EVERETT — Patsy Cudaback leads in the race to be the next Monroe mayor, while Kevin Hanford leads in the race for Position 1 on the Monroe City Council Thursday night, results indicated.
After 12 years, Monroe’s current mayor, Geoffrey Thomas, chose not to seek another term. Two candidates vie for the open mayor position, with both citing public safety as part of their priorities.
The county will continue counting ballots throughout the week and will certify election results Nov. 25.
Mayoral seat
The race for mayor featured incumbent City Council member Heather Fulcher against former City Council member Cudaback.
Former Monroe City Council member Cudaback led in the race for Monroe mayor, results on Thursday indicated. Cudaback had 58.2% of the vote while Fulcher had 41.4% of the vote.
Cudaback was elected to the city council in 2009 and started her first of three terms in 2010. Since 2018, she has been the chief operating officer at the YMCA of Snohomish County.
In an interview with The Daily Herald before the election, Cudaback said she would work with nonprofits, the school district, and police and fire representatives to increase the feeling of safety throughout Monroe. Cudaback said she would also work with these public entities, among others, to learn where money should be allocated in the city’s budget.
Fulcher served on the Monroe Planning Commission and the Economic Development Advisory Board before being elected to her first of two terms on the city council in 2019. For more than a decade, Fulcher has owned Monroe Coffee Co. on West Main Street.
In an interview with The Daily Herald before the election, Fulcher said she wants to break down an “information wall” between city staff and the council. Her priorities include fully funding the police and installing more lighted crosswalks and traffic cameras.
The Monroe mayor position is part time and pays $48,000 a year. As of Thursday, Cudaback raised $17,169 in campaign contributions, according to state filings. Fulcher raised $8,611.
Position 1
L2
Incumbent City Council member Kevin Hanford led with 61.5% of the vote in the only contested race for Monroe City Council, results on Thursday indicated. First-time candidate Joscelyn Jones trailed with 38.3% of the vote.
Hanford began his 14-year service on the Monroe City Council when he was elected in 2011 as an at-large council member. In 2013, he was elected to the Position 1 seat, where he served three terms. He served on the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound Board of Trustees for four years and works in an analyst role at The Boeing Company. Hanford said he is committed to fiscal responsibility and wants to promote small businesses.
Jones has 10 years of experience as a contract manager and paralegal across various industries. She is a Women’s Employee Resource Group lead who developed and led programs to help women grow personally and professionally, according to the Snohomish County Local Voters’ Pamphlet. Her campaign strives to create a place where local businesses thrive and residents can build supportive communities, Jones said in the voter’s pamphlet.
City Council members earn $900 a month, according to Monroe’s City Administrator Deborah Knight. Hanford and Jones opted for mini reporting with the Public Disclosure Commission, which does not require campaigns to file contributions if they raise and spend less than $7,000.
Three candidates ran unopposed: Tami Beaumont for Position 2, Kyle Fisher for Position 3 and Brandi Blair for Position 7.
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan
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