City of Tacoma

Bryan Yambe is running to retain his seat on the Pierce County Council representing District 5. Yambe previously served on the Fife City Council before being appointed to the county council earlier this year. Yambe is a lifelong volunteer and a movement builder. He has worked with the Pierce County Young Democrats, 25th Legislative District Democrats, and the Washington State Labor Council, as well as multiple other boards and progressive organizations. When he was elected in 2013, he became only the second Japanese-American person to serve on the Fife City Council.

Yambe's current campaign platform includes detailed plans to create more affordable homes, raise wages, address public safety, improve transportation, and public health. He is a proponent of strengthening wraparound services and rehousing programs for people experiencing homelessness. Yambe also intends to create opportunities for first-time home buyers, centered around equity. Additionally, he is in favor of expanding crisis response teams and investing in youth intervention programs. In public health, Yambe plans to support local farmers and expand nutrition assistance programs.

Due to his track record of progressive leadership, detailed campaign, and endorsements from our partner organizations, we enthusiastically recommend retaining Bryan Yambe for Pierce County Council, District 5.

Billy Jo Hetherington is running against Tyron J. Christopherson for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 2, Position 1. We are confident Hetherington is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Marianna Hyke is running against Brenda Milewski for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 2, Position 2. Hyke is currently the chair of the Pierce County Democrats. As a union carpenter, she will fight for working families and work to expand apprenticeship opportunities.

We are confident she is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Teresa Maston is running against Elizabeth Herrera for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 2, Position 3. We are confident Maston is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

John Linboe is running against Hollie Rogge for the Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 3, Position 3. Linboe serves on the South Pierce Fire and Rescue Commission and as the director of Region 7 for the Washington State Fire Commissioners Association. He has also built a long track record in labor leadership, including serving on the executive board of the local machinist and aerospace worker union, as a delegate for the Pierce County Labor Council, and on the state’s Labor Council Economic Development and Transportation Committee.

Linboe is running to build an inclusive and sustainable future for Pierce County. If elected, he wants to bring progress through creating good-wage jobs, addressing the housing crisis, and investing in raising the rural quality of life. He is the best choice for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 3, Position 3.

Devin Rydel Kelly is running against Leslie E. Young for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 4, Position 2. We are confident Kelly is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Jake Hunter is running against Michael Catsi for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 4, Position 3. Hunter is a small business owner who serves as the Treasurer for the Pierce County Democrats.

We are confident Hunter is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Troy Serad is running against Brett Johnson for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 5, Position 2. We are confident Serad is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Jenn Marie Strickling is running against Carole Sue Braaton for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 5, Position 3. Strickling is the chair of the 25th Legislative District Democrats and has been active with multiple unions.

We are confident Strickland is the best choice in this race based on her track record of activism and the endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders.

George Conzuelo is running against John Colvin for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 6, Position 1. We are confident Conzuelo is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Lisa T. Boyd is running against Sam Scott for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 6, Position 2. Boyd has more than three decades of experience as an educator, including serving as the Principal of the Clover Park School.

We are confident Boyd is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Jeremy Kamel is running against Loujanna Rohrer for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 6, Position 3. We are confident Kamel is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Justin Leighton is running against Pat McMonigle for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 7, Position 1. Leighton is a longtime transit advocate who served on the Tacoma Charter Review Commission in 2015.

We are confident Leighton is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Brenda Lykins is running against Gary Parker for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 7, Position 2. We are confident Lykins is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Martha Lantz is running against Jesse Young for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 7, Position 3. Lantz served on the previous Charter Review Commission and was elected as Vice Chair.

Lantz is running against MAGA Republican Jesse Young, who narrowly lost his race for Legislature in 2024. One of the most conservative members of the state House at the time, Young sponsored several bills aimed at curtailing people's constitutional right to an abortion long before the Supreme Court's ruling in 2022, including a bill to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. Young was also infamously restricted from having legislative staff after allegations of mistreatment in 2017. He has led some of the more controversial conservative policies, like efforts to stop a ban on high-capacity magazines for firearms.

We recommend Martha Lantz for Pierce County Charter Review Commission, District 7, Position 3.

