EVERETT — Lynnwood City Council member George Hurst announced his candidacy Thursday for this year’s mayoral election.
Hurst has served on Lynnwood City Council since 2015 and was the president in 2021, 2022 and 2024. He has also held leadership positions on the city’s planning commission, transportation traffic task force, and Regional Fire Authority planning committee.
This is Hurst’s second mayoral bid. In 2017, Hurst ran against then-incumbent Nicola Smith.
According to his campaign website, one of Hurst’s main priorities as mayor would be to reduce taxes and fees. In adopting last year’s budget, Hurst said Mayor Christine Frizzell focused more on raising taxes than finding places to eliminate spending in city departments.
“I will ask Department Directors to review programs and cut what is not working,” he said. “And I want every City employee to be empowered to bring forward any suggestions that will increase efficiency and eliminate unnecessary spending. The current Mayor is not encouraging this type of open and transparent discussion.”
Hurst’s second main priority, according to his website, is stopping the “brain drain” of city directors and staff. Since 2022, many city leaders have left, including the police chief, director of human resources and assistant city manager.
“As Mayor I want to make sure that the City is a place where experienced employees will want to stay and do their best work for all our residents,” he said.
Hurst has lived in Lynnwood for 32 years with his wife and four children. After studying history and political science in college, Hurst has worked in the electrical and commercial lighting industry for more than 30 years.
“I appreciate my past experiences because I believe that a knowledge of our Country’s political process combined with my years of business experience provides a solid foundation for serving the public with a focus on sound financial principles,” he said.
Frizzell’s term ends this year. While she has not publicly announced she is running for reelection, her Public Disclosure Commission filing shows she has raised $1,200 and spent $5,200 for her 2025 campaign.
“I look forward to letting the residents know more about me and my priorities in the coming months,” Hurst wrote in a statement to the Herald. “The next four years will be crucial for the future of the City of Lynnwood whether we are talking about fiscal sustainability, affordable housing or public safety. As Mayor, my focus will be providing strong leadership with policies that will make Lynnwood the finest city, both for our current and our future residents.”
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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