City of Edmonds

Incumbent Dave Somers is running for re-election for Snohomish County Executive. A former member of the Snohomish County Council, Somers has served as executive since 2016, where he manages twelve county offices, including Human Services, Medical Examiner, and Emergency Management.

As county executive, Somers has supported measures to create parks and open spaces, invest in alternative fuels, aid salmon recovery, and develop the Snohomish County Housing Task Force to help meet the affordable housing needs of the community. More recently, Somers announced the Snohomish County Outreach Team (SCOUT) to pair social workers with law enforcement on behavioral health calls. Somers has also awarded $500,000 in federal recovery dollars for two new youth and family resource centers: the South County Korean Community Service Center and The Clearwater School. These two centers will help provide culturally-appropriate health services, community workshops, food access, and support for LGTBQ youth and families.

Challenging Somers is Republican Bob Hagglund, who has served as the Snohomish County Republican Legislative District committee chairman and election integrity chairman since 2020. He also ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 2022. In an interview with The Everett Herald, Hagglund said that he voted for Trump in 2020 and hopes more Republicans will run on new ideas. Despite that, he touts tired old policies that have failed to address the root causes of homelessness and often end in cycling people through jail who may simply need more affordable housing or small amounts of support.

Somers is by far the best choice for Snohomish County Executive. 
 

Cindy Gobel, a certification and training specialist with the Washington Secretary of State, is running for county auditor again after a narrow loss for the position four years ago. She previously served the public as a representative with the Women’s Law Caucus in Snohomish County from 2012 to 2015. Gobel states that she has spent 11 years working in records, licensing, and animal control with law enforcement, and several more years working in elections, including some in former Secretary of State Kim Wyman's office.

Gobel views the auditor’s office as a place where we all come together – to register a pet, apply for a marriage license, or register to vote. If elected, she has a progressive vision for strengthening our democratic systems, increasing transparency and community trust, and delivering efficient services for all residents. County auditors play an important role in upholding our election integrity, and Gobel wants to safeguard Snohomish voters from conspiracies and ensure every vote is counted. She also wants to implement accessibility measures to make sure that all Snohomish residents can make use of the auditor’s services, especially non-English speakers and residents of color who have historically been left behind by the office.

Gobel is challenging incumbent auditor Garth Fell, who has 24 years of county election management experience, including previously working as Snohomish County’s elections manager and as county auditor. If re-elected, Fell wants to continue to ensure accurate, transparent, and customer-focused elections and animal services. Fell’s leadership in the auditor’s office has been characterized as “steadfastly neutral” by the Everett Herald. However, with our democracy under attack from the right, it is imperative that our next county auditor has a bold, community-focused plan that seeks to improve the office rather than simply maintain the status quo. 

Gobel has earned an impressive list of progressive and community endorsements in this race. She is the best choice for Snohomish County Auditor.
 

Susanna Johnson, a 30-year veteran of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, is challenging incumbent Adam Fortney for Snohomish County Sheriff. She has worked in many roles across departments, including as a patrol deputy, detective sergeant, and SWAT Entry Team. Johnson was recently recruited by the Bothell Police Department to serve as a Lateral Police Captain and promoted to deputy chief. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, which is the most sought-after executive law enforcement leadership training.

In our interview with Johnson, she pointed to her vast executive and police experience compared to Fortney's and her desire to return the sheriff's office to steady leadership. She points to Fortney's rehiring of officers fired for dishonesty and improper use of force as well as the hiring of a Proud Boy as two reasons why the public has lost confidence in the office as a neutral body. She also points to internal issues, including the department's loss of accreditation, which costs taxpayers money in higher litigation and insurance fees, as well as increasing reports of PTSD for officers as other reasons for voters to be concerned. If elected, Johnson wants to see the office return to more community policing, building rapport among neighbors and businesses, reducing armed officer responses to calls when it's unnecessary, and using better analysis to prevent crime. 

Incumbent Adam Fortney has served as sheriff since a contentious run against former sheriff Ty Trenary in 2019, whom Fortney worked for as sergeant. Fortney is a so-called "constitutional sheriff" who has refused to enforce laws that he doesn't personally believe in, including public health laws. 

Fortney also used his position to publicly advocate against state laws on police accountability and high speed chases in a video he released from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. These types of communications may be illegal, as sheriff's offices and other public agencies are supposed to be limited to communications with constituents, not lobbying against lawmakers or public policy.

Fortney's term has been marred by endless controversies that have eroded confidence in his leadership and judgement. Johnson's clearheaded vision would return the office to a much healthier place, and her enormous amount of endorsements, from progressive elected officials to other sheriffs' offices, show the strength of her platform and personal character. Johnson is by far the best choice for Snohomish County Sheriff. 
 

State House Rep. Strom Peterson was appointed to the Snohomish County Council last year. He is now running unopposed to retain his county council seat. In less than a year on the council, Peterson has joined his colleagues to bolster rental assistance funding and secure funds for Civic Park. As a member of the council's Housing Affordability Regional Task Force (HART), he has also worked to make low-barrier shelters available to help people struggling with homelessness.

