MUKILTEO, Wash. — One hundred-plus people packed Tapped Mukilteo Wednesday, July 7th from 6-8 p.m. to support City Councilman Joe Marine in his re-election bid to return as Mayor of Mukilteo.
The Marine mayoral campaign kickoff was so packed that many attendees had to wait outside to enter. Many of those opted to hop in the main restaurant for drinks while they waited.
Marine served two terms as Mayor of Mukilteo from 2006-2013. He and his wife Candy have lived in Mukilteo 26 years where they raised their two daughters, Brandi and Jamie. Marine is an insurance agent and a benefit charity auctioneer.
Featured kickoff speakers included former Mukilteo Mayor Don Doran, former Mukilteo City Councilman Randy Lord, and community leader Mari Tate, director of Mari’s Place for the Arts.
Marine’s campaign platform is protecting Mukilteo from the Housing Action Plan (HAP), constructing a Mukilteo Park ‘N Ride lot, opposing Paine Field becoming Sea-Tac North and moving Edgewater Beach Park from Everett to Mukilteo.
His campaign slogan is “LEADERSHIP and RESULTS to move Mukilteo Forward…TOGETHER.”
Marine spoke about his previous record as mayor. Under his administration, the City constructed a new Rosehill Community Center and City Hall. He acquired 98 acres to preserve Japanese Gulch, secured the Tank Farm property for the Mukilteo Fishing Pier, and renovated Lighthouse Park.
During Marine’s tenure, Mukilteo was ranked twice by Money magazine as one of the top ten best small cities in America.
“The fact that I was mayor isn’t important,” Marine said. “My drive has always been to leave the city better than when I got there.”
Marine is Mari’s Place for the Arts Board President and Community Transit Board Secretary. He previously served as chair of the Community Transit Board in 2009. He was also a Public Safety and Crime Prevention Steering Committee member and a Sound Transit Board Member.
Long time Mukilteo resident and former Mukilteo Family YMCA Executive Director Jeff Dunleavy recalled how instrumental Marine was in acquiring city and state funds to build the 20,000-square-foot Mukilteo YMCA Skatepark.
Dunleavy remembered the excitement and passion Marine had to build the skatepark for Mukilteo’s young people.
“I couldn’t get Joe to stop talking about the skate park,” Dunleavy said. “He was ready to move forward and do whatever it took to build it.”
Paul Ellis, owner of Ellis Wealth Management and former chair of the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce, shared with the Lynnwood Times Marine’s involvement in the 2019 “Save the Lighthouse Festival” effort.
“In a day and age where people make promises and make excuses why they don’t deliver, Joe works overtime to deliver,” Ellis said. “It’s an honor to support him.”
Mukilteo Police Foundation President and current chair of the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce, Matt Martin, emceed the well-attended kickoff.
Martin has known Marine for 20 years and served with Marine on multiple boards. The Mukilteo 2019 Citizen of the Year award recipient supports Marine for his “willingness to listen to residents” and “amazingly collaborative” abilities.
“Joe loves Mukilteo,” Martin said. “I trust him 100 percent to do what’s best for the community.”
For more information on Joe Marine and to support his re-election campaign for Mayor of Mukilteo, visit his website https://www.marineformukilteo.com/ or his Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MarineforMukilteo.
Tapped Mukilteo is located on 10809 Mukilteo Speedway in Mukilteo.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
