City of Everett

Council Chair Jared Mead is running unopposed for another term in the District 4 seat on the Snohomish County Council. Mead has held a number of public service positions, including four years on the Mill Creek City Council, two years as a state lawmaker in Legislative District 44, and his most recent tenure on the county council, where he has sat since he was appointed in 2020 and retained in the following election by voters. Mead, who was born and raised in south Snohomish County, has also worked as a legislative aide and as a campaign manager.

In his re-election campaign, Mead is focusing on several key issues, including affordability, public safety, and transportation. Mead supports expanding mental health resources and violence prevention programs to enhance public safety services. Regarding affordable housing, Mead acknowledges the need to increase the housing supply. However, we would be interested to see his approach expand to include solutions such as renter and tenant protections.

Mead referred to himself as being more right-leaning than his party, which is evidenced by certain votes and policy proposals he made during his time on the council. Earlier this year, Mead introduced the controversial Amendment 3 to the Critical Areas Regulations bill, which the conservative side of the council helped pass. His amendment faced public backlash for its lack of wildlife protections and for reducing buffers of protection around wetlands.

Additionally, Mead proposed an amendment to the Snohomish County budget that reduced funding for the Office of Social Justice and Executive Office after an audit found the department to be unsustainable in the long term. Fellow county council member Strom Peterson criticized the move, saying the council overstepped its authority.

We hope that Mead adopts more progressive positions on some key issues during his next term on the Snohomish County Council.

Kelli Johnson is challenging Republican incumbent Sam Low for Snohomish County Council from District 5. Johnson is a Democrat with ten years of experience as an Emergency Room nurse.

Johnson's campaign aims to improve housing affordability, expand access to quality health care, and achieve a balanced budget. She supports zoning changes that allow for a variety of affordable homes that also include environmental protections. Throughout her nursing career, Johnson has been a health care advocate, most recently raising awareness of the devastating MAGA Congressional cuts to Medicaid on her Instagram.

Although Kelli Johnson's campaign could afford some more detailed policy proposals, we appreciate her health care advocacy and progressive values. We recommend her to replace Sam Low on the Snohomish County Council from District 5.

Cassie Franklin is running for re-election as Everett Mayor. Before becoming mayor, Franklin served as an Everett City Council member and was involved in several organizations and programs addressing homelessness.

Since the start of her term in 2017, Franklin has made a mixed bag of policy decisions that have not always been favorable, particularly regarding the budget. While her work during the pandemic was lauded, her decisions to increase police budgeting and cut public services were disappointing. In 2025, Franklin issued a directive aimed at enhancing public safety, which called for increasing the number of school resource officers (SROs). Reports have found that the presence of SROs often disproportionately impacts students of color.

Franklin cites public safety as a continued top priority for herself and the council. In 2025, she spoke in favor of the Drone-as-First-Responder program, which would deploy drones to incidents. The technology is developed by Flock Safety, which drew criticism from the ACLU over privacy concerns. In 2022, Franklin objected to the Right of Way Initiative, which would have moved people experiencing homelessness into motels in Everett. She accused the program, without evidence, of bringing people into Everett from other areas.

While we do not always agree with Cassie Franklin's policies, she is the less conservative choice in this race. We recommend re-electing her to serve another term as Everett Mayor.

Erica Weir is running for Everett City Council, Position 1. Weir has been deeply involved in the Everett community, working at the Village Theatre. She has also served on the Downtown Everett Association Board of Directors, Creative District Advisory Board, and with the Everett Music Initiative.

In our interview, Weir listed addiction treatment, housing, homelessness, and the budget deficit as her priorities. As a first-time candidate, Weir is still refining her policy positions on some issues. While she noted she is still in the process of educating herself on these issues, she was able to draw upon her experience working in the downtown area and seeing firsthand the support vulnerable residents need. In her approach to public safety, the solution must evolve beyond hiring more police officers and incorporate social programs that address the root causes of crime. Weir is also open to exploring ways to balance the need for an influx of housing units without displacing people from their neighborhoods.

Erica Weir is a dedicated community leader who genuinely cares about her community. While she would make a great addition to the council, we lean towards electing Sam Hem to the Everett City Council due to his endorsements from some of our partner organizations.

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is seeking re-election for Everett City Council Position 2. During her tenure on the Everett City Council, Rhyne kept her campaign promises to address community concerns, including public safety, affordable housing, and worker protections.

Rhyne has worked to bar employers found guilty of wage theft from being awarded city contracts. She also advocated for federal funding for Alternative Response Teams to handle the mental health crisis, as well as the Emergency Mobile Opioid Treatment Everett (EMOTE) to help treat those struggling with opioid addiction. Additionally, she helped downtown business owners offset the financial impact of COVID through funding for the Downtown Everett Association to support their storefront grants.

Over the course of her first four years in office, Rhyne has demonstrated herself to be a strong leader committed to serving the Everett community. We recommend re-electing Paula Rhyne for Everett City Council Position 2.

Retired firefighter Don Schwab is running for re-election for Everett City Council, Position 3. Prior to running for office, he worked as a firefighter for more than three decades. He has served on various boards in the community and at the state level, including as a board member of the Snohomish County Red Cross and on the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters. He currently works for Snohomish County Treasurer Brian Sullivan and as an associate faculty member at Everett Community College.

His re-election campaign is focused on public safety, economic development, affordable housing, and infrastructure. Schwab's approach to public safety remains similar to his previous campaigns, with a focus on funding for emergency responders and investing in community-based programs for safety. We would like to hear more specifics about his plans for these community-based programs, as well as strategies to incorporate crisis response teams trained in behavioral health and de-escalation. Additionally, he is an advocate for affordable housing development, improved transit options, and bringing back the neighborhood watch program.

In the past, Don Schwab has often leaned more moderate, particularly in his approach to policing and housing. While we would like to see more detailed policy proposals and solutions from his campaign, we recommend him for Everett City Council, Position 3.

Luis M. Burbano is a Boeing engineer running for Everett City Council, Position 4. Burbano previously wrote an op-ed in support of Proposition 1, which funded public spaces, such as parks and libraries. He also raised concerns with the city council in 2022 regarding excessive speeding and noise from traffic on his residential street.

Burbano is running a progressive campaign, prioritizing public safety, road safety, and affordable housing. Having served on the Sound Transit Community Board for the Light Rail in Everett, Burbano is a staunch advocate for sustainable transportation that does not displace residents. Having also been hit by a car twice, he is prioritizing road safety and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure for all non-drivers, including low-income residents, people with disabilities, and children. Additionally, he supports zoning reforms and building more affordable housing units that maintain diversity and foster opportunities for small businesses.

Luis Burbano is the clear progressive in this race and has earned your vote to serve on the Everett City Council in Position 4.

Ben Zarlingo is running unopposed for re-election for Everett City Council, Position 5. Zarlingo is a communications technology consultant and a leader in the Silver Lake Neighborhood Association.

While his current campaign is yet to be published as of mid-October, Zarlingo's first campaign for city council echoed more moderate talking points. In 2024, Zarlingo voted for a budget that included significant cuts to services, such as street maintenance and the elimination of the Park Rangers program. Earlier that year, Everett voters denied a property tax measure that would have helped fund public safety, park maintenance, and libraries.

Ben Zarlingo is running unopposed for another term on the Everett City Council. We hope that he uses the next four years to prioritize the progressive solutions that Everett residents deserve.