By The Herald Editorial Board
Voters, open up your ballots and voters guides and help guide good local government.
Along with the recommendations below, voters have several useful resources from which to draw.
Voters should have received ballots and local and state voters’ guides in the mail. An online voter’s guide is available at tinyurl.com/SnoCoVotersGuide2025.
More information on the Nov. 4 election, registering to vote, ballot drop box locations and more is available at tinyurl.com/SnoCoElex.
The League of Women Voters of Snohomish County has produced candidate forms for many council, mayor and school district races, available at tinyurl.com/LWVSC-Forums25.
Please note, because of budget cuts and restructuring of the U.S. Postal Service, if submitting ballots by mail, voters should return ballots earlier than Election Day or go to the post office counter and ask for the ballot to be hand-canceled to ensure ballots are postmarked on or before Nov. 4 and will be counted if received after Nov. 4. Ballots submitted by ballot box must be received by 8 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The Herald Editorial Board makes the following recommendations to voters.
Constitutional Amendment
SJR No. 8201: Approve: State constitutional amendment to allow the state Investment Board to invest funds for the WA Cares program. From the Oct. 18 editorial: “Putting WA Cares, its vital assistance and its long-term viability in the prudent hands of the state investment board — already trusted with the pension funds of public employees and retirees throughout the state — is a reasonable risk.”
County Council
District 1: Republican Nate Nehring is running unopposed for reelection.
District 4: Democrat Jared Mead is running unopposed for reelection.
District 5: Republican Sam Low is running for reelection. From the Oct. 21 editorial: “Low has been key to advancement of his priorities, in particular to his district’s and the county’s transportation needs, and has worked with local and state officials to assure necessary funding.”
County Charter Review Commission: The editorial board is not endorsing candidates for the commission but encourages voters to select three candidates from their council district to serve on the panel to review and suggest charter amendments for voter approval next fall.
Edmonds Council
Position 1: Chris Eck is running for reelection. From the Oct. 16 editorial: “Eck has in the last two years, proved her utility to the council and city, drawing on her professional work in budgeting, housing concerns and community outreach and her care in representing all neighborhoods of the city.”
Position 2: Will Chen is running for reelection. While Jessica Bachman’s name remains on the ballot, she withdrew from the race in August. From the Oct. 16 editorial: “Chen has shown himself to be a council member seeking practical solutions.”
Position 3: Alex Newman is running for an open position. From the July 31 editorial: “Newman offers a mix of experience and viewpoints of particular value, including that of a renter. … His nonprofit experience, as well, will be of use to the council in working with agencies, officials and other local governments.”
Edmonds School Board
District 2: Keith Smith is running unopposed.
District 4: Thom Garrard is running for election following appointment to the board. From the Sept. 16 editorial: “Garrard’s career as an educator, particularly with the Edmonds district, helped make him effective as a board member from the start.”
Everett Mayor
Cassie Franklin is running for reelection to a third term. From the July 19 editorial: “Franklin, for her two terms, has worked collaboratively with the council, staff, employees, city committees and residents to find pragmatic solutions and work with the resources and tools available to keep a city of some 111,000 residents well-served.”
Everett City Council
District 1: Sam Hem is running for an open seat. From the July 17 editorial: “With the city still needing to add to its stock of housing to assure greater affordability and provide local jobs, while providing the physical and civic infrastructure to serve a growing city, Hem appears best suited to help the council pursue the best path forward and should be the District 1 voters’ choice.”
District 2: Paula Rhyne is seeking a second term on the council. From the July 17 editorial: “Rhyne, even in expressing differences on some votes, has consistently demonstrated that civility, while at the same time helping the council adopt needed reforms and steady improvements to the city.”
District 3: Don Schwab is seeking reelection to a second term. From the Oct. 14 editorial: “With at least two new members expected to join the council next year, Schwab’s veteran experience and institutional knowledge will be valuable to the council.
District 4: Luis Burbano is running for an open seat. From the July 17 editorial: “As he’s shown on the light rail panel with concern for avoiding displacement of Casino Road residents and with his community garden proposal, Burbano blends an engineer’s talent for analysis with practical applications that provide holistic solutions.”
District 5: Ben Zarlingo is running unopposed for a second term.
Everett School Board
Position 1: Roman Rewolinski is seeking election following his appointment to the board. From the Sept. 18 editorial: “Rewolinski’s experience in finance and past guidance to the district has proved valuable regarding the district’s fiscal stability and in communicating that information to the community.
Position 2: Jen Hirman. From the Sept. 18 editorial: “Hirman’s long relationship with the district prior to her appointment and her background in education policy made her an easily justifiable choice by the board three years ago, and again by the voters in 2023.”
Position 3: Anna Marie Jackson Laurence is seeking election following her appointment to the board. From the Sept. 18 editorial: “Jackson Laurence has shown in the last few months a facility to work collaboratively and effectively with the rest of the board toward those interests.”
Lynnwood Mayor
Christine Frizzell is seeking reelection to a second term. From the Oct. 9 editorial: “Frizzell has succeeded in her first term as a skilled leader who promotes the city’s interests and is invested in protecting and advancing opportunities for one of the county’s most diverse, quickly growing and livable communities.”
Lynnwood City Council
Position 1: Derica Escamilla is running for election, following her appointment to the council: From the July 10 editorial; “In a year on the council, she has demonstrated skills in building working relationships throughout the community and drawing from past work to address issues.”