Peterson enters election season with a large slate of endorsements from progressive and Democratic leaders from state, local, and county governments. Peterson has earned your vote for Snohomish County Council representing District 3. 
 

Judge Patrick M. Moriarty is running to retain his seat on the Snohomish County Superior Court in Position 17. Moriarty was appointed to this position by Governor Inslee in 2022 to fill a newly-created seat on the court. Before his appointment, Moriarty worked as a court commissioner for the county’s superior court, spent almost two decades as a judge pro tem in the county, and practiced law for almost three decades. In his law career, he has served as the assistant city attorney of Seattle, a public defender, and a private attorney in criminal defense and family law.

The superior court is where Snohomish community members have important criminal, civil, and family matters adjudicated. Moriarty recognizes the important role judges play for the Snohomish community and wants to continue utilizing his extensive legal expertise to bring fair and experienced leadership to the court. In this race, he has earned an impressive roster of progressive endorsements from community organizations, labor groups, local Democrats, and elected officials. Moriarty has also been endorsed by every sitting judge at all levels in Snohomish County.

In this race, Judge Moriarty faces Mary C. Anderson, a private attorney who started her own firm and has a strong background in civil cases. Anderson was driven to a career in law after her family suffered injustice. Now, she serves as her clients’ unwavering advocate in a range of matters, offers pro bono legal support and volunteers with the community’s most vulnerable, and serves as a pro tem judge. One of Anderson’s priorities as a lawyer and as an aspiring judge is to ensure that all Snohomish community members know their rights and have their rights respected in the courts.

Moriarty has the most judicial experience in this race and has earned the broadest set of endorsements. We recommend Judge Patrick Moriarty to retain Position 17 on the Snohomish County Superior Court.
 

Incumbent Mike Nelson is running for re-election as mayor of Edmonds. He served one term as a city council member before his election as mayor in 2019. He also serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee and on the city's Youth Commission, which he created to help young people get involved in the community.

Nelson is a strong proponent of making the city more affordable for all families, improving pedestrian safety, and protecting Edmonds’ natural environment. If re-elected, he wants to carry out the city's Climate Action Plan and continue the Human Services Program, which provides a dedicated social worker to meet residents' needs for a different response to public safety issues. Nelson's vision for Edmonds includes childcare tax credits, property tax relief for seniors and people with disabilities, small business incentives, and federal and state grants to improve infrastructure. In his 2023 budget message, Nelson called for the creation of an in-house prosecuting attorney, which led to the abrupt departure of the legal firm that currently provides Edmonds with prosecutorial services. 

His opponent is Mike Rosen, who has served on the Edmonds Planning Board and Center for the Arts. He states that he's running to restore the community's confidence in city government. His campaign website lacks substantive answers to the issues facing Edmonds and each category is instead filled with questions instead of policy solutions. 

Rosen acknowledges that Edmonds is growing but seems to be more concerned with the city's charm than ensuring that housing is affordable and available for all. In an interview with the Edmonds Beacon, he said the city will never have enough resources to do what it wants to do, and that there aren't enough resources locally to deal with homelessness, food insecurity, or crime.

Nelson has provided Edmonds with steady leadership over the last four years and deserves your vote for re-election.  

Chris Eck is running for Position 1 on the Edmonds City Council to create a welcoming community for the people she serves in the nonprofit sector. Position 1 on the council is being vacated by Dave Teitzel, who was appointed last year to complete the term of the late council member Kristiana Johnson.

Eck is the chief operating officer at Volunteers of America Western Washington, a Christian organization that runs food banks, crisis care, homeless prevention, and youth programs. She also brings experience in neighborhood planning from the Lynnwood and Snohomish County planning commissions.

Eck's platform is driven by her work in the human services sector, where she sees young families being priced out of neighborhoods, lower-wage workers with high rents and long commutes, and others struggling to get by. Her top priorities are providing more affordable housing, making neighborhoods more sustainable and walkable, and including the diverse voices of all Edmonds residents in decision-making. Her stance on public safety starts with empathy and respect - she knows how important it is to have non-police professionals create pathways for people struggling with homelessness, substance use, or domestic violence.

Roger Pence, former chair of the Edmonds Planning Board, is also running for Edmonds City Council, Position 1. Pence started his career as a clerk in the Washington Legislature and went on to do community outreach with King County Metro Transit.

Pence focuses on very general goals like organizing town halls, updating the website, and doing outreach for the city's next comprehensive plan. He also wants to undo the neglect of the Highway 99 corridor and protect Edmonds' natural environment. However, though he agrees that Edmonds will have to plan for growth, he opposes allowing for more density in single-family neighborhoods, something we know is necessary to address the lack of affordable homes for lower- and middle-income families.

