Olson leading Sibley in PUD commissioner race

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, November 8, 2016

ELECTION 2016: RESULTS • STORIES • DATA DASHBOARD

EVERETT — Snohomish County Public Utility District Commissioner Toni Olson was leading challenger Gordy Sibley in early election results Tuesday.

Both candidates ran low-profile campaigns with shoe-string budgets in the race for the utility’s District 3 seat.

Olson, a two-term incumbent and former PUD manager, ran on her experience and pledged to continue initiatives such as upgrading the power grid and encouraging customer-owned solar power. She also has questioned the need for the controversial Sunset Falls project — the PUD’s proposal to build a hydroelectric power plant on the South Fork Skykomish River.

Sibley, a retired PUD mechanic, ran on a reform platform and promised tough oversight of spending and to hold down electricity rates.

Of the ballots counted so far Olson was leading with 61.5 percent to Sibley’s 38 percent.