Two of the three Edmonds City Council seats on the November ballot will first have contests in the August primary.
Councilman Ron Wambolt faces challenges from former Councilwoman Lora Petso and from Adrienne Fraley-Monillas for Position 3, and Councilman Strom Peterson faces Diane Buckshnis and Alvin Rutledge for Position 2.
Petso told me a few days ago that she wants to challenge Wambolt on waterfront development issues, on his giving a raise to the mayor and on building heights. We had comments from Wambolt and Fraley-Monillas last week’s Enterprise.
Both Peterson and Buckshnis have support from council members who supported them when the council selected Peterson to fill the then-vacant seat in February.
In both contests, the top two vote getters in the August primary will advance to the November general election.
In Position 1, Councilman Michael Plunkett and challenger Priya Cloutier will advance to November without a primary.
Three council members challenge Lynnwood mayor
Three Lynnwood City Council members are challenging Mayor Don Gough in his bid for re-election.
Councilman Loren Simmonds and Councilwoman Lisa Utter had said in recent weeks that they would challenge Gough. Then, as last week’s filing deadline neared its end, Councilman Jim Smith got into the race.
Utter told me recently that she thinks Gough has done a poor job of communicating with the council, particularly on recent controversies over moving the Lynnwood Municipal Court and over new bicycle lanes.
When I contacted Smith Friday, he told me that having three council members challenge the mayor “speaks for itself.” He said that he would use the mayor’s position to push to change Lynnwood’s form of government from a mayor-council system to a council-manager system.
Gough himself was a councilman four years ago, when he challenged and defeated an incumbent mayor.
The four names will appear on the Aug. 18 primary election ballot, with the top two vote getters advancing to the November general election.
Neither Gough nor Simmonds responded to my questions.
Kagi ‘disappointed’ by Gregoire’s education veto
State Rep. Ruth Kagi, who represents the 32nd Legislative District, says that she is disappointed by Gov. Christine Gregoire’s veto of a section of the education reform bill that included early childhood education for at-risk students as part of basic education.
Kagi, chairwoman of the House early learning committee, said last week that she will hold Gregoire to her promise to support early childhood education for all students.
Evan Smith can be reached at entpolitics@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
