City of Bellingham

Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu is running for re-election this year. He is a small business owner, the former dean of Bellingham Technical College, and he served on the Whatcom County Council for four years prior to running for county executive in 2019. 

Sidhu led Whatcom County through a particularly tumultuous period. Most of his first term was focused on supporting the community through the pandemic - which began just two months after he took office - and responding to the historic Nooksack River flood. During his first term, the Whatcom County Council also unanimously banned any expansion of fossil fuel facilities at Cherry Point after many years of debate and public protest. He was also supportive of the county's Climate Action Plan and reducing the use of natural gas in local buildings. Sidhu's track record on climate and conservation issues earned him the sole endorsement of Washington Climate Action in this race. 

The other defining issue of Sidhu's term has been the ongoing fight about a new Whatcom County Jail. He has sometimes been at odds with progressive activists over how to handle this facility. Sidhu supported the previous ballot measure that voters rejected. In June, Sidhu proposed a 0.2 percent sales tax increase to build a new jail with 440 cells that would cost at least $137 million. While it's an improvement over previous proposals, some local progressives were disappointed that he continued to push for building a bigger jail. If he's re-elected, we hope Sidhu will adopt a more progressive stance on the jail facility and other issues involving the criminal legal system. 

Sidhu also generated some criticism for his handling of The Healthy Children's Fund, which voters narrowly approved last November. Shortly after the election, he recommended reducing the tax rate written in the ballot measure because he expected it would raise more money than originally estimated. In March, he recommended redirecting $4.5 million from the levy to other purposes. The Whatcom County Council disagreed, voting 6-1 to maintain the funding for building and renovating child care facilities.

He is running for a second term on a platform of housing affordability, salmon recovery, and flood resiliency. As he has throughout his term, Sidhu stresses the importance of finding common ground during a time of divisiveness in our local and national politics. He wants to work together with the county council to update zoning laws to allow more housing density in certain places while maintaining rural and agricultural land. He also touts his ongoing efforts to secure state and federal funding to build a "Skill Center" at Meridian High School to expand family-wage job opportunities in skilled trades. 

Sidhu faces Republican business executive Dan Purdy in the general election. Purdy previously worked for the oil company BP and the mining company Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold. He has already earned the endorsements of local MAGA Republicans like former Sen. Simon Sefzik. Purdy is not a progressive choice in this race.

Sidhu has earned many endorsements from local and state progressive leaders. If re-elected, he would be one of the few people of color in county leadership positions in Washington state. We recommend Satpal Sidhu for Whatcom County Executive.  

Blaine Police Chief and Navy veteran Donnell "Tank" Tanksley is running for Whatcom County Sheriff. The seat is currently held by Bill Elfo, who is retiring after 20 years in the role. Tank has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including working for Western Washington University’s campus force and for police departments outside of Washington state. Tank also serves on a number of community boards including the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, the Bellingham-Whatcom Commission on Domestic Violence, and the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force.

Tank is running with a holistic, preventative, and community-centric approach to reducing crime. If elected, he wants to improve the sheriff’s office with technology modernization, mental health training for officers, and establishing a community justice center. He wants to bring impartial law enforcement, compassionate approaches to reducing homelessness, and expanded treatment options for people struggling with both substance abuse and mental illness. With his relatively progressive approach, Tank has earned an impressive slate of key endorsements in this race.

Undersheriff Doug Chadwick is the other candidate in this race. Chadwick has served in the county sheriff’s office for decades in a range of roles from patrol deputy to his current position; however, he has never led a law enforcement agency himself. He has not released a detailed policy platform as of early October, but he has earned the endorsement of the Whatcom County Republican party and Sheriff Bill Elfo. He is not a progressive choice.

Whatcom residents deserve a sheriff with the experience and compassion necessary to keep every member of our community safe. Donnell “Tank” Tanksley is the clear choice for Whatcom County Sheriff. 

Democratic Party activist and human rights advocate Jon Scanlon is running for At-Large, Position B on the Whatcom County Council. This seat is open following the retirement of Carol Frazey. Previously, Scanlon worked at the U.S. State Department and with OxFam America doing humanitarian work. In addition, he has been a consistent volunteer and elected leader within the Whatcom County Democrats. 

Scanlon is running for office with a focus on affordability and environmental conservation. In particular, he would work to strengthen protections against flooding, ensure access to clean air and water, and preserve the county's farmlands and forests. His two decades of public policy and advocacy experience would also be a welcome addition to the council.

