City of Lynnwood

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.

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.