Sultan city councilman announces campaign for mayor

Published 1:30 am Sunday, January 20, 2019

SULTAN — Sultan City Councilman Russell Wiita has announced a campaign for mayor.

Wiita was elected to the Sultan City Council in 2015. The 24-year-old grew up in Sultan and Monroe. He attended the University of Washington, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He works as a legislative aide to Snohomish County Councilman Nate Nehring and is active in local GOP politics.

“I am running for mayor because I know that we can work together, all of us, to make our community even better,” Wiita said in an announcement.

The population in the city on U.S. 2 has nudged past 5,000. It’s poised to grow even more as several new housing developments get built out.

Wiita said he would like to help guide planning for public safety, utilities and economic development as that growth occurs.

The part-time mayor’s job is now held by John Seehuus, a former city councilman who was appointed in late 2017 after former Mayor Carolyn Eslick was selected to fill a vacancy in the state House of Representatives. Seehuus wasn’t available Friday to discuss his political plans for 2019.

The official filing period to run in his year’s elections runs from May 13 to 17. The primary election falls on Aug. 6 and the general election on Nov. 5.