accountability but doesn't outline a specific policy agenda.

Jacob Vail is a member of the Everett Civil Service Commission and was appointed in March 2021 as a member of the Snohomish County Parks Board. He states that as a person with disabilities, he has a personal stake in improving accessibility in the community for everyone. His platform is somewhat minimal but includes the high points of using vacant hotels and apartment complexes to help the unsheltered and providing programs for skilled trade. He has earned the endorsement of Humane Voters of Washington in this race. 

Given that the city cut nearly every department aside from law enforcement in the last few months, we would like to see Schwab's policies on law enforcement evolve into a model that prioritizes investing more into human services. Nevertheless, Schwab is the best candidate in this race.

A note for Everett voters: this is the first election using the new redistricted map adopted last year. District 3 includes all of Boulevard Bluffs, Harborview Seahurst Glenhaven, View Ridge-Madison, Evergreen, and the southernmost tip of South Forest Park.

Demi Chatters is an education advocate who has spent more than a decade working to bring inclusive and quality education to public school students. She is deeply embedded in the community as a member of the Snohomish Human Rights Commission and Evergreen Middle School Equity Team. She also serves on the board for Seattle Suns, a youth sports organization that focuses on youth experiencing poverty, as well as a committee member for LGBTQ organization NOLOSE.

If elected to the Everett City Council, Chatters wants to advocate for an equitable and sustainable recovery from COVID that benefits everyone in the city. To that end, she will prioritize infrastructure investment, increase sustainable business development, and champion workers' rights through fair collective bargaining. She notes that the increasing struggle of residents to secure housing should be met with additional services in the form of mental health, encouraging more housing options, and moving the unsheltered towards more housing options. Specifically for District 5, Chatters wants to see the completion of the Silver Lake trail, reinforce road stability, and create opportunities for parks within neighborhoods.

Chatters is running against Kelly M. Fox and Ben Zarlingo. Fox is the executive director of Snohomish County EMS. Fox's campaign website emphasizes her interest in social justice, public transportation, and affordable housing for all. Her voters' guide statement says that she's running to encourage a strong economy outside of Boeing's success and to improve government services.

Zarlingo is a communications technology consultant and a leader in the Silver Lake Neighborhood Association. His platform is not yet concrete. He wants to create good jobs and handle growth and homelessness, though he does not elaborate on how.

Demi Chatters has the support of several local progressive officials and is committed to building an Everett that supports working families. She is the clear choice for Everett City Council in District 5.

Former Lynnwood City Councilmember Shirley Sutton is running for Position 1 on the council. Sutton served on city council from 2015 to 2019 and was previously the executive director of diversity affairs at Edmonds Community College. She has also served as the chair of the Neighborhood Demographics Diversity Commission in Lynnwood and has experience as a Democratic precinct committee officer.

Sutton is running on a progressive platform that includes police accountability, civil rights, climate justice, and affordable housing. Her campaign priorities are grounded in addressing injustice and intervening where city government can improve residents’ quality of life. Sutton wants to improve public transportation, take climate action, and make Lynnwood more affordable for everyone. Notably, she has earned the endorsement of the Snohomish County Democrats. 

Small business owner Nick Coelho is also running for Position 1. His priorities include affordable housing, making Lynnwood walkable and managing growth, and investing in parks and public green spaces. He has served on the South Lynnwood Neighborhood Co-Design Committee and as the chair of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board since 2020. Also in this race is Chris Eck, the deputy chief operating officer at Volunteers of America Western Washington and the chair of the City of Lynnwood Planning Commission. Her campaign priorities include promoting integrated housing for diverse income levels, making Lynnwood a cultural center and destination, and thoughtful economic development.

As a progressive community leader with a clear vision, Shirley Sutton is the best choice for Position 1 on the Lynnwood City Council.

