City of Marysville

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.

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.

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.

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.