Pence's attendees to his campaign launch include several conservative members of the current city council, and he overall lacks support from the progressive community. Chris Eck has a much more comprehensive platform that is in line with our values, and has earned the support of many progressives. Eck deserves your vote for Edmonds City Council, Position 1. 

Mackey Guenther is running for Edmonds City Council, Position 4, to develop neighborhoods with affordable, climate-adaptive homes that will allow every family in Edmonds to thrive. A young college student studying urban planning and economics, Guenther has an impressive resume that showcases his passion for housing and the environment. During his internship at the City of Edmonds Planning and Development department, he did outreach to many residents who are often underrepresented at public hearings. He also has volunteer experience building homes for people experiencing homelessness, helping people navigate the legal system as a small claims counselor, and protecting salmon ecosystems.

Both Guenther and his opponent, Michelle Dotsch, are running on platforms that almost entirely focus on housing growth in Edmonds, but they have very different visions for the city. 

Dotsch wants to keep the single-family zoning that is prolonging residents' struggle to find affordable homes and increasing urban sprawl. Dotsch is a semi-retired dentist and the current president of the Alliance of Citizens for Edmonds, an organization that opposes housing solutions that would create the affordable, plentiful homes that Edmonds needs. Dotsch sees changing zoning rules as a threat to Edmonds' "small town charm," even though the lack of affordable, multifamily homes is pricing families out of the neighborhoods where they work and is fueling homelessness.

In contrast, Guenther believes that building more affordable, green housing will create a healthier climate, and provide more choices and stability for residents who are struggling to afford rent. He supported state legislation that will allow more housing for people with middle-incomes near public transit, and would push the council to follow the Edmonds Housing Commission's 15 recommendations to improve housing affordability and opportunity in Edmonds.

Guenther would bring a fresh perspective and a dedication to housing solutions that work for all of our neighbors. He deserves your vote for Edmonds City Council, Position 4.
 

Susan Paine, one of the few progressives on the Edmonds City Council, is running this year to retain Position 6. Paine comes to the council with years of experience as an employee for the city of Seattle, former president of the Edmonds School Board, and the vice chair of AtWork!, a nonprofit serving people with disabilities. She holds a master's degree in public administration from Seattle University.

Paine has not been afraid to vote against her conservative colleagues, especially when it comes to housing. Although Edmonds has around 450 people experiencing homelessness, the city has no shelters, and does not allow affordable multifamily housing to be built on 94 percent of its land. Paine is the only council member who does not want to keep these exclusionary rules - she was the sole vote in favor of accepting a grant to study ways to provide more middle-income housing options.

Paine was also one of only two council members to oppose the decision to ban living outside within 35 miles of a shelter, a move that she said effectively "criminalized poverty." Unlike her colleagues, Paine believes that Edmonds should increase housing options, shelter space, and much needed services instead of punishing people who are struggling.

Despite being outnumbered on the council, Paine has managed to accomplish much for the people of Edmonds. During the pandemic, she funded relief for local businesses without cutting staff for essential programs like the Edmonds Food Bank. She made changes that kept kids safe from traffic around their schools, introduced a local human services program for families, and protected Edmonds' environment through initiatives that introduced more solar power, electric charging, and protections for city trees.

Kevin Fagerstrom is challenging Paine for Edmonds City Council, Position 6. He is a retired police sergeant who was one of the officers who shot and killed a civilian, Eugene Culp Jr., in 2006. Fagerstrom is a conservative who is running for office to resist Washington's efforts to build more housing that people with lower or middle incomes can afford.  Although we know that most people who lose their housing are lower-income locals who have experienced an emergency like losing their job, Fagerstrom spreads the myth that "drug addicts and mental patients" are moving into Edmonds to receive services. He would use the fear of helping "nonresidents" to justify the lack of services for people who are struggling to afford the limited housing available in Edmonds.

Paine is one of the few council members who consistently champions environmental stewardship, homes for working people, and services that help our communities thrive. She deserves your vote for Edmonds City Council, Position 6.
 

Business attorney Jenna Nand is running unopposed to retain her seat on Edmonds City Council, Position 7. Nand was appointed to the council in the fall of 2022 after the resignation of Laura Johnson. She arrived with extensive political experience after serving as the first vice chair of the 32nd District Democrats, a pro bono lawyer with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and a member of the city's climate protection committee. Nand is the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman to ever serve on Edmonds' city council.

Nand's platform in 2022 focused on affordability, environmental protection, and inclusivity. This year, she says she wants to continue to focus on beautifying the city, including building a new library and community center on the Highway 99 corridor. However, two of her priorities are not progressive. Nand is an outspoken opponent of a state law that requires cities to build more housing near transit access. This law is a critical step toward reducing the cost of housing and preventing the displacement of seniors. Nand also would prioritize building a new police substation on Highway 99, which will likely be an expensive and divisive project for the city.

Although Nand is more moderate on some issues, she still stands out as a relatively progressive voice on the otherwise conservative Edmonds City Council. She has proven her dedication to her community and deserves your vote.