Former Tacoma City Council member Anders Ibsen is running for mayor to leverage his experience to address affordable housing and public safety. Ibsen served on the council from 2012 to 2019, including one year as deputy mayor of Tacoma, and has also served as a commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission.

While on the council, Ibsen supported renter protections and raising the minimum wage to $15. Ibsen wants to continue improving housing affordability by championing policies such as permitting more ADUs, converting unused government-owned land into affordable housing, and making thoughtful changes to the city's permitting and zoning codes. He believes fixing housing and mental health is the foundation for improving homelessness, and wants to divert those who are non-violent but suffering from a mental illness from the criminal legal system. He also prioritizes improving the lives of working families, listing childcare, green workforce training, and safe routes to school at the top of his agenda.

Ibsen is distinctly more progressive than his main rival, John Hines. Ibsen has a clear stance on protecting the LGBTQ community from the overreach of the federal government and prioritizes supporting working families over conservative businesses. It's worth noting that Tacoma's system of government empowers the city manager to oversee most of the city's day-to-day operations. Anders Ibsen is the progressive choice for Mayor of Tacoma.

Latasha Palmer is running for the Position 6 seat on the Tacoma City Council to create stability and security for all. She serves as a founding board member for the Aya Community Land Trust, which aims to prevent displacement and build wealth for the Black community in Pierce County, and as a board member for the Hilltop Action Coalition.

Matching her community experience, Palmer is running to address the critical issue of housing, as well as safety, climate resilience, and more. Some of her priorities include facilitating ADU development by streamlining the process, advocating for social housing, and expanding community land trusts. Her emphasis and experience in reducing displacement for Tacoma residents make her unique in the races for the city council this year.

In addition, Palmer wants to see cooperative childcare organized by parents receive regulatory support, offering training, licensing, and research that can help address the overall unaffordability of childcare in the region. As a council member, Palmer would also advocate for attracting more environmentally friendly businesses to the city and connecting neighborhoods and cultural areas with accessible transportation.

During our interview, we were impressed with Palmer's demonstrated track record of civic activism and clear vision for what she hopes to accomplish in office. We recommend Latasha Palmer for Tacoma City Council, Position 6.

Sarah Rumbaugh is running for re-election to represent District 2 on the Tacoma City Council. Rumbaugh owns a consulting business and serves on the Tacoma Human Rights Commission. She previously worked as a city planner for Kent and with the Housing Equity Task Force, helping to develop the Home in Tacoma Project.

Rumbaugh's re-election campaign largely focuses on addressing homelessness and other related issues, such as community safety and domestic violence. She recognizes the need to improve shelter capacity to provide temporary and transitional housing options for those experiencing homelessness. She takes a strong stance on protecting our neighbors from threats against immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community. Her platform does not currently include specifics for introducing more affordable housing options, an issue that is especially prevalent throughout the region. In the past, Rumbaugh has prioritized balancing tree canopies with zoning proposals, which can hinder the development of much-needed affordable housing options. Overall, Rumbaugh is a consistent voice on the council who has also earned endorsements from some of our progressive partner organizations.

We recommend re-electing Sarah Rumbaugh because she is the more progressive candidate in the race for Tacoma City Council representing District 2.

Alisa Lee is running against Jerry Thorpe for the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma, Commissioner - Position 1. We are confident Lee is the best choice in this race based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders. While we have not been able to conduct our standard independent research on this race, we encourage you to visit their website, social media, or voters’ pamphlet statement to learn more.

Incumbent Director Lisa Keating is seeking another term in District 1 on the Tacoma School Board. She first joined the board in 2019, when she defeated a more conservative long-time incumbent. She founded her own LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organization, My Purple Umbrella, and was recently named executive director of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission. Her advocacy work has focused on helping LGBTQ students feel safe in schools and other community institutions, and she holds a formal credential as a DEI facilitator.

Her campaign focuses on continued protections against discriminatory policies, ensuring students' safety in schools. She is seeking a proactive approach to combatting the looming threat of losing the Department of Education and shielding students from harmful policies. Lisa Keating is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for the Tacoma School Board, District 1 seat.