City of Bellevue

Rep. Janice Zahn is running to retain Position 1 representing the 41st Legislative District. Zahn emigrated from Hong Kong as a child and has dedicated her adult life to stewarding public infrastructure and services. She is the chief engineer for the Port of Seattle and served on the Bellevue City Council until her appointment to the Legislature in January.

Zahn has been a consistent and outspoken progressive leader in our community. In our interview, she shared that her priorities include supporting affordable housing, paid family leave, efficient project management, and protecting public education for students. She approaches policy with an eye on equity and wants to "help those who are furthest from power to create a level playing field for them to advocate for themselves."

One of Zahn's proudest accomplishments during her time on the Bellevue City Council was the development and implementation of a safe parking program. The program supported approximately 60 children experiencing housing instability by providing a safe space for families to park their cars, rest, study, and have a meal. The program particularly supported single working moms, helping them find their own stability and move into transitional housing.

Janice Zahn is a caring and compassionate leader who has hosted over 250 constituent meetings to hear their concerns. She has earned your vote for Position 1 representing the 41st Legislative District.

Democrat Vandana Slatter is running to retain her position representing the 48th Legislative District in the state Senate. In January, Slatter was appointed by the King County Council to replace Sen. Patty Kuderer, who won her recent election for Washington Insurance Commissioner. Slatter previously served on the Bellevue City Council as the first Indian-American city council member, as well as on the boards of organizations such as the Children's Institute for Learning Differences and NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.

In the Legislature, Slatter has built a reputation as a progressive champion for students and working people. She recently supported bills to strengthen gun safety through a number of commonsense measures, teach inclusive curricula at school, and support collective bargaining rights for workers. In previous sessions, she worked to pass legislation that funds zero-emission school buses and improves access to food assistance programs for those in our community who need them. Her appointment from the King County Council and strong community support from past campaigns confirm that she is a respected and effective progressive leader in Olympia.

We highly recommend voting to retain Senator Vandana Slatter to represent the 48th Legislative District.

Osman Salahuddin is running to be retained by voters in Legislative District 48, House Position 1. Salahuddin is a former Redmond City Council member who was appointed by the King County Council to fill Vandana Slatter's former seat. Before holding elected office, he worked as a communications and community engagement manager for King County Councilmember Sarah Perry and held several roles at a national consulting firm.

Salahuddin’s top priority is addressing the rising cost of living in Washington. He is taking a comprehensive approach to affordability by addressing issues such as health care, housing, and childcare, so that all Washingtonians can afford the basics. In particular, Salahuddin voted to limit rent increases to 10%, which will reduce the cost of housing for renters across the state. As one of our youngest lawmakers, Salahuddin represents a part of the electorate who are often underrepresented in state legislatures.

Osman Salahuddin was an effective leader during his first session in Olympia. He has earned your vote to retain his position as the 48th Legislative District Representative.

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci has served District 6 (Bellevue and East King County) since 2015. She began her career as a public interest lawyer fighting for women and LGBTQ+ people. She was a neighborhood organizer who went on to serve on the Bellevue City Council, including for a term as mayor. Balducci has served as chair of the county council and serves as vice chair of the Sound Transit Board of Directors, where she successfully advocated for an early opening of the "starter line" in East King County.

In her nearly two decades of public service, Balducci has prioritized progressive solutions to the issues facing our region, including improving transportation options, promoting affordable housing, enhancing community safety, addressing climate action, and supporting arts and culture. Her track record is strong in all of these areas, including an arts levy to invest in science, heritage, arts, and cultural organizations, as well as legislation to keep “forever chemicals” out of our local environment. She was a tenacious advocate for the East Link light rail and the 10-station, 14-mile expansion plan slated for completion in early 2026.

Balducci is running for the executive position with a vision of an inclusive, vibrant, and climate-friendly county where all residents can thrive. She emphasizes her track record of effective leadership at the city and county levels that has delivered results for her communities. As a bus and bike commuter, Balducci is an avid supporter of expanding transit options, particularly light rail and bus routes. Additionally, she is an advocate for transit-oriented housing as a means of improving affordability, as well as cutting red tape to expedite the construction of badly needed housing in our region. Furthermore, she has outlined thoughtful plans to reduce gun violence, expand mental health and addiction treatment services, and youth prevention programs.

Incumbent Commissioner Ryan Calkins is running unopposed for re-election for Port of Seattle, Commissioner Position 1, where he has served since 2017. He works for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as an advisor on offshore wind and maritime infrastructure. Previously, Calkins also ran a successful import and distribution company and started a local nonprofit focused on supporting small business entrepreneurship. His background in business, maritime infrastructure, and public service makes him a highly qualified voice on the commission.

