EVERETT — Brian Sullivan’s three decades in politics could have positioned him as an elder statesman by this point in his career.
Instead, the personable Democrat finds himself under siege from some members of his own party as he seeks a third term on the Snohomish County Council.
Leaders such as Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson and former County Executive Bob Drewel say they’re disappointed. They’re backing Greg Tisdel, Sullivan’s opponent on Nov. 3.
Sullivan said political and business elites are attempting to punish him for staying true to his principles.
“No offense, but I’d rather address the needs of the many than the needs of the few,” Sullivan said. “I’m not going to give up just because a small, powerful group wants me to.”
Sullivan’s loyalties extend to Boeing Machinists and to homeowners opposed to commercial passenger flights at Paine Field.
Tisdel has never held political office. While he may lack Sullivan’s crowd-warming touch, backers say they respect his integrity. A fixture in economic development efforts, he worked in the 1980s to help bring Naval Station Everett to town. Later he got involved in landing a local Washington State University branch campus.
“What’s important is that people know who I am, that I’m qualified to do the job, that I’m excited to do the job,” Tisdel said.
The campaign between the two men has, at times, taken aggressive turns.
In a candidate forum this summer Tisdel used the line, “I’m a workhorse and he’s a show horse. It’s time for a change.”
Sullivan laughs about that, but takes exception.
“The man who has done nothing is accusing me of doing nothing,” he said. “I have a legacy.”
Political divisions
Everett’s mayor figures among the most vocal of Tisdel’s allies and Sullivan’s critics.
“I’ve known Greg for years. He’s a stand-up guy,” Stephanson said. “His word is gold. He does what he says he’s going to do and I trust him completely.”
Stephanson said he supports Tisdel for his work ethic.
Sullivan, on the other hand, has failed to show up when the city needed his support, the mayor said. He said Sullivan’s uncompromising pro-labor stances could jeopardize the Boeing Co.’s future in Everett.
“I think that Brian has honestly not represented the interests of that district very effectively,” he said. “I think he’s represented Mukilteo effectively, but this district is more than just Mukilteo.”
State Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, disagrees. He said Sullivan has always fought for his district and that his Olympia experience carries weight with state lawmakers.
“As far as Brian’s concerned, he’s one of the more conscientious local politicians that I know,” he said.
Sells credited Sullivan with helping to secure a transportation package this past session that allots roughly $670 million for road, transit and ferry projects in Snohomish County over 16 years.
“Whenever I’ve needed him, he’s been there,” Sells said. “I’m surprised they don’t recognize that.”
Local guys
Sullivan, 57, grew up in Mukilteo and graduated from Mariner High School. His public life started precociously, with an election to the Mukilteo City Council in his 20s.
“I’m passionate about public service,” he said.
Sullivan later won the mayor’s job and headed city government for eight years. He represented the 21st Legislative District in the state House of Representatives from 2001 until 2007, when he was elected to the County Council.
He has since moved to Everett.
Outside of politics, Sullivan established a career in the restaurant business. He now co-owns Sully’s in Mukilteo.
He’s also worked as a county policy analyst.
Tisdel, 60, also has hometown cred. He grew up in the Picnic Point area south of Mukilteo and graduated from Meadowdale High School. He worked for his father’s company, Tiz’s Door Sales, which he bought in 1993. He closed the company in 2010, during the recession.
“I shut it down so I wouldn’t go bankrupt,” he said. “I’m not a bankrupt kind of guy.”
Tisdel has since done business consulting. He stepped away from working with Economic Alliance Snohomish County before starting his campaign.
The job
The District 2 council seat covers an area stretching almost from Picnic Point to Kayak Point, including Everett, Tulalip, Mukilteo and nearby unincorporated areas.
Sullivan said he’s proud of his work on comprehensive plans to help accommodate the 200,000 people expected to move to Snohomish County over the next two decades.
He highlights work helping secure grants for the county’s Carnegie Building, both to retain the 1905 structure’s historical character and to put it to use as transitional housing for homeless people who might otherwise wind up in jail.
During Aaron Reardon’s turbulent tenure as county executive, Sullivan earned respect for speaking his mind about his fellow Democrat’s shortcomings. He was one of the few political leaders who did.
