Want to run for office? Candidate filing week is May 15 to 19

EVERETT — Brace for the election season onslaught.

The candidate filing period begins Monday and ends Friday.

Soon, political flyers will litter your mailbox and campaign signs will grow in yards like weeds. The hopefuls will start showing up at your door, telling you all the things they can do for you.

Some have already publicly announced they’re in the game.

Those vying for city, county, commissioner, district and school board posts can sign up online between 9 a.m. Monday and 4 p.m. Friday at the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office at 3000 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett. In-person submissions will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday. Fax submissions are also accepted.

Contenders for statewide and federal offices, and legislative seats that cross county lines, must file with the Office of the Secretary of State. Sorry, you have to wait until 2024 to run for governor, but that hasn’t stopped Democratic frontrunners Bob Ferguson and Hilary Franz from announcing, in light of Gov. Jay Inslee’s notice on May 1 that he won’t run again.

Snohomish County open posts include auditor, assessor, treasurer, clerk, county executive, county council and sheriff.

Sheriff Adam Fortney is running for re-election, challenged by Susanna Johnson, deputy chief at the Bothell Police Department.

Mayor posts are up for grabs in Arlington, Darrington, Edmonds, Lake Stevens, Marysville and Sultan.

There are numerous opening on city councils.

The Mukilteo council has four seats open. Council member Riaz Khan, elected in 2019 on his fifth try for various public offices, announced he will seek a second term.

In Everett, longtime City Council member Brenda Stonecipher won’t seek re-election, leaving a seat open for challengers to make their pitch to the nearly 60,000 registered voters in Everett. Former council member Scott Bader and past candidate Demi Chatters have filed with the Public Disclosure Commission to fundraise for the seat. Longtime Council member Judy Tuohy is seeking another four-year term for the other at-large seat, Position 7.

Candidates may file for only one office. Those who change their minds during the week can withdraw from the race and submit a new declaration of candidacy. Final withdrawal is May 22.

If the office has a salary, the filing fee is equal to 1% of the salary.

In Mukilteo, the City Council filing fee is $60. The fee is $12 in Gold Bar, with three open seats, and $301 in Everett.

The cost to file for mayor in Edmonds — where four candidates have already started raising campaign funds — is $1,362. In Darrington, it’s $120.

The county executive post will set the filer back $2,055. Sheriff contenders pay $1,797.

The deadline for submission of voters’ pamphlet statements and photographs is May 26.

This year’s primary is Aug. 1. The general election is Nov. 7.

In each race, the two candidates with the most votes in the primary will advance.

More at snohomishcountywa.gov/5729/Run-for-Office.

Reporter Ben Watanabe contributed to this story.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.