Position 2: Isabel Mata is seeking election to an open seat. From the Oct. 7 editorial: “Mata in a relatively short time has built relationships with local officials and state lawmakers, learned the challenges ahead of Lynnwood and the larger county and expresses an ability to work collaboratively toward solutions.”
Position 3: Josh Binda is running for reelection. From the July 10 editorial: “Binda’s youth hasn’t always served him or the council, but he appears to have learned from his mistakes, taken criticisms to heart and continues to provide a model of public service, particularly among his generation of Lynnwood residents who need encouragement to participate in local decisions.
Update: Following an allegation that Binda had falsely claimed in his county voters’ guide statement to have a degree from Western Governors University, an accredited online degree program, The Herald asked Binda for details on the degree. Binda produced screen shots of a transcript of completed coursework showing he had satisfied graduation requirements but does not yet have the degree credential, pending graduation. While the statement in the guide implies Binda has the degree, the editorial board is satisfied he has earned the credential. A clearer explanation in his statement could have avoided the allegation.
Position 5: Robert Leutwyler is running for election following his appointment to the seat. From the Oct. 7 editorial: “The city needs the immediate financial guidance that Leutwyler offers, paired with his concern to advocate for all residents and his background in addressing housing and land use planning.
Marysville City Council
Position 1: Peter Condyles is seeking election following his appointment to the council: From the Oct. 2 editorial: “In his late 20s, he remains the youngest member of the council, but has in a few years used those perspectives as well as his knowledge of development and land use to the city’s benefit. Condyles merits a full term on the council.”
Position 2: Mark James is seeking reelection to a third term. From the July 15 editorial: “James has built a record of service and fair consideration of varied viewpoints on issues in his two terms that has been valuable to the council.”
Position 3: Dan Perkins is running for an open seat. From the July 15 editorial: “Perkins, noting his many years of work as an educator, his recognition of the balance required in harmonizing growth and quality of life, and his practical approach to increasing community engagement through neighborhood associations impresses as someone who would add to the discussion and deliberation on the council.”
Position 4: Michael Stevens is seeking reelection for fifth term. From the July 15 editorial: “Stevens offers a breadth of service and institutional knowledge of the city, matched only by Mayor Jon Nehring.”
Marysville School Board
District 1: Malory L. Simpson is seeking election following appointment to her seat. From the Sept. 30 editorial: “Simpson can draw from her education-related training and experience to contribute to board discussions and reach out to the community.”
District 3: Mark Tomas seeks election following his appointment to his seat. From the Sept. 30 editorial: “Tomas, noting … a background that can assist the board and the community in its understanding of financial issues, should be returned to the board to finish the term.”
District 4: Craig Hereth seeks election following his appointment to his seat. From the Sept. 30 editorial: “Hereth drawing on his experience as an educator and youth advocate — especially one attuned to those students struggling with stable access to housing — offers valuable viewpoints to the board as well as a willingness to work toward shared goals.”
Mill Creek Council
Position 1: John Steckler is running unopposed for reelection.
Position 2: Stephanie Vignal is running unopposed for reelection.
Position 3: Connie Allison is running for reelection for a second term. From the Oct. 23 editorial: “Allison has in her four years, developed as a leader on the council and has focused on issues important to residents, including development and housing and livability, public safety, management of the city’s administration and its budget.”
Position 4: Tannis Golebiewski is seeking election to an open seat, from the Oct. 23 editorial: “What tips the balance in Golebiewski’s favor is her foresight to see the city will need a more balanced approach to revenue that explores a judicious use of the city’s banked capacity of property taxes to maintain city services, staffing and investments in development.”
Mountlake Terrace Council
Position 1: Rick Ryan is seeking relection to a fifth term. From the Oct. 15 editorial: “Ryan has an undeniable track record of service over nearly 16 years and has built relationships with other public officials throughout the county and state that are of value to the council and the city.”
Position 2: Steven P. Woodard is running unopposed.
Position 3: William Paige Jr. is running for election following his appointment to the council. From the July 31 editorial: “Paige is an engaging speaker, dedicated to making sure all voices of the community are heard and considered.”
Position 4: Kyoko Matsumoto Wright is running for a fifth term. From the Oct. 15 editorial: “Matsumoto Wright, in addition to her work on the council, has made the most of her role as mayor as well, promoting the city and working with other local officials in the interests of her city and the region.”
Mukilteo Mayor
Joe Marine is seeking relection to a fourth term. From the Sept. 23 editorial: “Marine led efforts to renovate Lighthouse Park, build a new Rose Hill Community Center, helped secure the tank farm property for the relocation of the ferry terminal and created a citizen’s police academy. Marine’s long tenure on the council and in the mayor’s office speaks for a final term in the mayor’s office.”
Mukilteo City Council
Position 1: Ilona Van Duser is seeking election to an open seat on the council. From the Sept. 23 editorial: “For voters who see provision of a fair representation of the community on the council as important — and voters have previously delivered a diverse council — electing a second woman to the council, in particular one with DEI experience, would continue that representation of the Mukilteo community.”
Position 2: James Sterba is seeking election to an open seat. From the July 22 editorial: “Sterba, with a masters in business administration along with a long career in management with attention to projects, negotiations, contracts and budgeting, would offer skills useful to the city council as it confronts how to provide city services within tightening revenues.”
Position 3: Don Doran is running unopposed for an open seat.
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