Sullivan has been one of the strongest backers of County Executive John Lovick since the former sheriff was appointed to replace Reardon in 2013. He has sided with Lovick against a majority of the council on almost every controversial issue, including key moments in the drawn out dispute over the fate of a $162 million plan to build a new courthouse.
That’s caused friction with some other county leaders, most notably Council Chairman Dave Somers, who is challenging Lovick in the November election.
Sullivan has praised the budget Lovick recommended for 2016. Tisdel, like a majority of the County Council, is nervous about the county’s long-term finances and wonders whether Lovick is proceeding with appropriate restraint.
“It was a good press release and it sounded good, but the devil’s in the details and they haven’t disclosed the details yet,” Tisdel said.
The most obvious gulf between Tisdel and Sullivan is whether to allow regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights from Paine Field.
Sullivan’s opposition has been a cornerstone of his political career. Tisdel, in contrast, has been one of the county’s chief advocates for commercial passenger flights.
Sullivan voted in the opposition in March, when a 3-2 County Council majority approved a lease option with a New York company that intends to build a commercial passenger terminal at the county-run airport.
Sullivan has made missteps during his time on the council. He pleaded guilty to drunken driving following a 2012 arrest by Mukilteo police. He made no excuses and apologized publicly.
This campaign season, some also have begun to privately question Sullivan’s June vote for a zoning change that benefited his future landlord.
By designating forested property north of Monroe as agricultural land instead of an R-5 zone, the council allowed a state-licensed marijuana grower, OMG Sykes, to continue operating. New marijuana regulations the county enacted in May would have forced the company to shut down operations there — even though its backers had invested a substantial amount of money to make sure their business complied with the county’s previous rules. Without the change, the business might have had a strong court case against the county. All five council members voted for the change. Sullivan, however, came under scrutiny after he updated his voting address two weeks later to an Everett rental house owned by one of the principals in the pot venture.
Sullivan said his vote had nothing to do with his living arrangements and cites as proof his monthly rent of more than $1,800.
“I have received no special favors,” he said. “It was coincidental.”
The final stretch
Tisdel has enjoyed a fundraising advantage throughout the campaign. He had surpassed $128,000 by last week, while Sullivan was just over $85,000, state campaign finance records show.
Organized labor contributed the biggest bloc of Sullivan’s campaign cash. That includes unions for public employees, healthcare workers and Boeing Machinists, firefighters, electricians and sheet metal workers.
He has backing from U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., Realtors and homebuilders.
Tisdel tallied donations from the Boeing political action committee and the Aerospace Futures Alliance.
Well-known business families in his corner include the Robinetts (real estate investment), the Skotdals (Skotdal Real Estate) and the Lanes (Dwayne Lane’s car dealerships).
Despite the fundraising handicap, Sullivan made a strong showing in the Aug. 4 primary. He took nearly 55 percent of the 16,607 votes cast, compared to 44 percent for Tisdel.
As Election Day draws near, Tisdel has pointedly affixed yellow labels to his campaign signs reading, “Not the incumbent.” Ballots for the all-mail election are set to go out Thursday.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
The candidates
What’s at stake? A four-year term representing the Snohomish County Council’s District 2, which covers Everett, Mukilteo, Tulalip and nearby unincorporated areas. The job pays $111,340 per year.
Brian Sullivan (incumbent)
Party: Democrat
Age: 57
Residence: Everett
Experience: Snohomish County Council District 2 (2008 to present); state House of Representatives, 21st Legislative District (2001 to 2007); Mukilteo mayor (1990 to 1997); Mukilteo City Council (1985 to 1989); coordinator for Snohomish County Tomorrow (2004 to present); county policy analyst (2003 to 2004, 1991 to 1993); restaurant owner and manager, including current co-owner of Sully’s in Mukilteo; Future of Flight Foundation board of directors.
Website: www.reelectbriansullivan.com
Greg Tisdel
Party: Democrat
Age: 60
Residence: Everett
Experience: Consultant for Economic Alliance Snohomish County (2013 to 2014); owner of Tiz’s Door Sales, a business his father started (1993 to 2010); Everett planning commissioner; Coastal Community Bank board of directors; past advisory roles to help bring institutions to Everett, including the Everett Events Center (now Xfinity Arena), Naval Station Everett and a WSU branch campus. Advocate for expansion of Providence Regional Medical Center Everett’s Colby Avenue campus.
Website: www.gregtisdel.com
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