Candidate filings start Snohomish County’s election season

EVERETT — The ballots are set after a week of candidate filing that ended Friday.

This year, there are 178 positions in local government and special districts up for election in Snohomish County. The primary is Aug. 3 and the general election is Nov. 2.

And several matchups will bring plenty of drama.

For the first time, geographic districts are set to shake up the Everett City Council.

In Lynnwood, three council members are vying to replace retiring Mayor Nicola Smith.

And a series of races could alter a liberal majority on the Edmonds City Council.

If three or more candidates are in contest for a position, only the top two finishers will advance to the fall ballot.

Snohomish County

On the Snohomish County Council, all three incumbents drew challengers.

County Councilman Jared Mead, a Democrat, is running against Everett Republican Brenda Carrington.

Incumbent Republican Nate Nehring will face Democrat Richard Yust, of Granite Falls.

And Democrat Brandy Donaghy, a community organizer, will run against Councilman Sam Low.

Arlington

The Arlington City Council has four positions open on the upcoming ballot.

Heather Logan, a former city administrator, is unopposed for Position 1.

For Position 3, Councilwoman Debora Nelson will be challenged by Avery Hufford, a small business owner.

Incumbents Don Vanney and Jan Schuette will not face challengers as they make re-election bids.

Three school district director positions will also be voted on, and two will go to newcomers.

Director Judy Kay is not seeking re-election and Michael Kingman is uncontested for the position in District 3.

In District 5, Director Marc Rosson also will not bid for another term. Ryiad Cooper and artist Erica Knapp are running for the office.

Director Sheri Kelly was appointed in September. She faces Tanya Baniak.

Edmonds

In Edmonds, three city council seats are on the ballot.

Longtime councilmember and former council president Adrienne Fraley-Monillas is up for re-election, hoping to secure her third full four-year term.

Fraley-Monillas, a close ally of Mayor Mike Nelson, is facing former councilmember Neil Tibbott, who left the dais to run for mayor against Nelson in 2019.

Meanwhile, council newcomer Luke Distelhorst, who was appointed in 2020, is running to keep his seat.

He’s being challenged by Will Chen, an Edmonds-based accountant, former Councilwoman Lora Petso and Janelle Cass, a veteran and business owner.

Councilwoman Kristiana Johnson, the most conservative voice on the council, is being challenged by Planning Board member Alicia Crank and tech director Brian Hartman.

On the school board, board President Deborah Kilgore is running unopposed for re-election.

Director Ann McMurray, who was first elected to the board in 2005, will not seek a fifth term. Keith Smith of Lynnwood and Melissa Step of Mountlake Terrace are running to replace her.

Everett

In Everett’s first year electing city council members via districts, each race has challengers.

And Mayor Cassie Franklin has two challengers for a second term in the city executive post: Steve Oss, Everett Transit’s union president, and Ron Wittock.

Of the five council positions up for election, only two have incumbents: Paul Roberts for District 1 and Liz Vogeli for District 4.

Mary Fosse, a former Delta Neighborhood Association chairperson and legislative aide to state Rep. Emily Wicks, is seeking the position to represent the Northwest, Delta, Riverside and Bayside neighborhoods of District 1.

Tommie Rubatino is running in District 4, which includes the Westmont, Holly, Cascade View and Twin Creeks neighborhoods.

District 2 candidate Paula Rhyne was the first city council hopeful to officially announce their bid soon after the districts’ approval by the Everett City Council in October.

Greg Lineberry, an Everett Districts Now member who championed the geographic representation, also is seeking to represent District 2’s Bayside, Riverside, Port Gardner, Glacier View, Lowell, Valley View, South Forest Park and Pinehurst-Beverly Park neighborhoods.

District 3, which includes the Boulevard Bluffs, Harborview-Seahurst-Glenhaven, View Ridge-Madison, Evergreen and South Forest Park neighborhoods, appears set for a primary election with Lacey Sauvageau, Don Schwab and Jacob Vail in the race.

Election newcomers Demi Chatters and Ben Zarlingo, as well as Kelly Fox, hope to represent District 5’s Cascade View, Pinehurst-Beverly Park, Cascade View, Twin Creeks and Silver Lake neighborhoods.

The Everett School Board has two positions on the ballot.

Incumbent Caroline Mason, the current school board president, is challenged by Jeannie Magdua for Position 3.

Director Traci Mitchell has two opponents, Charles Mister Jr. and Janelle Burke, an activist and former candidate.