Community leader Naz Lashgari is running to serve on the Lynnwood City Council in Position 2. Most recently, Lashgari has worked as the chair of Lynnwood’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. She also worked for the Community Health Center during the pandemic in order to support marginalized communities through the public health crisis.

Previously, Lashgari spearheaded the “All Are Welcome” campaign and is dedicated to celebrating Lynnwood’s multiculturalism while working towards equity. If elected, she will continue working on social issues including homelessness, housing, health care, and safety. Lashgari believes it is crucial that all Lynnwood residents feel that their voice matters.

Also in this race is Patrick Decker, who was appointed to the Lynnwood City Council this April in order to fill the seat vacated by Ian Cotton. Decker works in finance at Microsoft and has served as chair on the city’s Planning Commission. Decker is running on a more conservative platform. Disappointingly, he has made divisive and insulting comments about local residents experiencing homelessness. 

Former Lynnwood Mayor Don Gough is also running for Position 2. Gough lost his bid for mayoral re-election in 2013, but he was asked to resign by the city council before that due to investigations into his discriminatory treatment of women employees. His website is not public as of mid-July.

We need leaders who will bring the people of Lynnwood together to address the complex challenges facing the city. Naz Lashgari is the clear choice for Lynnwood City Council, Position 2.

Joshua Binda is running for Position 3 on the Lynnwood City Council. Binda is an Edmonds College alum and has professional experience as an aerospace mechanic at Boeing and in cybersecurity at Microsoft. He has extensive community leadership experience and chairs the Lynnwood Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission. Additionally, Binda serves on the boards of the WA-GRO Foundation and the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County.

If elected, Binda’s priorities include affordable housing, community budgeting, pedestrian and transit accessibility, drug counseling, and environmental protections. He will pursue this progressive agenda by leveraging his relationship with community members and drawing on his local leadership experience. Binda's inclusive platform has earned him a long list of endorsements from local leaders. 

Binda is running against James Rutherford and former Lynnwood council member Lisa Utter. As a veteran, disabled resident, and husband to a former council member, Rutherford says that he will be a voice for Lynnwood to push for policies that would help seniors and Lynnwood residents with disabilities. Unfortunately, Rutherford does not have a detailed platform as of mid-July.

Utter served on the council from 1998 until 2009 and also worked on the Community Transit Board during that time. Until 2019, she was the executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Snohomish County. If elected, Utter wants to make Lynnwood an affordable and equitable city but doesn't have detailed policy suggestions available.

Joshua Binda deserves your vote in this race for Lynnwood City Council, Position 3.

Cindy Gobel, a certification and training specialist with the Washington Secretary of State, is running for Position 1 on the Marysville City Council. She has served the public as a representative with the Women’s Law Caucus in Snohomish County from 2012 to 2015. Outside of elected work, Gobel has worked in law enforcement and as a mediator, and she has done substantial work in voter registration. She spent 27 years as a union member and has worked on the Community Emergency Response Team since 2008. 

Gobel is running to bring her extensive experience in public service to the Marysville City Council. If elected, Gobel would focus on expanding affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and improving infrastructure. 

Gobel is facing Daniel Brady and incumbent Jeffrey Vaughan. First elected in 2003, Vaughan's platform includes typical Republican issues like cutting funding that supports essential services. In addition, he opposes redirecting some law enforcement funding to proven community-based alternatives. 

Brady is an aerospace machinist and union activist who is also vying for Position 1. Brady has a progressive platform that includes environmental protections, transit improvements, and repealing the ban on marijuana shops in order to direct the sales tax towards public infrastructure. 

While Brady is progressive, Gobel's record of public service and leadership on civic issues makes her the best choice for Marysville City Council, Position 1.

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 has begun 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 Shannon Warren and incumbent council member Adam Morgan. Morgan first joined the council after being appointed in 2020 to fill the spot left vacant by Mike Todd. He 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.

