44th Legislative District

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 Cassie Franklin has enacted a few positives change during her tenure as mayor, it is time for new leadership. We recommend electing Dr. Janice Greene as the new Mayor of Everett.

Scott Murphy is also challenging incumbent Cassie Franklin for Mayor of Everett. Murphy previously served on the Everett City Council from 2013 to 2021. In past campaigns, he took a conservative approach to budgeting and community safety.

Murphy's current mayoral campaign is largely focused on addressing public safety, with the slogan "Making Everett Safe for our Children." His approach to public safety primarily resides in increasing policing in both schools and throughout the city. He plans to increase police presence around schools and add more School Resource Officers in "middle and high schools facing high crime risks to prevent violence and protect students."His approach to safety is rooted in over-policing, which is not always the best or safest solution, especially for more vulnerable populations. His campaign made no mention of the housing crisis, nor did it offer any solutions to rising homelessness in Everett.

Rich Ryan is the final candidate running for mayor of Everett. According to his campaign website, Ryan is a musician who has played in local bands and organized shows. He highlights his own lived experience of living paycheck to paycheck and being an active contributor to his own community as an artist.

Ryan's campaign is primarily focused on affordability with "fairness, inclusion, transparency, and human rights" at its core. He is a proponent of rent stabilization, tenant protections, and expanding low-barrier shelter options. His campaign website states, "We need to treat housing as a human right" and avoid spending on systems that don't produce results.

It is clear from his campaign website that Rich Ryan leads with compassion and love for his city. However, we believe he lacks the necessary experience to be a Mayor. While we appreciate his progressive stance, we recommend voting for Dr. Janice Greene for Everett Mayor based on her proven leadership and community involvement.

Three other candidates are running for Everett City Council, Position 1.

Dr. Bill Wheeler Jr. is a conservative Republican, often seen wearing a MAGA hat in pictures on his Twitter account. While Wheeler listed a plethora of priorities, including improving transit systems, implementing sustainable policies, and affordable housing, his campaign lacks specific strategies and policies he intends to implement if elected.

Wheeler faced legal trouble in 2013 when he was found guilty of sexually exploiting a minor at his bikini espresso stand. His Twitter feed is also riddled with offensive content. He has also made false comments about paying for Canada's existence. Due to his past controversies, inappropriate comments, and MAGA affiliation, we do not recommend Bill Wheeler for Everett City Council.

Mason Rutledge is running for Position 1 on the Everett City Council. Rutledge identifies himself as a "dedicated leader" and "community advocate," having been the President and CEO of the religious men's group New Canaan Society. During his campaign for city council, Rutledge identified public safety as one of his top priorities. While he did not specify any specific issues within public safety, he emphasized the need to "support and empower our first responders" by "investing in recruitment, retention, and ensuring they have the resources they need." He is supportive of thoughtful housing to "create vibrant neighborhoods, support economic diversity, and protect residents from displacement driven by rising costs." In his campaign, Rutledge advocated for more middle housing as a transition from renting to owning.

Also running is Steven Sullivan. As of mid July, Sullivan has neither published a campaign website nor raised any campaign funds. We will continue to follow this race for updates.

Two candidates are challenging Rhyne: Ryan Crowther and Jonathan Shapiro. Neither one matches Rhyne's progressive values or demonstrated track record.

Ryan Crowther is an active member of the Everett community, serving on the Everett Public Facilities District Board, creating the Everett Music Initiative, and supporting the start of the Snohomish County Emerging Leaders program. In his campaign for the Everett City Council, he is prioritizing public safety for both residents and businesses. However, he has not identified any specific policies or actions he wants to implement to address safety in Everett. At this time, he has not mentioned any other issue areas or community concerns as part of his platform, outside of generic public safety.

As of mid July, Jonathan Shapiro does not have a campaign website published, nor have they raised any campaign funds. We will continue to watch this race for updates.

Alan Rubio is running for Everett City Council, Position 4. His campaign is conservative, with only vague plans to address important issues. He also frequently retweets conservative content, including a transphobic meme and a false quote from Sen. Elizabeth Warren that was flagged as disinformation. He also often amplifies Elon Musk's conservative, anti-democracy content.

