Progressive Voters Guide

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.