Warren is a local cook, yoga practitioner, and hairstylist. Rather than submit information on her background to the county voter’s guide, Warren included a paragraph of adjectives that her close friends and family used to describe her. Without a background in public service or demonstrated community leadership, Warren lacks the necessary experience for the role.

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

Public benefit specialist Louis Harris was appointed to Position 1 on the Mukilteo City Council in 2020. His work with the state Department of Social and Health Services, as well as his service as the vice president of the NAACP of Snohomish County and on the boards of the YMCA and Communities of Color Coalition, have prepared Harris well to serve all residents of Mukilteo.

During his first year on the council, Harris voted in favor of adopting a plan that would improve housing options for seniors. He also supported a program to educate residents about services that could help them stay in their homes. If re-elected, he states that he will address noise pollution from Paine Field, invest in infrastructure improvements, and promote local businesses.

Harris is running against Peter Zieve and Tina Over. Zieve is a conservative businessman and misinformation promoter who is running for Mukilteo City Council for the third time. He is notorious for funding a hateful mailer campaign to oppose the construction of a mosque in Mukilteo in 2016. Zieve also funded misleading political campaigns against progressive candidates in 2018 and 2019, while in 2020 funded yet another mailer campaign aimed at keeping low-income residents out of Mukilteo.

Tina Over is a real estate broker with experience serving as a Mukilteo Civil Service commissioner. This is Over's third run for city council. Like her 2019 run, Over does not have a strong campaign presence, lacking both a campaign website or a voters' guide statement. In her previous campaign, she supported the city's move to become a "welcoming city" for people of all immigration statuses and providing more parks and green spaces for multigenerational use.

Harris has a very solid lineup of endorsements from state representatives, neighboring elected officials, and local progressive organizations. Harris is by far the best choice for Mukilteo City Council, Position 1.

Caitlein Ryan is the founder of Sound Cultivation, a cannabis political consulting firm. Ryan lists a long history of volunteer service in the community, including as a PTA member and a classroom volunteer for Mukilteo Public Schools. Ryan's platform states that she is running to advocate for business equity, family food security, and affordable housing. She is endorsed by a slate of Democratic elected officials and organizations.

Ryan is running against Ayesha Riaz Khan, Kevin Stoltz, and Tom Jordal. Khan is a substitute teacher at Mukilteo School District. Voters should note that the candidate is the wife of current council member Riaz Khan; her successful election would concentrate two-sevenths of the council's power in one household. Khan does not have a candidate website and the platform listed in her voters' guide statement is minimal. She states that she is running to prevent car tab increases - though she does not provide alternative sources of revenue for the services she is proposing, including sidewalk expansions.

Former Mukilteo Councilmember Stoltz is running again to resuscitate the Mukilteo Park and Ride, revisit traffic calming policies, and discourage nighttime passenger jets. He served on the council for two terms between 2006 and 2013. Like his fellow candidate Schmalz in Position 3, Stoltz was recently featured in the Mukilteo Beacon where some raised the issue of favoritism towards the former council members after speed humps were installed near their homes. While traffic concerns certainly affect the quality of life for residents, without a broader platform or values, we don't have reason to think that Stoltz will pursue progressive reforms on the council.

Tom Jordal is a small business owner and volunteer with the Mukilteo School District whose campaign lacks detail about how he would affect policy change in Mukilteo. He does not have relevant community or leadership experience and only states that if elected, he would bring more festivals and concerts to the city.

While we would strongly prefer that candidates be more explicit about their platforms, we would give Ryan a small edge here based on her community and elected support in this race.

Current Snohomish City Council President Linda Redmon is running for mayor of Snohomish. Redmon has served on Snohomish City Council since 2018 and as president since 2020. She also represents portions of the county including Monroe, Gold Bar, and Sultan on the Snohomish County Board of Health. In her time on the city council, she has advocated for more comprehensive access to broadband, worked on support for workers and businesses during the pandemic, and promoted protecting parks and green spaces.

