Three candidates look to unseat Larsen as he seeks 14th term
Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 11, 2026
EVERETT — U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, is looking to serve a 14th term in Congress as he faces three political newcomers for the seat.
Larsen is up against two Democrats — activist Devin Hermanson and small-business owner Tomas Scheel — and one Republican, retired HVAC worker Edwin Feller.
The 2nd Congressional District covers parts of Snohomish County and all of Island, San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties.
U.S. representatives make $174,000 per year. They serve two-year terms.
The county will mail out ballots on July 14. Voters must return their ballots by 8 p.m. Aug. 4.
Edwin Feller
Feller, 83, lives in Lynden. He spent 60 years working in the HVAC industry and is now retired.
Feller spent several years doing HVAC work for the U.S. State Department for facilities in 60 countries.
As the only Republican in the race, Feller said he’s running for Congress to represent the residents of the 2nd Congressional District.
If elected, one of Feller’s top priorities is combating illegal immigration.
“Illegal immigrants need to go home,” he said. “… They’re costing us millions of dollars.”
Feller supports ending sanctuary city status, funding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prohibiting “chain migration,” also known as family-based immigration, a process that allows legal residents to petition the government to sponsor a family member.
Another priority for Feller is ensuring that Title IX only refers to biological sex.
“Whatever states don’t adhere to that need to have their funding cut,” he said.
He also supports expanding hydropower and nuclear energy, saying that solar and wind “were a fraud perpetuated upon the people.”
Feller would look to have the government stop funding Ivy League schools and put money toward trade schools.
“Right now, trade schools need a lot of help to get all the good equipment to work with,” he said. “AI will do things, but AI can’t drill holes to run wires or plumbing tubing.”
Feller also supports the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act, which would require voters to present proof of citizenship in order to vote.
As of Thursday, Feller did not have any endorsements listed on his campaign website.
As of Thursday, Feller had not reported any campaign contributions.
Devin Hermanson
Hermanson, 60, is an activist living in Seattle. He previously worked for World Vision, a nonprofit working to combat poverty around the world. He is also the founder of MOYO Media Lab, which works to help nonprofits grow their influence, and Defund Musk, a group that advocates against billionaires in politics.
In 2024, Hermanson was one of eight candidates in the 2nd District primary for U.S. House. He fell short of advancing to the general election, earning 6% of the vote.
He said his reason for running this year is the same as his reason for running in 2024: to preserve democracy.
“There’s one issue: Are we going to be a democracy at the end of this year?” Hermanson said.
One of his top priorities would be to expand and reform the Supreme Court, including impeaching current judges and enacting a code of ethics.
“We have to have people in office who are willing to lose their job,” he said. “I would have no problem with that. … I’m going to pick dangerous, hard votes because it’s the right thing to do.”
He would also look to end gerrymandering and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which aims to reduce discrimination in the voting process.
Another priority for Hermanson is changing the country’s tax structure to tax wealth for the top earners in the country. He’d want to put that money into public schools, student loan forgiveness, reducing college tuition and trade education.
Hermanson also supports universal healthcare.
“There’s millions and millions of people out there who are not contributing to society or having the kind of relationships they would normally have because they’re living under this enormous stress because they can’t pay some kind of bill,” he said. “Maybe they’re completely buried by student loans, or medical bills are absolutely killing them.
As of Thursday, Hermanson did not have any endorsements listed on his campaign website.
As of Thursday, Hermanson had not reported any campaign contributions.
Rick Larsen
Larsen, 61, has served as a U.S. representative since 2001. He is the lead Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
If re-elected, one of Larsen’s top priorities would be affordability. He would also continue his work supporting veterans, fighting the fentanyl crisis, supporting the environment and investing in transportation, all issues he sees as directly impacting the 2nd District.
To address affordability, Larsen wants to fight tariffs, which he said are a large driver of rising grocery prices. He also pointed to a housing bill Congress passed in June that aims to lower housing costs. As of Thursday, it was unclear whether the bill would become law as the president declined to give his signature.
“If the Democratic Party wins the majority, then we need to be responsible for addressing costs of living first,” Larsen said.
Larsen wants to continue his work in addressing veteran homelessness. In 2012, Larsen’s office helped bring housing choice vouchers to veterans in the 2nd District, and the work has continued since, he said.
Larsen said he wants to continue to work with law enforcement and treatment and recovery providers to combat the fentanyl crisis. He is also working to pass legislation to fund groups like the Snohomish County Drug Task Force.
On the environment, Larsen wants to fund salmon habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects. He also is looking to support a local land trust to preserve public land.
For transportation, Larsen said he will continue to advocate for building the light rail spine to Everett as soon as possible. This term, he has been able to preserve the Transportation Alternatives Program, which provides federal funding for sidewalks and bike paths. He also will continue to seek funding for local infrastructure projects, including at the Port of Everett and an BNSF overpass to Smith Island.
“A lot of these are projects that are infrastructure-based, creating local jobs and long-term economic opportunities, which is an important priority of mine,” he said.
Larsen has endorsements from Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Everett School Board President Traci Mitchell, among other elected officials. He is also endorsed by Snohomish County Democrats, Skagit County Democrats, and Washington State Labor Council, among other organizations.
As of Thursday, Larsen had raised more than $1.6 million for his campaign, according to federal filings.
Tomas Scheel
Scheel, 39, is a small-business owner and software developer who lives in Ferndale. He previously served in the U.S. Air Force as an avionics technician.
Scheel said he’s running to give voters a more progressive option.
If elected, one of his first goals would be to reform bank financing so community land trusts have easier access to funding, an initiative he believes would have bipartisan support.
“It’d be essentially zero cost to the government to come right back after the buildings are built and sold, and that would help a lot for housing,” he said.
His other priorities may take longer, he said, such as universal healthcare, investing in clean energy and strengthening labor union protection.
Scheel would also look to strengthen accountability in government by implementing a uniform code of public servant justice modeled off of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“I hope to go up there and live the laws that I want to be instated to prove to them that it can be done,” he said.
One priority, Scheel said, is to be accessible to community members and political organizations in the 2nd Congressional District. If elected, Scheel said he would hold annual public town halls in the 2nd District and attend local Democratic Party meetings in person each month.
“I want to help them build, and I want them to know that they are seen and they are heard,” he said. “If there is a protest in this district, if there is a strike in this district, I want to be there.”
Scheel is endorsed by Skagit County Democrats.
As of Thursday, Scheel had not reported any campaign contributions.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
