Republicans control the Snohomish County Council 3-2, and they say that’s important to balance the power of the county executive, Democrat Aaron Reardon.
Democrats say they could get a lot more done if they controlled the council as well as the executive’s office.
Filing for those races and many others begins next week.
The council race is the key one this fall, as three of the five spots are up for grabs and there are no federal or statewide races on the ballot.
However, more than 180 other potential races will be on the ballot in Snohomish County – for mayoral posts, including Everett’s and Lynnwood’s, city councils, courts, school boards and fire, water, hospital, parks, sewer, cemetery and port districts.
But the only partisan races in the county are for the council seats.
The spots up for election are those of incumbent Republicans John Koster in District 1 and Jeff Sax in District 5, and incumbent Democrat Dave Gossett in District 4. The probable challengers are Marian Harrison in District 1, Dave Somers in District 5 and Eva Davies in District 4.
The challengers won their spots at party conventions earlier this summer. Also, Democratic candidates Steve Hobbs and Suzanne Smith have been campaigning.
County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Hintz said he thinks his party could take all three spots.
“I feel Democrats have a better message,” he said. “We look more to help people, and they appeal to corporate entities.”
County Republican Party Chairman Steve Neighbors said the 5th District race is interesting, since Sax beat then-incumbent Somers last time. He said it’s important to keep Republicans on the council.
“We saw what happened in Olympia when one party was in control, and we can’t afford to have that happen in Snohomish County,” he said, referring to tax increases in the last legislative session. He is part of a lawsuit filed this week in Snohomish County trying to repeal those taxes.
County elections manager Carolyn Diepenbrock said while the County Council seats may be the biggest races, she hopes to see many other people file for office.
“To me, local elections have more of an impact on voters’ day-to-day lives than voting for president,” she said. “Growth, Brightwater, Paine Field – these are the issues right in people’s back yard.”
Diepenbrock said because of the many races, extra staff will be brought in during filing week. She also said there has been a bump in new registrations because of an effort to get 18-year-olds to sign up to vote.
In Everett, residents will go to the polls for the mayoral race. Incumbent Ray Stephanson is running against Councilman Ron Gipson.
Stephanson was executive director under former Mayor Ed Hansen. In 2003, when Hansen left office to head the Snohomish County PUD, Stephanson ran against appointed Mayor Frank Anderson to fill the last two years of Hansen’s four-year term.
Stephanson emerged as the victor in the heated race against Anderson, winning by 274 votes.
Gipson works at Denney Juvenile Justice Center as a corrections officer. It’s a safe year for Gipson to run. His council seat is not on the ballot until 2007.
In Lynnwood, City Council member Don Gough and Jim Smith and newcomer Bill Vance plan to challenge Mayor Mike McKinnon for the city’s top elected office.
Sound familiar?
McKinnon, a self-employed accountant; Gough, a self-employed attorney; and Smith, a marketing director at a local aviation corporation, competed for the same spot in 2001.
Vance, a cable maintenance manager for Qwest Communications, is a new face in Lynnwood politics.
Assistant city editor Steve Powell: 425-339-3427 or powell@ heraldnet.com.
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