In Everett’s crowded district four city council race, one candidate is doing more than just knocking on doors — he’s picking up trash while he does it.
Over the weekend, Niko Battle’s campaign launched what may be a first-of-its-kind Community Cleanup Canvass Program, sending volunteers door to door with a simple twist: bring an empty bucket and leave every street cleaner than you found it.
In the first weekend, Battle and his campaign manager alone collected over 40 gallons of garbage, from leftover fireworks and rusty nails to human excrement and used bandages. It’s a small but striking answer to a big problem: voters are tired of politicians who talk about cleaner, safer streets but never bend down to pick up what’s already there.
“Talk is cheap,” Battle said. “If I’m going to tell my neighbors I’ll fight for a cleaner, safer Everett, then our campaign has to show up and prove we mean it — even when no one’s watching.”
According to early canvass data, 61% of voters surveyed have responded positively to Battle’s message of building a city that feels safer, more vibrant, and more cared for. The cleanup canvass is a natural extension of that promise: tangible action that anyone can see.
“I’ve never worked with a candidate that’s as action oriented as Niko,” Battle’s campaign manager Chris Loughridge said. “So many candidates spend the election cycle telling voters what they will do, but this is the only one I’ve met that started doing it before he even gets elected.”
But Battle says this isn’t about claiming credit — it’s about raising the bar. The campaign is challenging every other candidate in the race to join in and clean up the same streets they walk to ask for votes. “It’s about time our politicians didn’t just show up every four years with a flyer,” Battle said. “They should show up to care for our communities — even when it’s not glamorous.”
To keep the effort transparent, the campaign is maintaining a weekly updated trash tracker on its website so voters can see how much waste has been removed from Everett’s neighborhoods.
For Battle, it’s more than a cleanup — it’s a statement: politics shouldn’t just be about slogans. It should be about service.
About Niko Battle: Niko Battle is a community organizer, youth advocate, and candidate for Everett City Council District 4. Born and raised in the region, Niko brings bold, people-first leadership focused on building a cleaner, safer, more vibrant Everett for everyone. Learn more at nikobattle.com.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
One Response
Now this is a candidate I can get behind! While Lynnwood has a council member who takes off his shirt ,poses for the attention and uses city hall for his own benefit Niko Battle is actually cleaning up the streets.