City of Puyallup

Former Gig Harbor city council member Tim Payne is also running for the Port of Tacoma, representing District 1. Payne was on the council for 12 years, according to his Twitter account.

Payne's campaign is prioritizing the expansion of job opportunities, supporting businesses, modernizing the port, and regional collaboration. Unfortunately, he does not suggest any specific strategies or policies he would advocate for if elected. Additionally, Payne's previous association with the conservative group, Opportunity for Washington, indicates a rightward lean in his priorities.

Former Republican state lawmaker JT Wilcox is running for the Port of Tacoma from District 4. Wilcox stepped down from his Legislative District 2 seat earlier this year, where he had served since 2010 as a ranking conservative. Professionally, he’s worked for a lumber company, in self-employed consulting, and as the director of operations for Wilcox Farms.

Wilcox is a staunch conservative who previously organized a ballot measure to eliminate Washington’s sexual health education, opposed legislation that keeps our community safe by instituting commonsense gun safety measures and environmental protections, and has been a consistent obstacle to rebalancing our tax code. In his bid for the port commission, Wilcox is demonstrating a similar set of values, including suggesting that Tacoma voters put him in power because his family’s farm business is a local employer. He brings a business lens to port leadership, but we know that our community thrives when leaders view this commission as an opportunity to strengthen workers’ rights, environmental protections, and community investment. Wilcox is not a progressive choice for the Port of Tacoma.

Jim Kastama is running for re-election for Puyallup City Council from District 1. Jim Kastama was a Democratic representative in the state House from 1996 to 2000, and was elected to the state Senate in 2000, where he served until 2012. Despite his official party, Kastama chose to vote with Republicans in the Senate, throwing the budget process into chaos and putting social services, education, and health care funding on the line. Since then, Kastama has spent his time on the council, starting a local group that criticizes services for people experiencing homelessness.

Kastama has cast several unfavorable votes on the council, including controversial changes to the city's Comprehensive Plan in 2025. He voted in favor of removing a climate protection policy from new construction projects, removing references to equity, and changing a paragraph about the city's history with the Puyallup Tribe. Kastama doubled down on his vote, claiming the changes were to prevent the city from attacks by the Trump administration.

Kastama's challenger, Jeff Bennett, claimed that Kastama used to follow him around while he was completing his duties as a Community Outreach Officer. According to Bennett, Kastama would take pictures of him going into encampments and post them to a Facebook group dedicated to criticizing Puyallup PD's homelessness response.

Jim Kastama is a conservative voice who is out of touch with the residents he is supposed to represent. We recommend Bennett instead of Puyallup City Council.

Dennis King is running for another term on the Puyallup City Council, representing District 2. King is running a tired campaign that repeats the same sentiments from his 2021 run. Insistent on preventing "Seattle-style politics" in Puyallup, he offers limited proposals or solutions to tackle the issues facing residents.

King's re-election campaign website is primarily dedicated to debunking "Puyallup Voters for Integrity." While he lays out the seemingly "misleading claims" made by the group, his counterarguments simply defend the decisions of the current council.

King also defended his vote to pass the controversial changes to the comprehensive plan that removed a climate protection policy from new construction projects, removed references to "equity," and changed a paragraph about the city's history with the Puyallup Tribe.

Dennis King's reactionary campaign lacks substance and shows an extreme sensitivity to criticism or feedback. Puyallup residents deserve a collaborative leader who will listen to their concerns and treat them with respect. We recommend voting for Heather Schiller to represent District 2 on the Puyallup City Council.

Mark Crosby is running for Puyallup City Council, District 3. Crosby is the founder of Cruise Puyallup and worked with his father for 20 years at Simpson Tacoma Kraft Paper Mill.

Crosby is not running a comprehensive campaign for city council. His surface-level priorities include infrastructure improvements, small business support, and exploring solutions to help people experiencing homelessness. Additionally, he told The News Tribune, "'I'm not much of a diversity, equity and inclusion [supporter], it kind of divides us,'" displaying a lack of understanding of how DEI programs benefit the community at large. Crosby lacks a detailed plan or solutions for the issues he outlines in his campaign.

Mark Crosby does not appear to be a serious candidate in this race. We recommend Lindsay Smolko for Puyallup City Council, District 3.

Ellen Aronson is running for Puyallup School Board Director. Aronson is an active PTA member and hopes to improve the quality of education in the area. Aronson has been heavily involved in the school district, serving as a vocal advocate on the 2024 Puyallup Bond Advisory Committee and as co-chair of the 2025 Vote Yes for Puyallup Schools Committee.

Aronson's campaign prioritizes support for teachers, fostering meaningful relationships, ensuring efficient funding, and championing students. Although her platform could benefit from more specific proposals and solutions for the district, Ellen Aronson is clearly committed to enhancing the district's educational quality for students and fostering a sense of community.

While we appreciate Aronson's experience and commitment to the district, we are concerned that she has been publicly touting her endorsement from Republican Bruce Dammeier.

We instead recommend Melissa Bedford for Puyallup School Board Director, Position 1.

William Rowland is running for Puyallup School Board Director, Position 4. Rowland is a veteran, business owner, and self-proclaimed "Conservative Christian."

Rowland is running a conservative campaign that is primarily focused on reducing diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools. He falsely paints DEI initiatives as an amorphous threat to "free dialogue and critical thinking" in schools. Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are proven to foster belonging and unity, particularly for marginalized students who historically faced systemic oppression.

He is also a proud supporter of the right-wing parental rights movement, which is a ploy for conservatives to control what students are learning in schools. Rowland's platform is filled with platitudes and talking points rather than tangible solutions that actually benefit students, such as free and reduced lunch programs or after-school activities.

William Rowland is another conservative candidate deeply out of touch with the needs of students. Instead, we recommend David Berg for Puyallup School Board Director, Position 4.