City of Mukilteo

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.

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.