Redmon is facing Samuel Forest King and John Kartak. As the city's first elected mayor since a shift in the governmental system, Kartak has had a rough and controversial tenure. In May of last year, Kartak faced heavy criticism for allowing a gathering of 100 armed vigilantes with confederate flags to tailgate and intimidate Snohomish protestors. Kartak claimed, falsely, that only a few of the people were associated with fringe groups. In October, Kartak sparked outrage once again by posting a picture on Facebook depicting a toy car running over figurines meant to resemble protesters. Samuel Forest King does not have any campaign information available.

Kartak has brought endless division and controversy to the City of Snohomish. It's time to elect a leader who can rebuild relationships and unite the city under an inclusive vision. Vote for Linda Redmon for mayor of Snohomish.

Kari Zimmerman is running for Council-at-Large Position 5 on the Snohomish City Council. Zimmerman is a realtor and community manager who has been involved with local government as a citizen. For this race, she has a vision for Snohomish that includes affordable housing, environmental stewardship, thoughtful growth, and public safety that speaks to equity and inclusion. She is endorsed by progressive elected officials.

Also in this race are Becky Perkins and David Flynn. Perkins is the president of the Everett Quilt Guild and is engaged with community organizations. She has a professional background in customer service and office management and is running on the vague platform of keeping Snohomish a welcoming community with family values. She has no other policy proposals or website available at this time.

David Flynn is a small business owner who works in flooring. He has worked as a volunteer with the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association and, like Perkins, states that he wants to preserve the town's charm, though he does not say what that entails. Flynn is also interested in expanding the town's commitment to the arts as well as pursuing affordable housing, environmental protections, and small business support.

With endorsements from progressives in her area, Zimmerman is the best choice for Position 5 on the city council.

Karen Guzak is a small business owner and former council member who is running for Position 7 on the Snohomish City Council. She previously served on the city council from 2007 to 2019 and as the mayor for seven years during that time. Guzak has community leadership experience including serving as the president of the board of directors for the Artist Trust, as well as president and developer of Sunny Arms Artist's Cooperative and Union Art Cooperative.

In this race, Guzak is committed to making Snohomish a city that cares for the wellbeing of all of its residents. She wants to preserve local history, cultivate town vitality, and build affordable housing. 

Guzak is facing Tabitha Baty and conservative incumbent Steve Dana. Dana runs a right-wing blog where he has blamed student debt on the choice to take out loans before entering bad job markets, defended Trump after the Mueller investigation, and criticized programs for affordable housing. Recently, a Facebook post by Dana appeared to defend those who participated in the January 6 Capitol assault.

Baty is the president of Snohomish for Equity and an aerospace program manager. Baty has been involved with addressing racism and racial inequities in Snohomish. She states that she is running to build a more resilient community, promote accountability at the city government level, and engage residents in open dialogue.

Guzak deserves your vote for Council-at-Large Position 7 to bring much-needed experience and progressive values to the Snohomish City Council.

Nina Kim Hanson is running for Lake Stevens School District Director, District 4. She runs Team Hanson and works as a freelance writer and public speaker. Hanson is also a member of the Center for Women and Democracy Board and the Lake Stevens Allies for BIPOC Board. She has worked as a teacher at the University of Washington and Northwest University for ten years.

Hanson's campaign platform includes improving civics and foreign language studies, providing teachers and schools with the tools they need to ensure all students get a great education and boosting career and college prep resources.

Also in this race are incumbent Brian Kesler and Brett Rogers. Kesler was appointed to the role in January of this year but does not have a detailed campaign platform. Rogers does not have a campaign website or platform and is not a progressive candidate.

Hanson is the best choice in the race for Lake Stevens School District Director, District 4.

Local precinct officer Clarence Shaw is running for Marysville School Board, Position 4. Shaw has served in a number of community leadership roles including on the Snohomish County Arts Commission, Snohomish County Health District Equity Advisory Committee, and Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee. In the private sector, he worked for Washington state as a customer service supervisor. And, before living in Washington, Shaw served on his local school board and city council in California.

