EVERETT — Early results showed Mukilteo’s incumbent mayor held an early lead against his challenger, while two races for City Council seats saw slightly wider margins.
Mukilteo’s mayor and city council members serve four-year terms. The mayor earns $70,800 per year and council members earn $10,992 per year.
Snohomish County will continue counting ballots throughout the week and certify election results Nov. 25. Results will be updated after 5 p.m. daily at heraldnet.com.
Mayor
Joe Marine, left, and Steve Schmalz.
Joe Marine, the incumbent mayor and longtime Mukilteo elected official, took an early lead in the race to retain his seat as mayor, early results showed, as he earned 51.3% of the vote compared to challenger Steve Schmalz, a current city council member who earned 48.3% of the vote as of Wednesday.
Marine’s top priorities are preserving Mukilteo’s small-town feel, relieving the tax burden, and improving public safety. During his campaign, he highlighted his experience in office, touting his work building projects like the Rosehill Community Center, preserving the vast Japanese Gulch and implementing new traffic cameras to curb speeding.
He said the city’s finances were in good shape, citing new revenues the city collected since it had approved a budget that was set to leave Mukilteo $2.6 million short of a city requirement to keep at least two months’ worth of operating expenses in reserves by the end of 2026. In regard to the emergency medical service levy, he supports the measure and wants to continue conversations about how best to expand service levels and staffing at the department.
“The returns so far have gone my way. We will see tomorrow at 5 if they hold up,” Marine wrote in an email Tuesday night. “Either way I am honored and proud to serve as Mukilteo’s Mayor. I stand ready to serve another term.”
Schmalz’s campaign focused on public safety, managing the city budget and improving communication with residents. While on the council, he’s been outspoken in his concern over the city’s financial situation, and said Mukilteo’s spending is unsustainable. In November 2024, he voted against the city’s 2025-26 biennial budget.
He said that he would use a mix of cuts and revenue growth to balance the budget, and said his budgets would not use any fund balance. He also hoped to find funding to trail maintenance, bring a farmers market to the city and secure additional funding to provide water safety equipment to the fire department.
“First I would like to thank the voters and those who have supported my campaign,” Schmalz wrote Tuesday. “This race is still close with many votes to count. I am looking forward to seeing the updated results over the next few days and hopefully the trend will go in our direction.”
Marine reported $21,020 in campaign contributions as of Monday. Schmalz reported $12,933 in campaign contributions.
City Council Position 1
Bob Champion, left, and Ilona Van Duser
Former City Council member Bob Champion took an early lead against Ilona Van Duser, the chair of Mukilteo’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission, in the race for the Position 1 seat on the dais.
Early results showed Champion with 60.3% of the vote while Van Duser had earned 39.3% as of Wednesday.
Champion’s top priorities include the city budget and keeping Mukilteo “unique, beautiful and small,” he previously said. He said he would work with council members and draw on experience from the private sector to find ways to make government spending more efficient, as well as generate more revenue.
Van Duser’s top priorities include funding fire and emergency medical services, making progress on the waterfront redevelopment and making sure growth in the city is carefully planned. She said she supports the EMS levy on the ballot and hopes to find a longer-term revenue solution to increase staffing levels. She also said the city is in a healthier financial position than others may think, but emphasized she would continue to look for efficiencies.
The Position 1 seat is currently held by council member Louis Harris, who did not file to run for reelection.
Both Van Duser and Champion filed mini reporting campaigns with the state Public Disclosure Commission, meaning they do not have to file contribution or expenditure reports but cannot raise or spend more than $7,000 on their campaigns.
City Council Position 2
Carolyn Carlson, left, and James Sterba
James Sterba, a senior procurement manager at Boeing, took an early lead with 55.1% of the vote against Carolyn Carlson, a former manager for the United States Postal Service, who earned 44.6% as of Wednesday.
Sterba’s top priorities are protecting the look and feel of Mukilteo and supporting the city’s first responders. He said that he would oppose developments that don’t fit with established neighborhoods, and would keep a watchful eye on the city budget while attempting to grow revenue through economic development efforts.
Carlson’s top priorities include addressing the city budget and giving more say to seniors in the community. She said she would work to leverage public-private partnerships and encourage volunteering as measures toward balancing the budget, along with encouraging the waterfront redevelopment project. Carlson also advocated for establishing an office of neighborhoods and opening a senior center.
The Position 2 seat is currently held by council president Tom Jordal, who did not file to run for reelection.
As of Monday, Carlson reported $6,048 in campaign contributions and Sterba reported $5,064 in campaign contributions.
City Council Position 3
Don Doran, a former mayor of Mukilteo, is running unopposed for the Position 3 seat and received 97.8% of the vote as of Tuesday. The seat is currently held by Schmalz.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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