EVERETT — Lynnwood City Council candidate Bryce Owings has been convicted of 10 crimes over the past 20 years, including ones relating to domestic violence and illegal drug possession, according to court records.
Owings, 39, was the frontrunner in the August primary for Position 3 on the council, garnering 87 more votes than incumbent Josh Binda. The two are set to face off in the November election.
In 2020, Owings faced five charges relating to domestic violence and was convicted of three. The first was in May 2020, when Owings was convicted of fourth-degree domestic violence assault.
According to the police report, Lynnwood officers responded to a call from a neighbor reporting that Owings’ wife, Hannah Owings, had come to their front door after being assaulted. Both officers reported that Hannah Owings had red marks on the base of her neck. Bryce Owings told officers that during an argument Hannah Owings strangled herself and bit him on the arm. Hannah Owings said she bit Bryce Owings’ arm to stop him from strangling her. Both parties reported that Bryce Owings was holding their son during the argument, who was eight months old at the time.
The officers at the scene could not determine how severe the assault was because both Bryce Owings and his wife were intoxicated, an officer wrote. They determined Bryce Owings to be the primary aggressor and arrested him on suspicion of fourth-degree domestic violence assault. He was later found guilty.
Following the assault, the court issued a no-contact order between Hannah Owings and Bryce Owings, prohibiting him from coming within 1,000 feet of her or contacting her.
In August 2020, Bryce Owings was convicted of violating the no-contact order. According to the police report, police responded to a call from Bryce Owings’ parents who were concerned about Bryce and Hannah’s son. Bryce Owings’ father received a call from Bryce Owings and heard Hannah Owings screaming in the background, the report said. Both Bryce and Hannah had been drinking. Officers recognized the residence from a previous domestic violence call and discovered the no-contact order. According to the report, Bryce Owings was not at the scene when officers arrived but was later arrested on suspicion of violating the order.
In June 2020, Bryce Owings was convicted of third-degree malicious mischief relating to domestic violence. For the same case, a judge also dismissed a charge against him for violating a no-contact order. In October 2020, a judge dismissed another charge against Bryce Owings for violating an order that restricted contact.
In a statement to The Daily Herald, Bryce Owings said that he and his wife have since gone through counseling and have been sober for more than five years.
“More than five years ago, during a difficult and painful time in our lives, my wife and I were both struggling with addiction and unhealthy patterns that caused real harm in our relationship,” Bryce Owings said in a statement to The Daily Herald. “I take full responsibility for my actions and the impact they had on my family.”
In another statement, Hannah Owings said she continues to stand by her husband.
“It is my belief that we as a society celebrate the rehabilitation of the broken,” she said. “In the giving of new hope for their future, as well as for those whose lives they touch. My husband is living testimony to such reform. He is a man who has put tremendous effort into forging himself anew. I stand by him because I see the fruits of his efforts. We have come a long way and too far to look back now. I look forward to the bright future we are paving for ourselves, for our family, and hopefully our community.”
In a 2010 case filed in Snohomish County Superior Court, an ex-girlfriend of Owings alleged he had a pattern of drug use and verbal violence. The case was dismissed after both parties did not appear in court.
Bryce Owings has also faced a number of drug-related charges. From 2005 to 2010, Owings was convicted of five crimes relating to illegal drug possession. He was found guilty of using or delivering drug paraphernalia, minor possession or consumption of alcohol, supplying liquor to a minor, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana possession.
In 2015, Owings was arrested in Seattle on a warrant after failing to appear in Lynnwood Municipal Court for three previous cases. Once arrested, officers found MDMA and cocaine on his person and found probable cause for intent to deliver controlled substances. He later pleaded guilty to possession of narcotics, which is a felony. In 2022, the conviction was vacated under State v. Blake, a 2021 Washington Supreme Court decision that found a felony drug possession law was unconstitutional because it didn’t require intent or knowledge of possession.
In 2007, Owings was found guilty of two separate instances of third-degree driving while license suspended.
“My past doesn’t define me — what defines me is the life I’ve built since,” Owings said. “I’ve turned my experience into purpose, mentoring others and helping families who face the same kinds of struggles I once did. Through that work, I’ve learned that redemption isn’t about forgetting where you’ve been — it’s about what you do next and how you use your story to make a difference.”
In a May interview, Owings told The Herald he had previously experienced homelessness and drug addiction. He did not mention any specific criminal record.
“I experienced homeless and drug addiction in my younger years, and I worked really hard to get out of that,” he said at the time. “I have lived experience and personal experience in what worked for me. And I know that not everything that worked for me will work for everybody else, but I really have a heart for these people. I think that in a city council position, I’d be in a place where I could save some of their lives even.”
Owings is an instructor at Edmonds College and treasurer for the local carpenters union. In his campaign, Owings has focused on addressing homelessness and drug addiction by working with police, expanding temporary housing and working with trade unions to provide jobs. He also prioritized bringing higher-paying jobs to Lynnwood with an emphasis on local labor.
On Wednesday, the 32nd District Democrats held a vote on whether to rescind their endorsement of Owings after learning about his criminal record. The motion failed with 52% of the vote, short of the required 60%.
Owings is endorsed by the Lynnwood Police Guild, which donated $500 to his campaign, according to state records. Representatives from the police guild did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, and State Rep. Lauren Davis, who both endorsed Owings, also did not respond to requests for comment.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated that Hannah Owings filed a no-contact order against Bryce Owings. The no-contact order was issued by the court as a standard procedure. A previous version also mischaracterized the sequence of events during the August 2020 incident.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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