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SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., May 20, 2023—Elections in Snohomish County have officially kicked off, and like usual, filing week was full of surprises. From a father-son duo vying for Snohomish City Council to entire races in five cities and two school districts uncontested, this election season is going to be a game of strategy, wit, and do I dare say…drama!

At exactly 5:01 p.m., on Friday, May 19, Jen Winckler, President of the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County, joined Wendy Mauch, Elections Supervisor, to begin the candidate lot drawing; a process of determining the order candidates will appear on the ballot. The lot draw is a manual process of rotating a sealed net-like golden tub called the “Bingo Barrel” containing the letters A through Z. Each letter is on a wooden scrabble piece located in a closed black opaque film canister to ensure fairness and randomness in the order selection.

After the a few turns by Winckler followed by cutting the seal on the door of the Bingo Barrel, the first draw was made.

“Y,” Winckler said, before handing the letter to Mauch who visually confirmed the reading and recorded the letter on the official Candidate Lot Drawing document. Mauch then placed the letter and the now-opened film canister on the counter. For 25 more drawings by Winckler, this process repeated. Just before certifying the official order a candidate is listed on the ballot, both Winckler and Mauch verify the sequence pulled out of the “Bingo Barrel” a final time.

“Voting is a great opportunity to have your voice heard,” Winckler told the Lynnwood Times. “These local elections involve the people who are making the decisions that affect your daily life.”

A Primary Election is required if more than two candidates file for the same position or if the race is a partisan office which will be held on August 1, 2023. The Top 2 candidates will then advance to the General Election scheduled for November 7.

Currently, election officials predict a 28% voter turnout for the Primary Election but will be reassessing that estimate on Monday, May 22.

Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell shared with the Lynnwood Times that his office received budget for translation services to encourage voter turnout in traditionally underrepresented communities. This will also include social media efforts and paid advertising.

“Local elections matter,” Fell said when asked how he would encourage a disengaged voter. “The people being elected this year will have a direct impact on the services residents will see at the local level such as decisions that are made in their schools and their local cities. We see a high turnout in Presidential Elections, but these local elections really do affect your day-to-day life and we need people to participate to make sure their voice is heard and that we are electing leaders that reflect their communities.”

Fell shared that every vote matters even in races with a large spread.

“Your vote is being registered and that sends a message to a candidate of the level of support they have,” Fell said. “We are very fortunate in Snohomish County to have top notch election administrators working for the Auditor’s Office. They are well trained, they know their job, and have delivered fair, accurate, and transparent elections.”

Of the 176 offices up for grabs throughout Snohomish County this year, 171 of the races have at least one candidate as of the 5 p.m. filing deadline on May 19. Fire District 10 Position 3, Fire District 25 Position 2, Fire District 26 Position 3, and East County Park and Recreation Commission-at-Large for positions 4 and 5 currently have no candidate. Only these five races will be reopened for a special 3-day period for eligible residents to run.

For a list of all registered candidates as of the May 19 filing deadline, click here.

An astounding 85 of 176 (or 48.3%) of the races are uncontested, meaning only one candidate filed for the race. It will be presumptuous of the Lynnwood Times to call these races months before the General Election, but unless a successful write-in campaign is launched, these candidates have well over a 95% probability of winning their uncontested race and being sworn-in to public office.

For the write-in candidate, their name will not appear on the ballot, there is no voter’s pamphlet statement, and a filing fee may be needed; huge hurdles to overcome!

Newly appointed County Councilman Strom Peterson and 84 others no doubt slept well Friday night and can now pool their resources to help their preferred candidates in the 29 races currently expected in the upcoming Primary Election.

“I think my record of working across the aisle while still holding true to my progressive values represents the 3rd district well,” Councilman Peterson told the Lynnwood Times. “I look forward to connecting with voters across the district and making sure their voices are represented at every level of government.”

All the candidates who submitted their names for the city council and mayoral races in the cities and towns of Darrington, Gold Bar, Marysville, Mountlake Terrace, and Woodway, along with the Granite Falls and Mukilteo school districts will face no challenger.  

As mentioned earlier, expect some “hotly contested” seats that we at the Lynnwood Times will be paying special attention.

Let’s begin with the City of Snohomish. After a defeat at the ballot in 2021, former Mayor John Kartak is making a return to politics by running for City Council Position 1 against challenger Maygen Hetherington. His son, newcomer Ashton Hobelman, will be running for Position 2 against Judith Kuleta.

Although Snohomish County Councilman Peterson is virtually assured re-election, his colleague and fellow progressive Councilwoman Megan Dunn of Everett is facing Republican challenger Georgia Fischer of Mukilteo and Kristina Mitchell of Lynnwood for the District 2 seat.

Dunn, best known for a controversial anti-police post which critics accused her of encouraging the use of Molotov cocktails against law enforcement, dubbed her the nickname, “Molotov Megan.” During the time of the post in 2020, Molotov cocktail attacks were used against local police officers. Dunn has since denied her post encouraged violence, but the Everett Police Officers Association called on Dunn to apologize and resign.

In March of 2020 as Boeing, Snohomish County’s largest employer located within Dunn’s council district, was in a $25 billion financial crunch caused by the coronavirus and its 737 Max safety crisis that led to the layoff of thousands of workers, Dunn again posted disparaging remarks writing, “the factory can become a giant indoor sports arena.”

Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson is facing three challengers – Mike Rosen, Diane Buckshnis, and Brad Shipley. Nelson’s handling of shack-like streetaries lining the upscale streets of downtown Edmonds along with his controversial appointment of Sherman Pruitt as Police Chief who, within just days, had his offer rescinded due to a shoddy evaluation process, is going to be facing a tough reelection battle. Pruitt did file a legal claim against the city.

Another “hot race” to follow is that of Snohomish County Sheriff. Incumbent Adam Fortney, who overcame four failed recall attempts because of his pro-liberty and constitutional stance as it pertained to COVID lockdowns, will be facing Bothell Deputy Police Chief Susanna Johnson.

Lynnwood City Councilman George Hurst, who successfully convinced at least one candidate who originally intended to run against him, to run against another candidate, is running unopposed – that is what one can call politicking at its finest! The race to watch in Lynnwood is between incumbent Jim Smith and Nick Coelho. According to the PDC, Coelho has $11,472.49 in contributions.

In a Friday surprise, Mukilteo City Councilwoman Elisabeth Crawford, who was on the political fast track, did not file for re-election. The Lynnwood Times reached out for a statement but has not received a reply as of the date of this article. The race to watch in Mukilteo is between Insurance Agent and businessowner Mike Dixon and incumbent Riaz Khan, a Boeing Engineer. After running for office five times, Khan won against unknown Christopher Maddux in 2019. Both men are resilient and tenacious, this will be a race to watch!

Newcomer Mukilteo City Councilman Jason Moon, who is running unopposed, told the Lynnwood Times he is committed to continuing his service with unwavering passion.

“The trust, support, and collaboration extended to me have been the driving forces behind my dedication to make a positive impact,” Moon told the Lynnwood Times. “I am committed to continuing my service with unwavering passion and striving for priorities that embrace our city. We must ensure that all council members are held accountable and actively engage with those residents who consistently attend our meetings.

“If you truly want to know who has been doing a good or bad job in council ask the staff and the residents who regularly attend [council meetings]. I extend my utmost respect to all those who attend our meetings in person or online, sharing their valuable insights and perspectives.

“My sincere admiration goes out to you, my fellow residents. I am grateful for the opportunity, and I carry the lessons learned and memories made as I continue this journey of service. Although it might be the end of my honeymoon, I strive to treat every day like its my first; it’s day one every day. God bless you all!”

Another race to watch involving Mukilteans is that of Port of Everett Commissioner District 2. With the Mukilteo Waterfront Development Project a primary focus in the Mukilteo City Council, one of three Mukilteo residents – former Mukilteo City Council President Bob Champion, Ken Heaton, and Alfred Favre – hope to succeed incumbent Tom Stiger who is serving in his third term.

Another race, without a doubt that will be a fight to the very end will be that of Snohomish County Auditor. Former opponent Democrat Cindy Gobel and controversial Republican Robert Sutherland will face incumbent Garth Fell. There were accusations of Gobel embellishing her resumé in the previous bid for Auditor; whereas, Sutherland was ordered by the Legislative Ethics Board to pay $2,500 to settle a complaint alleging he violated state ethics law last March accosting the sergeant of arms.

Sutherland, a staunch advocate for election integrity, attended a cyber symposium organized by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell that argued the 2020 election was hacked. Although, many have criticized and mocked Sutherland for this stance, the outcome of Arizona gubernatorial candidate Republican Kari Lake’s election challenge trial may put election integrity front-and-center in our local race.

Overall, key items for this year will no doubt be public safety, school budgets, zoning policies and property rights, and drug addiction. However, if current economic uncertainty manifests into hard realities over the next few months, pocketbook issues will also be a significant factor influencing voters by the General Election in November. With a two-year double-digit inflation, the debt ceiling stand-off, failing banks, a cooling housing market, and an even colder commercial rental market, consumer confidence for May dropped to a six-month low according to the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

As an added bonus this election cycle, the Public Disclosure Commissioners raised contribution and reporting threshold limits effective on April 1, 2023. For local races here in Snohomish County, non-judicial candidates can now receive a maximum contribution of $1,200 (or 20% more) from an individual donor per election — that’s $2,400 for both the Primary and General elections. Judicial candidates can now receive $2,400 per election!

In addition to raising contribution limits, the Commission adjusted most of the thresholds that guide disclosure by candidates and committees by as much as 300%. For example, the threshold for required reporting of a contributor’s identity was raised from $25 to $100; and the contribution threshold for including a contributor’s name in the Top 5 or Top 3 on a qualifying political ad increased from $1,000 to $2,000. No doubt that raising the thresholds will reduce administrative overhead for both candidates and PDC staff, but it will also legally conceal donors from public disclosure.

Anyone who wishes to observe the election process may do so. Snohomish County Elections offers observer information sessions for the public that provide an overview of the elections process and an introduction to the basic rules of conduct all observers must follow. For more information on election observations including upcoming information sessions, click here.

If anyone has questions about their ballot or registering to vote, they can call the Auditor’s Office at 425-388-3444 or visit in-person in Everett at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Administration West building, 1st floor.

Table of 2023 Snohomish County Elections

Author: Mario Lotmore