Gold Bar

Two Gold Bar City Council members, Jordan Sears and Steven Yarbrough, are vying to be the city’s next mayor.

Current Mayor Bill Clem is not seeking a second term.

Meanwhile, none of the four open seats on the council drew a contested race.

Councilmembers Davi Martin, Chuck Lie and Demi Hall will all run unopposed for another term.

So will newcomer Jeffrey Seymour, who is seeking to fill Yarbrough’s Position 2 seat.

Granite Falls

Three Granite Falls City Council seats are up for election.

Councilman Steven Glenn is the only incumbent facing an opponent. His bid for another term is being challenged by Deanna Jones.

Councilman Tom Fitzgerald is running unopposed.

In Position 2, Councilman Bruce Straughn is not seeking another term. Michael Hagglund, Scott Morrison and David Griggs are running to replace him.

Lake Stevens

All four incumbents in the race for the Lake Stevens City Council are seeking re-election.

In Position 1, Councilwoman Kim Daughtry will face Michele Hampton, in a repeat of the 2017 election.

Incumbent Gary Petershagen is challenged by Joyce Copley for Position 2.

Councilman Steve Ewing will run against Jessica Wadhams, a co-founder of Lake Stevens Allies for BIPOC, for Position 6.

Position 7 will have Councilman Marcus Tageant and Joseph Jensen on the ballot.

The local school board of directors has two positions up for grabs.

Incumbent Brian Kesler will be challenged by Nina Kim Hanson, an educator and Lake Stevens Allies for BIPOC Advisory Board, and lawyer Brett Rogers in District 4.

Former candidate Carolyn Bennett will face newcomer Vildan Kirby for District 5.

Lynnwood

The race to be the next chief executive of Lynnwood has drawn three city councilmembers, as current Mayor Nicola Smith won’t seek a third term.

Councilmembers Christine Frizzell, George Hurst and Jim Smith are running to replace her.

Meanwhile, three seats on the city council are up for grabs, including one that has been vacant since April.

In March, councilman Ian Cotton said he was stepping down from the council, leaving his Position 2 seat open.

Now the council is deciding on which of three finalists to fill the spot until Dec. 31.

Patrick Decker, a longtime Lynnwood resident and Microsoft team manager, is the only finalist who filed to run for the seat’s next four-year term, as well.

He’ll face Naz Lashgari, who chairs the city’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, and former Mayor Don Gough.

Nick Coelho, another finalist to fill the seat until January, filed to run for the city’s Position 1 seat, which Frizzell is leaving in her bid for mayor.

He’s being challenged by Chris Eck, who chairs the city’s Planning Commission, former councilman Ted Hikel, who sued the city in 2015 over records requests and lost, and former councilwoman Shirley Sutton.

Councilwoman Ruth Ross, who joined the dais in 2013, has also declined to run for re-election.

Longtime resident and former council candidate James Rutherford, 21-year-old activist Joshua Binda and Lisa Utter are vying to replace her.

Marysville

Four incumbents are vying for re-election to the Marysville City Council.

In Position 1, Councilman Jeffrey D. Vaughan will seek a return to the council he has served on since 2003. Daniel Brady, an aerospace union activist, and Cindy Gobel, a former candidate for county auditor, will also contend for the positions.

Councilman Mark A. James will be challenged by Ambyrlee Gattshall for Position 2. In 2020, James made a bid for the state House as a Republican in the 44th District. He lost in the general election.

Councilman Tom King will seek a second term, challenged by Kevin Gallagher.

Councilman Michael A. Stevens is unchallenged for Position 4 and in line for his fifth term on the council.

The school district has three open positions on the ballot with no incumbents seeking another term.

Ray Sheldon Jr., an advocate for the Tulalip Tribes who ran in 2017, and Navy veteran Connor Krebbs will contend for the Director 1 job.

The contest for a two-year abridged term in the open District 3 will include Sherry Weersing, a former teacher, and Rilee Louangphakdy, a marketing manager with Leadership Snohomish County.

Board President Vanessa Edwards faces three challengers: Wade Rinehardt, Jim Ross and medical assistant and former candidate Clarence Shaw. They are poised to compete for District 4.

Katie Jackson is unchallenged for the two-year term in District 5.

Director Chris Nations did not file for re-election.

Mill Creek

Five seats are open on the Mill Creek City Council.

Incumbent Councilman Benjamin Briles is contested by Connie Allison.