Alan Rubio is running a far-right campaign that is well out of step with Everett voters. In his campaign kickoff video, he echoed national Republican talking points and did not display a serious understanding of the issues facing local residents. He would be a significant step backward for the Everett City Council.

Rachel Best-Campbell is running for re-election for Woodinville City Council, Position 3. She previously ran a more moderate platform that included expanding public green spaces, reducing traffic congestion, and opposing the Woodinville transfer station. Since joining the council in 2019, she has not been a strong progressive voice and has been particularly disappointing in her approach to climate action.

Of greater concern is that Best-Campbell is endorsed by Democratic Woodinville, a local PAC created by Jeff Lyon. The PAC's mission is "to influence the outcome of City of Woodinville elections, ballot measures, and other local government activities." While the PAC positions itself as an advocate for affordable housing and sustainable neighborhoods, it publicly opposes strategies that would support those goals. On their website, they express disdain for developers who "fail to address our community's needs while creating urban sprawl." Yet, they oppose dense housing developments downtown that would help avoid urban sprawl. Rachel Best-Campbell and the entire Democratic Woodinville slate would be an obstacle to progress for the city.

Troy Anderson is also running for Woodinville City Council, Position 3. Anderson is a member of the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce and was the Board Chair for two years. He is also on the Planning Commission supporting the 2044 strategic plan.

Anderson is prioritizing economic development and affordable housing in his campaign. He is particularly invested in attracting businesses to enhance the wine and tourism industries in Woodinville. He also hopes to expand cultural and artistic experiences for residents. Anderson is a proponent of increasing the housing supply through zoning reform and non-profit partnerships.

Troy Anderson is running a thoughtful campaign but has not earned the same level of endorsements as Wise and Elbaum in this race.

Luke Bakun is the final candidate running for Woodinville City Council, Position 3. As of late June, Bakun's website does not have a detailed campaign available, and their platform is unknown.

Three other candidates are running for Woodinville City Council, Position 5.

Tanner Mills is a Continuous Improvement Engineer in the aerospace industry. At one point earlier in the campaign, Mills was endorsed by the deceptive "Democratic Woodinville" group, however, it appears they have withdrawn their endorsement as of late June. It is unclear why.

Mills' campaign is prioritizing affordable housing, transportation, neighborhoods, and representation. While he is supportive of some progressive solutions, such as transit-oriented housing and greener transit, Mills consistently paints the current council as having untrustworthy motives that prioritize profits over the community. He suggests that certain housing projects prioritized profit over function and "flashy projects with unclear benefits." It is unclear what he is referring to. Mills is not a progressive choice in this race.

Bobby Amiri is also running for Woodinville City Council, Position 5. According to his campaign website, Amiri has lived in Woodinville for over thirty-five years and "helped thousands of families navigate complex situations," but did not elaborate further.

Amiri is running a conservative campaign for local businesses, strengthening the police force, and promoting affordable housing. His policy proposals are somewhat vague, saying he will advocate for policies that "support local businesses" and "promote public safety," but he does not provide further details. If elected, Bobby Amiri would not be the progressive voice that Woodinville needs.

Susan Milke is the final candidate running for Woodinville City Council, Position 5. As of late June, Milke does not have a detailed campaign website available, and their platform is unknown. She is another candidate endorsed by the Democratic Woodinville PAC.

Brandon Finley is a flight attendant running for Woodinville City Council, Position 7. While Finley is backed by the misleading Democratic Woodinville, he lacks a detailed campaign strategy, and his platform remains unknown. In his voters' pamphlet entry, Finley said "affordable housing, traffic congestion, and overcrowded schools" are challenges brought on by progress. His unclear positions on housing raise questions about his commitment to increasing density to reduce housing costs and make Woodinville more accessible to all.

Jaren Hanson is running for Woodinville City Council, Position 7. He is a former police officer, which he says gives him "a hands-on understanding of public safety and infrastructure preservation." As of late June, Hanson lacks a detailed campaign website, but he stated that he is running to protect Woodinville from rampant traffic and overcrowding, which would only further increase the cost of living in Woodinville's already expensive neighborhoods.