City of Kirkland

Incumbent Kelli Curtis is running for re-election to Kirkland City Council, Position 2, to which she was first elected in 2019. Before joining the council she worked for most of her career in the technology industry as a product manager for area companies such as Aldus and Starwave.

Curtis' campaign platform prioritizes close collaboration with neighbors, implementing sustainable planning strategies, cultivating inclusivity and belonging, building affordable homes, and expanding parks and natural spaces. During her time on the council, Curtis has supported the conversion of hotels into housing with on-site services, achieving success in these projects by bringing people together.

As chair of the Parks Exploratory Funding Committee, Curtis has spearheaded a ballot measure to create an indoor aquatics and recreation facility with pools, gymnasiums, fitness classes, and a community gathering space. Additional plans involve adding restrooms to selected parks, constructing new sports courts, expanding youth recreation programs, and acquiring green space for the development of Green Loop trail segments in northwest Kirkland.

Curtis faces a challenge from Catie Malik, an associate director of Finance at the UW School of Medicine. Her platform is vague, stating that the council has a "far-left extremist mindset," which is a wild misrepresentation of the city's current leaders. She says that she wants to preserve Kirkland's character, neighborhoods, and small businesses without offering policies or ways that she would seek to do so. Malik does not appear to have any elected or community leadership experience and does not have any organizational endorsements on her site as of mid-October. 

Kirkland has benefitted from Curtis's commitment to bringing community-minded leadership to the core of some of its most challenging issues. Kelli Curtis is the clear choice for Kirkland City Council, Position 2.
 

Moderate John Tymczyszyn is challenging conservative incumbent Toby Nixon for Kirkland City Council, Position 4. Tymczyszyn is a Navy veteran and an attorney at his own practice, focusing on criminal cases and civil rights. He has also served on the city’s Planning Commission since 2017, including as the chair, and was previously a prosecutor for the City of Everett. Tymczyszyn has also been a long-time advocate for veterans, offering some pro bono legal services to the community and serving on the board of the Washington State Veterans Bar Association.

Tymczyszyn is running on a platform to ensure that Kirkland remains an affordable and livable city in this time of growth and change. He wants to take a strategic, community-oriented approach to managing growth and utilize his law background in municipal policy. His goals include improving infrastructure, supporting local, small businesses, and problem-solving on public safety. However, he has been more skeptical of making zoning changes that would improve housing affordability in Kirkland. In this race, he has earned support from a number of local Democratic groups as well as some key elected leaders. 

Nixon is running for a fourth term on Kirkland’s city council. His campaign ideas and track record in the office reflect Republican stances that are out of touch with the needs of most Kirkland residents. In particular, Nixon is a longtime opponent of fighting climate change and protecting our green areas. Last year, he was one of only two votes against strengthening the city's tree code to protect and expand the city's tree canopy, which is especially important for a growing city. In July, Nixon was the only member of the council to oppose the levy that funds funds Kirkland's parks and green spaces to preserve them as places we can all enjoy. In mid-October, Nixon was a keynote speaker at an event held by Moms for Liberty, a far-right organization labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

With no true progressive in this race, John Tymczyszyn's background in law and advocacy, his attention to community needs, and his Democratic endorsements make him the best choice for Kirkland City Council, Position 4.
 

Incumbent council member Amy Falcone is running for another term on the Kirkland City Council in Position 6. Falcone previously served as a founding member and co-chair of the Kirkland Human Services Commission before being elected to this seat in 2019. She was called to public service when she started advocating for safer sidewalks in her neighborhood. Now, she also serves as the PTO co-president at her daughter's middle school and on the City of Kirkland/Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee.

Falcone focuses on both inclusivity and sustainability lenses in order to build a future for Kirkland that provides opportunities for everyone. She has been an advocate for community funding to support everyone’s needs preventatively before people face housing or food insecurity. If re-elected, she hopes to continue fostering collaboration and engaging resident voices, particularly those that have been historically silenced or ignored by city leadership. Falcone has earned a diverse set of endorsements in this race, including from the local Democrats, the state’s leading community organizations, and progressive elected officials.

Also in this race is "Ryan James" Turok who owns and operates a small art gallery. Turok is running without party affiliation or endorsements. He serves on the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and the board of the Bellevue Arts Museum. In this race, he has emphasized economic development, workforce housing, and neighborhood upgrades.

We recommend Amy Falcone in this race because of her clear vision for improving Kirkland and the impressive support her campaign has earned.