The Port of Seattle oversees public assets in travel, trade, and commerce for the region. Over the last eight years, Calkins has helped push the commission in a more progressive direction. He advocates for equity, sustainability, and prosperity to port leadership, and he has supported measures to protect our port’s local ecosystem, fight for workers’ rights, and improve local immigration policy. Calkins is campaigning on a platform that emphasizes environmental justice, sustainable economic development, and creating living-wage jobs

Ryan Calkins deserves your vote for another term in Position 1 on the Seattle Port Commission.

Incumbent Hamdi Mohamed is running unopposed for re-election for Commissioner Position 3 on the Port of Seattle. Mohamed was first elected to the position in 2021 on a visionary progressive platform, making her the first Black woman to serve on the commission. Mohamed’s mother worked for the airport when her family first settled in SeaTac as Somali refugees – an upbringing that has deepened her knowledge of the port’s community importance. She is the department director for Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and previously worked as a policy advisor for the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice. She is currently the only commissioner who resides in South King County.

Mohamed is a leader in people-focused policy, taking seriously the real impact of port commission decisions on the local community, ecosystem, and economy. On the commission, she has prioritized economic development to create good-paying local jobs, support workers’ rights, and help small businesses flourish. She has also been a strong voice for addressing airport noise disruptions, reducing port pollution that impacts the South King County communities, and promoting renewable energy solutions.

We recommend Hamdi Mohamed for another term as Port of Seattle Commissioner, Position 3, to continue bringing strong, progressive leadership to the to the region.

Commission president Toshiko Grace Hasegawa is running unopposed for re-election to Commissioner Position 4 on the Port of Seattle. Hasegawa was first elected to the position in 2021, becoming one of the first women of color to serve on the commission, alongside her colleague Hamdi Mohamed. Hasegawa is the former executive director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA), an advocacy organization that advises government agencies on issues affecting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She currently serves on the boards of Densho and the Seattle chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, both organizations that uplift the city’s Japanese American community.

On the commission, Hasegawa has been a voice for community empowerment, equitable prosperity, and regional sustainability. She was a critical advocate protecting North SeaTac Park, led efforts to increase childcare and health care for airport employees, helped set ambitious goals to decarbonize the cruise industry, and expanded the South King County Community Impact Fund. If re–elected, Hasegawa will continue her tireless work to fight for clean water and air, strong workers' protections, and economic development that benefits local communities first in her progressive vision for the commission.

We recommend Hasegawa for a second term on the Seattle Port Commission.

Councilmember Vishal Bhargava is running to be retained on the Bellevue City Council in Position 1. He was appointed to the seat after longtime progressive councilmember John Stokes retired. Bhargava is a director of product management at Amazon, where he has worked for more than a decade. He has a master's degree in urban planning and served on the city’s planning commission for seven years.

Bhargava wants to ensure that as our city grows, all community members can access a high quality of life. He states that he would take a data-driven approach to decision-making to promote affordability, mental health resources, workforce development, and more. He wants to draw upon his experience in urban planning to push for more housing to reduce the cost of living and make Bellevue more accessible.

Bhargava describes himself as a center-left candidate, and this is evident in his platform. He supports increasing funding for mental health crisis response and traditional law enforcement, strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in Bellevue, and expanding internet access.

Bhargava is still very new to the council and has only a modest track record. We hope that he leverages his expertise to push the council to be more ambitious in building housing in a city where the current median home price is $1.7 million. We recommend Vishal Bhargava for Bellevue City Council, Position 1.

Nonprofit founder Naren Briar is running for Bellevue City Council, Position 2. Briar has worked as a product manager in the AI ethics space at Meta and has run the Genocide Education and Human Rights Initiative for almost a decade. As a member of the Kurdish American community and a participant in Bellevue Essentials, the city's civic engagement program, Briar is a strong communicator and leader dedicated to creating safe and healthy communities.

Briar is running on an optimistic and progressive platform. If elected, she hopes to address the housing crisis by increasing mixed-use development, expanding affordable options, and implementing tenant protections. Briar also aims to invest in community progress through enhanced public transit, living-wage jobs, cultural event programming, cross-agency government collaboration, and other initiatives. Her thoughtful, forward-looking platform has helped her earn an impressive slate of endorsements from community leaders that continues to grow.

Naren Briar is the right choice to bring new ideas and fresh leadership to the Bellevue City Council. We enthusiastically recommend her for Position 2.

Pradnya Desh is challenging conservative incumbent Jared Nieuwenhuis for Bellevue City Council, Position 4. Desh holds an impressive range of professional experiences, having worked as an attorney, CEO of a tech startup, U.S. diplomat, and more.

Desh is running to secure a bright and diverse future for the residents of Bellevue. Her policy priorities include streamlining affordable housing development, expanding transit, and promoting social equity. She is an advocate for greener policies, encouraging clean tech, improved walkability, and safe bike paths. Finally, she advocates for inclusive policies that protect and uplift community members.

