The 2026 County Charter Commission voted to bring to the voters an amendment to the County Charter eliminating the requirement that County elected officials declare party affiliation when running for office. The Charter Commission is an elected body of individuals representing citizens from across the County. The voters across the County will have the opportunity to approve or reject this amendment during the fall election.
To counter this amendment, Megan Dunn, Snohomish County Council Chair forwarded ORDINANCE 26-023, establishing a mandatory candidate political history disclosure requirement for the offices of County Executive and County Council (ECAF 2026-1452). A public hearing on this was held in June, and, fortunately, the ordinance did not pass.
The fact that there are those who are trying to stop an initiative designed to reduce partisanship in our government tells you volumes about the intent of the individuals fighting this amendment. The populace has stated over and over and over that they want less divisiveness in government, that they want the government to work together for the common good. That our elected officials must put the welfare of their constituents ahead of petty partisan politics. We, the people want to be We the people. We don’t want to be We and Them the people. We don’t want to be identified by a letter next to our names, and we don’t want our elected officials to be identified by a letter next to their name. That is the epitome of divisiveness. By definition, requiring our elected officials to have a letter next to their name is an effort to divide you from me, us from them. It is an effort to force the multifaceted, complex views and character of individuals into a single small box. The fight against this amendment is not about transparency, it is about defining who is on your team and who is not, who is like you, and who is not, who thinks the same way you do, and who does not. It is forcing individuals to wear a badge so people can prejudge them without ever listening to their ideas.
I don’t want politicians who think alike, who speak alike, who are always on the same side of every issue. I want elected officials who bring their true selves, their lived experiences, their new ideas, their willingness to challenge the status quo, elected officials who look at themselves as stewards of the office of government, responsible to the people, not to some party whose letter designation happens to be the same as theirs.
If we want a government for the people, by the people, then we need a government that looks like the people. And, as I look around our community, I don’t see a letter painted on the forehead of the people I meet. I see individuals who want to tell you, our elected officials, that we want you to put us first. Put us before your partisanship, put us before your petty politics. We the people want you to represent Us. All of us, not just those of us who have the same letter on our sleeve as you.
The claim has been that including party designation increases transparency and that without that designation, individuals will not know who to vote for. If you, as our elected official, think we, the people, need to see a letter next to someone’s name to know who we should vote for, then you are insulting all of us. You think we can’t research candidates, you think we are too lazy to learn what candidates are about, you think we are too ignorant to be able to understand the positions of candidates if they do not have a letter next to their name.
We, the people are tired of divisive politics, are tired of politicians controlling by division, by separating us into boxes, and letters, and stereotypes. I urge the voters to vote in favor of the Charter amendment removing party affiliation from County official candidates.
County council elections should be nonpartisan because county government is closest to the practical needs of residents. County councils are responsible for issues like roads, land use, public safety, public health, parks, budgets, permitting, housing, and basic services that affect people every day. These are not Republican roads or Democratic emergency services; they are community responsibilities that require competence, judgment, accountability, and cooperation.
Making county council elections nonpartisan helps voters focus on the individual candidate rather than a national party label. In local government, a party label often tells voters less than a candidate’s actual experience, temperament, priorities, and ability to work with others. A councilmember’s job is not to fight national political battles; it is to solve local problems, listen to residents, manage public dollars responsibly, and make decisions that reflect the needs of the county.
Nonpartisan elections can also reduce polarization. When candidates are not forced to run primarily as representatives of a political party, they have more room to build broad coalitions across neighborhoods, businesses, community groups, and ideological lines. The National League of Cities notes that more than three-quarters of U.S. municipalities use nonpartisan elections, and supporters argue that party labels are often irrelevant to providing local services and that cooperation among elected officials is more likely without partisan framing. (National League of Cities (https://www.nlc.org/resource/cities-101-partisan-and-non-partisan-elections/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
This does not mean candidates should hide their values. Voters should absolutely ask candidates where they stand on taxes, growth, public safety, housing, environmental protection, labor, and fiscal management. But those positions should be discussed directly and honestly, not reduced to a single partisan label that may import national assumptions into local issues. A nonpartisan system encourages voters to evaluate candidates on substance: What have they done? What do they know? How do they solve problems? Will they listen? Can they work with people who disagree with them?
County councils work best when members see themselves first as stewards of the county, not as extensions of state or national political organizations. Nonpartisan elections help preserve that focus. They encourage practical problem-solving, broaden voter participation, and remind candidates that their duty is to the whole community. For those reasons, county council elections should be nonpartisan.
Enough with the divisiveness. Represent us all, regardless of our party affiliation. You were not elected to look out for only those who share the same letter, you were elected to ensure that all people are treated equally and fairly. Do what is right. Do what you were elected to do and stop pushing divisiveness. The only letter anyone needs next to their name is the letter P… P for PERSON, because that is what we are, first and foremost. And if you believe otherwise, you should not be holding office.
Patrick Decker, Snohomish County Charter Review Commissioner and former Lynnwood City Councilman
COMMENTARY DISCLAIMER: The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Lynnwood Times nor any of its affiliates.
Author: Lynnwood Times Contributor