Scanlon faces Hannah Ordos on the ballot this November. Ordos is a customer support manager at Vitamin Porfolio LLC and is a member of the North Sound Behavioral Health Advisory Board. Her website focuses on bringing people together and offers few specific policy details. In 2021, she endorsed Republican Tyler Byrd for Whatcom County Council and this February she was part of a group of "vaccine skeptics" nominated for the Whatcom County Health Board. 

Scanlon has earned an impressive slate of progressive endorsements and is the best choice for Whatcom County Council, At-Large Position B. 

There are no progressive candidates in this race. Kathy Kershner is running for re-election to the Whatcom County Council representing District 4. Kershner is the former chair of the Whatcom County Republican Party, and has been a conservative voice on the council since she was elected in 2019.

Despite describing herself as a fiscal conservative, Kershner increased the county's spending on prisons and policing, voting to add 10 new deputies to the sheriff's office and supporting the construction of a new, larger county jail. She also voted to continue public funding for Lighthouse Mission Ministries after they were accused of hiring discrimination against LGBTQ people because they required employees to adhere to traditional Christian tenets of faith and "sex ethics."

While Kershner is clearly conservative, she has been willing to work with the progressive majority on the council. In particular, she voted in favor of putting Proposition 5, the Whatcom County Children's Initiative, on the ballot.

Her challenger, conservative Mark Stremler, works for the Whatcom County public works department's road crew. Like Kershner, Stremler opposes almost any improvement to the community that would raise taxes, but would support a property tax to build a new county jail.

Stremler is even more right-leaning than Kershner in many issue areas, and would be a step backwards for the council. He has criticized Kershner's support of the Healthy Children's Initiative, and would work to remove this fund that supports young children and their families. He also criticized Kershner for not being more publicly supportive of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the right to abortion.

While we disagree strongly with many of Kershner's policy positions and values, her willingness to work with her colleagues makes her the better choice to represent this very conservative district.
 

Jackie Dexter is a moderate Democrat running for Whatcom County Council in District 5. She works as an aquaculturist with Drayton Harbor Oyster Farms and lives on her family farm where she raises chickens and cattle. She serves on the Whatcom County Marine Resource Committee and is active with the Blaine Elementary PTO.

Dexter is committed to finding ways to balance the needs of the maritime, agriculture, and refinery industries, which all provide many good jobs in Whatcom County. As the mother of two children in public schools, she wants to expand access to childcare and improve early childhood development opportunities for all families. 

Dexter is challenging Republican Ben Elenbaas in District 5. Outside of the council, he works in the agricultural industry. Last year, Elenbaas ran as a Republican for state Senate and lost in the primary, earning only 19 percent of the vote. Even though working Washingtonians are struggling to pay bills and afford health care, Elenbaas prioritizes industry and corporations, especially oil interests in the region. Elenbaas is also poor at collaborating with his colleagues and often sticks to GOP talking points instead of working together to find solutions that work for everyone.

Dexter has earned impressive endorsements in this race because she understands the community's needs and will work together with her colleagues to get things done. Jackie Dexter is the clear choice for Whatcom County Council from District 5.
 

Progressive campaign organizer Jace Cotton is running for the at-large seat on the Bellingham City Council. This seat is open after Councilmember Kristina Michele Martens decided to run for mayor. 

Cotton was a campaign manager with the Whatcom County Democrats for the last two years, playing a key role in winning all seven priority races. He is now the Campaign Director of Community First Whatcom, which has placed two initiatives on this year's November ballot. One initiative would raise the minimum wage by $2 and the other would increase protections for renters. Previously, he graduated from Western Washington University and worked as a paraeducator in local public schools. 

Cotton is running to advance economic justice in Bellingham. He wants to support low-wage workers and seniors who are struggling with the rapidly increasing cost of living. 

Cotton's opponent is financial advisor Russ Whidbee, who is running for city council once again on a more moderate platform. Previously, he served on the board of the Bellingham Technical College Foundation and worked with the Kulshan Community Land Trust.

Whidbee's campaign is focused on housing affordability, public safety, and homelessness. He states that his focus would be on seeking out grants and public and private partnerships with banks and developers to increase affordable housing. However, he seems unwilling to support the kind of zoning changes needed to bring more housing options and density to our community. He also says he wants to "reimagine" public safety for Bellingham and acknowledges systemic racism in law enforcement. However, his specific policy proposals - like body cameras and de-escalation training - should represent the bare minimum and have largely been implemented already.