Pradnya Desh offers a fresh and progressive vision for Bellevue, a contrast to Nieuwenhuis's outdated policies. We recommend Pradnya Desh for Bellevue City Council, Position 4.

Claire Sumadiwirya is running to be retained in Position 5 on the Bellevue City Council, to which she was appointed in April of this year. Sumadiwirya works at the intersection of private innovation and social impact and started her own social enterprise company, Bellden Ventures. Her approach to small business ownership involves nurturing the community, and she has shared the profits of her downtown business, Bellden Café, with several nonprofits. Sumadiwirya has also served on the King County Open Space Equity Cabinet and with the Bellevue School Foundation.

As a first-generation immigrant, Sumadiwirya has approached her leadership roles with a commitment to strengthening the social fabric of our local community while increasing opportunities, prosperity, and belonging for all. Her campaign is prioritizing collaboration, inclusion, affordability, and safety. As an effort to improve tenant protections, she aims to make renter resources available in multiple languages, which would support marginalized communities most affected by housing instability. She is an advocate for alternative policing methods that seek to reduce harm in vulnerable communities, such as expanding the crisis response team and reducing inappropriate arrests.

Claire Sumadiwirya is a thoughtful and dedicated leader who is focused on supporting all communities in Bellevue. She has earned your vote to serve a full term on the Bellevue City Council in Position 5.

Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson is running for another term in Position 6 on the Bellevue City Council. Robinson first joined the council in 2014 and was elected mayor by her fellow council members in 2020.

Robinson has led the city with a steady hand during a period of rapid change and growth over the last 5 years. She has worked to support small businesses, advocate for Bellevue's parks and green spaces, and maintain Bellevue's quality of life. Robinson is proud of her efforts to attract new businesses and high-paying jobs to the city, which has contributed to continuous growth in the downtown core. She also oversaw efforts to develop the Spring District and other hubs centered around the new light rail expansion through Bellevue. Despite these successes, we were recently disappointed to see Robinson organize a letter opposing progressive efforts in Olympia to ensure that the wealthiest corporations and individuals in our state pay what they truly owe our communities in taxes.

Lynne Robinson is the best choice for Position 6 on the Bellevue City Council.

Incumbent director Jane Aras is running unopposed for a second term representing District 5 on the Bellevue School District Board of Directors. Her background includes teaching special education in Bellevue and Renton, holding leadership roles in the PTSA, and volunteering with Bellevue schools for over two decades. In this role, she established a math and reading club, as well as a before-school computer programming program for local students.

On the school board, Aras has worked hard to restore our high-quality local education after the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic disruptions by taking a holistic, community approach. She is committed to building a local school system that emphasizes social and emotional development, genuine intellectual curiosity, and equitable opportunity. To do this, Aras supports fostering soft skills, promoting mental health resources, supporting post-graduate opportunities in higher education and vocational pursuits alike, and utilizing data-driven approaches to identifying and repairing equity gaps. She believes academic excellence follows from investing in our school staff, resources, and programming, and her campaign is widely supported by local progressives.

Aras has earned your vote for re-election to the Bellevue School District Board of Directors.

Angela Meekhof is running for Lake Washington School Board Director, District 3. She is a social worker, foster parent, and a volunteer in the school district. Meekhof has also garnered positive community support, with folks highlighting her commitment to supporting students of color and LGBTQ+ students specifically.

Meekhof's campaign focuses on providing students with better mental health support, reducing financial barriers, and creating personalized pathways for students. She demonstrates a thorough understanding of the needs of students in the district, advocating for better trauma-informed practices in schools. Meekhof takes a kind and considerate approach to schooling, paying extra attention to those historically left out or underrepresented. She is an advocate for technical and professional training and programs like Running Start, as well as celebrating the district's diversity.

Angela Meekhof is a thoughtful and experienced leader who will make an excellent choice to serve on the Lake Washington School Board representing District 3.

Aspen Richter is running for the Lake Washington School Board from District 4. Richter is a community leader with broad professional experience, including serving as a family caregiver, working for a mortgage compliance company, and consulting with companies on waste reduction. They have an extensive record of volunteering for a number of local organizations, including the Lake Washington School District Advisory Committee, the Lake Washington Citizens Levy Committee, Eastside Urbanism, and more. Richter is also a parent to three students in the school district.

Richter's campaign is focused on collaboration, progress, opportunity, and inclusion. Their campaign includes finding and retaining exceptional teachers, community engagement, and sustainable funding that ensures longevity. They are committed to advocating for all students and being a forward-thinking voice in the district.

In addition to their thoughtful campaign platform, Richter has earned impressive support from local elected officials and community leaders. We enthusiastically recommend Aspen Richter for the Lake Washington School Board from District 4.