Shaw does not have a campaign website as of mid-July, but he included a detailed platform in the voters' guide which includes bolstering teachers and school staff, serving students and their families, addressing inequities and updating accountability policy for hate crimes, and fundraising to replace Cascade and Liberty elementary schools.

Incumbent Vanessa Edwards is running to retain Position 4 with the school board where she has been since 2017 and now serves as president. Edwards is a farmer, veteran, and former member of the Snohomish County Agriculture Board. She wants to keep supporting students, families, and teachers alike to create an engaging and inclusive learning community but has not offered a detailed platform yet in this race.

There are two other candidates in this race. Jim Ross, who works in the telecommunications industry, is running a campaign with progressive values including calling for both racial equity in schools and programming to support kids as they explore their gender identity. He served on the Parent Advisory Council for Marysville School District 25 from 2019 to 2020 and is a parent to five current students in the Marysville school system. Wade Rinehardt is a reactionary conservative who is running to raise the district’s test scores and to oppose curriculum changes that emphasize diversity and equity. Rinehardt works as a manager in the private sector.

With his experience and progressive track record, Clarence Shaw is the best choice for Marysville School Board, Position 4.

Jacqueline McGourty is running for re-election to Northshore School District, District 1. She has worked in the biotechnology industry for three decades and was elected to the school board in 2017. McGourty's 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.

McGourty is being challenged by a slate of conservative candidates: Elizabeth Crowley, Brian Travis, and Michael Albrecht. Crowley is a Boeing employee who does not have any elected experience or a detailed campaign platform. Travis does not have a campaign website or any detailed information available. Albrecht is a recent graduate of Northshore schools after attending for 14 years. His campaign platform is not detailed.

McGourty is the best choice in the race for Northshore School District, 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 of both Ruby Bridges Elementary and North Creek High School, creating one-to-one access for all students to laptops for learning, and purchasing three electric buses to reduce the school district’s carbon footprint. In this race, she is prioritizing digital equity including universally accessible broadband, expanding arts programming, and building 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. He has corporate and nonprofit board experience, and is parent to two current District 4 students as well as a 2020 NSD graduate. Though Roberdeau has some good ideas, like funding mental and emotional health services and looking at the budget with an equity lens, he unfortunately participated in a reactionary rally to unseat board members for not going back to in-person learning sooner, despite science-based health concerns.

Katya Bautista, a consultant in the energy sector, is the other challenger for the the District 4 position. She is a more conservative candidates who wants to promote U.S. nationalism in the curriculum and characterized pushes for representative diversity as divisive.

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. Cast has served the Northshore 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 Director's Association. In this race, Cast has earned widespread support from Democratic leaders and organizations in her district.

Cast has helped Northshore to become one of the highest performing school districts in the state through work like adding language immersion programs, investments 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 on 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 careful budgeting after a 20% increase in the student population, and she wants to fund programming for modernized skill building.

Jasmine Lee Fry is a local business owner and mother to two students in NSD schools. She has been a part of many PTA groups, including facilitating the national PTA arts program, Reflections. In addition, Fry volunteers on the HiCap Parents Council and as a Girl Scout co-leader. She is running to improve equity in the school district. While NSD has over 40% students of color, the board has no racial diversity. As an Asian-American who immigrated to the U.S., Fry believes she would be the first person of color to serve on the school board. She also wants to update school infrastructure, responsibly manage the budget shortfall, and work on environmental sustainability. Fry has earned some local Democratic support in this race.

Also in this is race is Angela Chapman who works in fundraising for a mental health-focused nonprofit and is a parent to three NSD students. Unfortunately, Chapman was one of the parents who attended a May rally to open schools before safety guidelines supported it and recall the school board. If elected, she wants to focus on COVID-19 recovery. mental health student support, and improving programming for students with disabilities.

The final 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.