Cotton has earned a very impressive slate of endorsements for a first-time candidate and is running a strong campaign. We recommend Jace Cotton for Bellingham City Council, At-Large.  

Longtime community activist and organizer Liz Darrow is now running for Bellingham City Council from Ward 3. Darrow works as a freelance video editor and has been the Technical Director of the Cascadia International Women's Film Festival for the last six years. She was a founding member of the city’s Immigration Advisory Board, worked as a legislative advocate for Community to Community Development, and is the elected co-chair for the Lettered Streets Neighborhood Association. In particular, she has advocated for the rights of farmworkers and immigrants, both in Whatcom County and in Olympia, including helping pass legislation in 2021 that made agricultural workers eligible for overtime pay.

Darrow is running for council to bring more responsive, action-oriented leadership to the city council. During our interview, she expressed her frustration with the council's lack of accessibility for most residents. She believes city leaders should be more present in the community to hear residents' concerns and better communicate about the council's work.

Darrow helped write an ambitious proposal called "The Big Lift" that includes ideas about how the city could improve homelessness services and expand tiny home shelter villages. She wants Bellingham and Whatcom County to be more aggressive in pursuing state funding and private partnerships to build some of the 50,000 units of housing she believes they need to build. On climate, Darrow would push the city to adopt a climate resiliency plan and eliminate all transit fares. However, she criticized the mayor's proposed climate action fund for being too focused on electric cars, which are financially out of reach for many residents.

Darrow is a good choice for Ward 3 if you're looking for a progressive organizer on the council who will be very active and visible in the community. 

Lisa Anderson, a program manager at Whatcom Community College, is running unopposed to continue representing Ward 5 on the Bellingham City Council. She is running to build more affordable housing, protect our clean air and water, and fund alternative support teams and support services to reduce incarceration.

Anderson has been a champion for the environment in Bellingham, voting to ban single-use plastics, preserve lands for wildlife and watershed protection, and increase infrastructure for electric vehicles and bicycles. She wants to increase sustainable, green energy jobs if re-elected.

A proud union member, Anderson has also supported hazard pay for grocery workers, apprenticeship programs for city workers, and grants for local businesses. Although we think she could have been a stronger voice in favor of the council raising the minimum wage, she has overall championed the interests of working people.

One of Anderson's top priorities is housing. She supported payment assistance during the pandemic, created new affordable housing that replaced an unsafe motel, and passed a tax to fund tiny homes with case managers that assist residents into permanent housing. She wants to create more zoning that includes homes that working people can afford, although she is concerned about how ADUs will impact historic neighborhoods.

Anderson has also stated her desire to reduce incarceration in favor of increasing support systems for addiction and mental health. However, we are disappointed that she voted in favor of making public drug use a misdemeanor punishable by jail time or a $1,000 fine. In the future, we hope that she will stand by her belief that we can't arrest our way out of residents' struggles with addiction.

Anderson is running unopposed, and has the support of a number of our progressive partners. She is the best choice in this race.

J. Riley Sweeney is running for the District 5 seat on the Meridian School District board. Sweeney currently works as the city of Ferndale’s Communication/Recreation Coordinator and previously worked with nonprofits and small businesses. Additionally, he chairs the County Food System Committee and serves on the Irene Reither Elementary PTA board.

If elected, Sweeney wants to prevent partisan influence on public curriculums and instead focus on accuracy, fact, and science so that Meridian students are best prepared for their futures. Another priority for him is to make sweeping investments in the district to support educators with higher salaries, help continued recovery from the pandemic, and uplift enrichment programs and the arts.

Sweeney's opponent is Michelle Simmons, who works for a restoration franchise business. She is a first-time candidate involved in a number of community groups, including the Meridian Boosters, the Meridian Strategic Planning Committee, and a PTA, where she serves as a chair. Simmons’ does not have a campaign website as of early October and the limited campaign information that's available does not include any specific policy solutions. In an article in Cascadia Daily, she complained about restrooms and locker rooms that include the needs of gender diverse students and decried education that speaks to students about race.

As a parent with strong progressive values who has kids enrolled in the district, Riley Sweeney is the clear choice for Director, District 5 on the Meridian School District board.