EVERETT — Dan Perkins and Amber Cantu are set to advance to the general election for a Marysville City Council seat, the latest election results released Tuesday showed.
Perkins comfortably advanced to the general election. Cantu led in front of R.J. Whitlow in a close race, but it’s unlikely Whitlow will be able to make up a gap of about 116 votes with few ballots left to count.
Perkins, a fifth-grade teacher at the Marysville School District, earned 30% of the vote. His campaign prioritized supporting new businesses, improving neighborhood representation and addressing the housing crisis.
“I am deeply honored by the time and assistance of volunteers and humbled by the trust of those who voted for me in this stage of the elections for City Council Position 3,” Perkins wrote Thursday. “Each candidate has conducted respectful, community focused campaigns and I look forward to further conversations with each of them about the future of this community.”
Cantu, an educator, trailed Perkins with 21% of the vote. Her priorities were combating drug addiction and expanding services for seniors living in the city.
“I’m looking forward to running in General Election to hear and serve the people of Marysville!” Cantu wrote in an Aug. 7 email.
Whitlow, the owner of 5 Rights Brewing in downtown Marysville, earned 20% the vote. He ran a campaign as someone who was “not a political candidate,” he previously said, focusing on maintaining government accountability while improving public safety and quality of life.
“We were very encouraged by last night’s initial election update and are excited to see how the next vote drops play out,” Whitlow wrote in a statement Aug. 6. “The last 2 months have been a blessing to meet so many new people and hear what their encouragement and concerns about where Marysville is going. Whatever happens Marysville’s future is bright.”
David Garrett, an engineer at Boeing and a union shop steward, earned 15% of the vote. He was backed by big-name endorsements from the Snohomish County Democratic Party, the Snohomish and Island County Labor Council and Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson. During his campaign, Garrett prioritized public safety, housing and transportation as his top issues.
Gary Kemp, a union electrician, earned 14% of the vote. He was the only candidate seeking the seat who had run for office before — he previously ran for Marysville City Council in 2019 and sought a state Legislature seat in 2022 as a Republican. Kemp also serves on Marysville’s planning commission. He ran a campaign focused on minimizing tax increases, improving home ownership opportunities and beautifying the city.
Primary results will be certified on Aug. 19. The general election is Nov. 4.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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