Newcomer Eric Cooke is challenging Councilman Brian Hotzclaw.

Councilman Adam Morgan will be challenged by Melissa Duque and Shannon Warren.

Councilwoman Stephanie Vignal will face Nicholas Swett.

Incumbent John Steckler is unopposed to maintain his role.

And Melissa Duque, Adam Morgan and Shannon Warren are vying for the council’s Position 6 seat.

Monroe

Four seats on the Monroe City Council are up for grabs this year, and Mayor Geoffrey Thomas is running unopposed for re-election.

Councilman Kevin Hanford is being challenged by Amber Mehta, a member of the city’s Community Human Services Advisory Board.

Councilman Kirk Scarboro will face insurance broker Jacob Walker.

The two remaining seats will go to newcomers as councilmembers Patsy Cudaback and Jeff Rasmussen declined to seek future terms.

Those newcomers are Tami Kinney from the Monroe Historical Society and Kyle Fisher, who serves on the city’s planning commission. Both are running unopposed.

Meanwhile, four seats are up on the Monroe School Board.

Director Jeremiah Campbell, who was appointed to the board in February, will face librarian Brian Saulsman.

In District 3, two newcomers, Molly Barnes and Mary Reule, are vying to replace Director Darcy Cheesman, who is not seeking re-election.

Board President Jim Langston is not running for another term, and his seat will go to Sarah Johnson or Janine Burkhardt.

And District 5 Director Jennifer Bumpus drew no challengers.

Mukilteo

Mayor Jennifer Gregerson is seeking a third term as mayor.

Former two-term mayor Joe Marine is tossing his hat back in the ring. Gregerson defeated Marine at the polls in 2013, and she was re-elected four years later. Marine got back into local politics with a seat on the City Council in 2019.

Three city council positions have drawn incumbents and a host of challengers.

Councilman Louis Harris will face businessman Peter Zieve, real estate agent Tina Over and photographer Chris Perisho for Position 1. This is Harris’ first bid for council. He was appointed to fill the council seat vacated by Anna Rohrbough in May 2020.

Position 2 has four challengers: business owner Tom Jordal; Ayesha Riaz Khan, the wife of councilman Riaz Khan; political consultant Caitlein Ryan; and former Councilman Kevin Stoltz.

Five candidates want council Position 3, including former two-term Councilman Steve Schmalz, lawyer and business owner Terry Preshaw, Parks and Arts commissioner Tim Ellis, retired post office manager Carolyn “Dode” Carlson and Alex Crocco, a manager at Boeing.

Councilmembers Bob Champion and Sarah Kneller are not seeking re-election.

Snohomish

Five seats on the town council and the mayor’s office could change hands after a tumultuous year in Snohomish.

Incumbent Mayor John Kartak will face Councilwoman Linda Redmon and political newcomer Samuel King.

On the council, Councilman Steve Dana is up against former Mayor Karen Guzak and Tabitha Baty.

Councilman Tom Merrill is opposed by Brian Mills.

Newly appointed Councilman Felix Neal is unopposed for a two-year term.

In Position 5, newcomers Becky Perkins and David Flynn will run to fill Redmond’s open seat.

Lee Anne Burke, a planner with the Tulalip Tribes, will run against Councilman Larry Countryman.

Stanwood

This year’s election will bring a new mayor to Stanwood.

Mayor Elizabeth Callaghan, who was appointed to the position by the city council in 2020, did not file to run for a four-year term.

Councilman Sid Roberts is running unopposed to replace her.

Meanwhile, four seats on the city council are up for grabs.

Councilman Rob Johnson will face Dani Gaumond in his bid for another term on the dais.

Realtor Marcus Metz and restaurant server Andreena Bergman are vying to replace councilwoman Dianne White, who isn’t seeking re-election.

In Position 3, councilman Darren Robb is being challenged by former councilman Larry Sather, who lost his bid for re-election in 2019.

And councilwoman Judy Williams will face Tim Schmitt, who recently served on the city’s salary commission.

The Stanwood-Camano School Board has six candidates vying for two spots.

Incumbent Albert Schreiber has two challengers as he seeks to keep the director position in District 2. Gary Forslund, a reverend, and Kevin Williams, a supervisor in the hospitality industry, will compete for the job.

In District 2, Director Charlotte Murry will face Tracy Abuhl, a precinct captain for the Island County Republican Party, and Samantha Smith.