City of Bremerton

Longtime nonprofit leader Denise Frey is running for re-election to Bremerton City Council, District 2. Frey is the retired CEO of both the YWCA Kitsap County and the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the city council since her appointment last year.

Frey's experience with the YWCA has made her an outspoken advocate for many communities facing challenges in Bremerton. Frey shared her own experience as a survivor when speaking out against the Supreme Court's reversal of abortion rights, advocated for a city resolution to treat immigrants with dignity during the wave of anti-immigrant sentiments in 2017, and helped establish Morrow Manor in Poulsbo, which provided long-term supportive housing to gender-based violence survivors who were experiencing homelessness.

During her time on the council, Frey has focused on creating better infrastructure for people to walk, bike, and roll through Bremerton. She supported updates to make the Warren Avenue bridge more accessible, and wants to support more sustainable development along the Wheaton Way Corridor and Eastside Village.

The city council is currently considering an extremely backwards proposal to criminalize camping in public areas, even if there is no shelter space available. Frey argued that the city should provide adequate support and services before punishing people on the streets. She does acknowledge safety concerns with encampments, and would consider restricting camping to nighttime hours only.

Adrian Wright is a far-right candidate who is challenging Frey for her seat on the Bremerton City Council. Wright is the former regional director for the Libertarian Party of Washington, and is a current Republican precinct committee officer. He has no public policy platform as of early October, but his personal Facebook has posts where he supported far-right politician Loren Culp and defended a Kitsap neo-Nazi who was accused of stockpiling materials for a racially-motivated attack.

Wright would be a dangerous addition to the Bremerton City Council. Frey is the by far the best choice for this race. 

Anna Mockler is running for re-election to Bremerton City Council, Position 6. Mockler is a former professor and wetland scientist who has spent her time on council advocating for affordable housing and accessible streets. She narrowly won her seat last year when Mike Simpson relocated to Japan for over a month, prompting a special election.

Mockler has been a vocal advocate for streets that are accessible to walkers, bikers, and wheelchair users. She supported efforts to repave and add sidewalks to dangerous streets, implement traffic calming, and fund a street sign shop. As a Kitsap Transit commissioner, she has additionally supported the addition of more electric buses and the reduction of transportation fares.

As a former insulation contractor and third generation union member, Mockler is invested in building safe and affordable housing for working people in Bremerton. She advocated to adjust the multifamily housing rules to create more housing that is truly affordable for locals, and helped open Pendleton Place to provide housing with supportive services. If re-elected, she would devote more city-owned properties toward becoming affordable homes and allow more dense and lower-cost housing options like ADUs. 

Disappointingly, Mockler recently voted in favor of a strict anti-camping ordinance that criminalizes people who are experiencing homelessness, although she did suggest that the city create more housing options during the debate.

However, her opponent is conservative Mike Simpson, who is trying to win back his seat on Bremerton City Council, Position 6, from Mockler. Simpson is an Army veteran, former corrections officer, and former deputy sheriff for the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office.

Simpson's journey to in political office has been rife with complications - he was briefly removed from office in 2021 because he had spent more than 30 days overseas in Japan, and had to be re-elected that same year. Because of an elections error where ballots were sent to voters outside of the district, the election had to be redone in 2022, and Anna Mockler won by a slim margin.

This error prompted Simpson to run unsuccessfully for Kitsap County Auditor as a Republican. During that campaign, Simpson echoed typical conservative fearmongering about voter fraud, and argued that more emphasis should be placed on in-person voting over Washington's much-loved, accessible vote-by-mail system.

While on the council, Simpson voted against making it easier for people to have small rentals on their properties, which could help alleviate the affordable housing crunch. He also pushed back on the need for a racial equity committee, which was established after the national conversation on racial justice to better address the concerns of Bremerton residents. If elected, Simpson would act on his conservative values and cut funding for the vital services that communities depend on to thrive.

Mockler is the best choice in this race. 

Navy veteran Dr. Karen J. Bolton is running for re-election to the Bremerton School Board, Position 1. Since retiring from 20 years of service in the Navy, she has worked as a full-time professor at Olympic College. She has also served as a past board member of the YWCA of Kitsap County and Leadership Kitsap.

Bolton was first elected in 2019 and took office just weeks before the pandemic. She is proud of her track record leading the district through the pandemic without laying off any staff and ensuring that all students continued to have access to meals and wi-fi. She is running for re-election to ensure every student has the opportunity to earn a high-quality education. She also wants to keep pushing the district forward to integrate the latest technology into the curriculum.

Bolton faces a challenge from conservative Lance Byrd, who moved to Bremerton six years ago and does not appear to have any experience serving his community. Unfortunately, Byrd has aligned himself with the far-right group Moms for Liberty, which wants to ban books from school libraries, eliminate comprehensive sex education, and change school curriculums to whitewash our history. He recently participated in a candidate forum hosted by Moms for Liberty and criticizes Bolton for working to achieve equity for all students.

Bolton's lifetime of service, track record of thoughtful leadership, and deep knowledge of education issues have earned her a host of endorsements from local leaders and statewide advocates. Dr. Karen Bolton is the clear choice for Bremerton School Board, Position 1. 

Breezy Mitchell is running for Central Kitsap School Board, Position 2. She is an owner and operator of Mitchell Lumber Company and previously worked as a registered nurse at the Harrison Medical Center ICU. She has three kids in the Central Kitsap School District and serves on the Central Kitsap Montessori Parent’s Association Board.

Mitchell is running to ensure all our kids feel safe at school, improve academic performance, and improve communication between the board and families in the district. She also wants to provide better support for educators and support their career development.

Mitchell is challenging conservative Kristin Hay, who was appointed to the seat earlier this year. Hay is an active member of the far-right group Moms for Liberty, which wants to ban books from school libraries, eliminate comprehensive sex education, and change school curriculums to whitewash our history. While she has not released a campaign website, she recently participated in a Moms for Liberty forum where she agreed with all of the group's questions during the lightning round.

Central Kitsap parents and students deserve a school board director who will listen and be transparent, not impose a far-right political agenda on our classrooms. Breezy Mitchell is the clear choice for Central Kitsap School Board, Position 2. 

Drayton Jackson, the current president of the Central Kitsap School Board, is running to continue representing District 3. Jackson's experience with over two decades of homelessness have motivated him to become an outspoken advocate for people experiencing poverty and housing insecurity. He is now the executive director of the Foundation for Homeless and Poverty Management, which he created to help families find homes and stability. Jackson has also held leadership positions on a number of groups that do outreach to low-income parents, assist parents that are navigating higher education, and advise the governor and state on strategies to dismantle poverty in Washington.

Jackson is proud of his accomplishments during his first term elected, during which the school board handled the effects of the pandemic and passed a levy to fund counselors, transportation, special education, and school libraries. Jackson also is proud to be a voice for those often unrepresented on the board - Black and brown people and people experiencing poverty.

Jim Grose is challenging Jackson for his seat on the Central Kitsap School Board, representing District 3. Grose recently retired from a 36-year career as a pipe fitter and an insulator shop superintendent at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. 

Grose is running on a platform aligned with the far-right group Moms for Liberty, which is seeking to take over local school boards to impose their political agenda on our classrooms. During a recent candidate forum hosted by Moms for Liberty, Grose said "I am into banning books" and suggested that the district could defy state education laws it doesn't agree with, which would be illegal. Grose's far-right positions are dangerous for students and have no place on our school board. 

If re-elected, Jackson would continue to center student voices in decision-making, fund more vital programs and student opportunities, and create a more diverse and inclusive environment for all. He deserves your vote for Central Kitsap School Board, District 3.