County council positions attract many candidates

The race is on to replace Snohomish County councilmen John Koster and Dave Gossett.

The stalwart county legislators have reached a maximum three full terms in office, and cannot run for re-election this year.

When candidate filing week 2013 closed at 5 p.m. Friday, the faces of those competing for the open seats came into clearer focus.

Incumbent County Councilman Dave Somers, the Democrat who represents east Snohomish County, also is running for re-election. He’s drawn a challenge from Republican Chris Vallo of Lake Stevens.

The primary is Aug. 6. Once the primary results are finalized, the top two vote-getters in each race advance to the Nov. 5 general election. The job pays about $105,000 per year.

The newcomers in office will walk into a vastly changed political landscape, with County Executive Aaron Reardon expected to resign at the end of May.

District 1

Koster’s seat has attracted the most attention, with five candidates in the mix. The hopefuls include two Republicans, two Democrats and a Libertarian.

The territory, District 1, covers most of northern Snohomish County, minus Tulalip. It’s the only County Council seat currently held by a Republican.

Republican Ken Klein, an Arlington city councilman, is the only candidate currently holding elected public office. The 33-year-old also is District 1’s fundraising leader with $17,000 in campaign cash as of last week, the state Public Disclosure Commission reported.

Klein said he wants to promote jobs, government transparency and property rights at the county. He’s familiarized himself with county issues by serving on the Snohomish County Planning Commission, where he’s the vice chairman. By day, he works as a financial manager.

“I like taking part in policy discussions,” he said, “coming up with a decision that’s going to work for most of the people in the room.”

Fellow Republican Gary Wright, 68, of Marysville, has owned Coldwell Banker Gary Wright Realty in Marysville for more than 40 years. Though he hasn’t served as an elected public official, his real estate experience has put him in close contact with local, state and federal government. On Friday, he was returning from a trip to Washington, DC, where he talked tax issues with U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash. and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

“The county needs to make sure the zoning regulations are not over-reaching to the point of being onerous and counter-productive to bringing new businesses in,” Wright said. “The county needs to work with the cities. There are some transportation issues that can be addressed joining with the county, the cities and the state.”

Wright has raised about $10,000 for his campaign, the second-most in the field.

Democrat Bill Blake, 54, for the past 13 years has worked for the city of Arlington. He is a stormwater and utilities supervisor there now. He’s also managed natural resources and permitting operations for the city.

Blake listed his two decades of service at the Stillaguamish Watershed Council, where he’s the chairman, as relevant experience.

The county job, to him, seems like a natural progression.

“I’m not just deciding to do this now,” he said. “It’s where my life experiences have taken me.”

The other Democrat, Carsten Mullin of Arlington, works in the records management Division of the county’s tech department. The 37-year-old said he’d vote against any new taxes and support law enforcement.

“I’ve worked for the county for six years,” Mullin said. “I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to use my leadership skills and my government experience to help improve the quality of life for the people of Snohomish County.”

Mullin ran for Arlington mayor in 2011, but did not make it past the primary. He serves on the city’s Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission.

Sean Olson of Marysville, who filed to run as a Libertarian, could not be reached for this story.

Former Arlington City Councilman Ryan Larsen announced his candidacy early in the year, but later withdrew.

District 4

Former Mill Creek City Councilman Terry Ryan, a Democrat, for months has been campaigning for Gossett’s District 4 seat.

More recently, Republican Bob Reedy of Mountlake Terrace stepped up to challenge him.

The district covers the areas of Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Brier and north Bothell.

Ryan, 55, served more than 17 years on the Mill Creek City Council before stepping down last fall. His departure owed in part to commitments with his job at Bellevue commercial real estate firm Kidder Mathews, where he’s an associate vice president. He also keeps busy coaching youth sports and volunteering in the community.

“Because I’ve been in public service for more than 17 years, I know what the job’s all about,” Ryan said. “Everybody should be working for the betterment of Snohomish County.”

Promoting jobs, livable neighborhoods, public safety, transportation and parks are the top priorities Ryan said he’d advocate if elected.

Reedy, 58, could not be reached for this story, but did return a call to say he was busy at work. He has been a frequent, but unsuccessful, candidate in south Snohomish County political races.

Ryan had raised $36,000 for his campaign and Reedy nothing as of Friday.

District 5

Dave Somers, 60, of Monroe has represented District 5 for two consecutive terms. The district includes Snohomish, Monroe and other cities along the U.S. 2 corridor, as well as Lake Stevens and Maltby.

Somers, a Democrat, worked as a fisheries biologist before going into public life. At the council, he has taken a lead on planning and land-use issues.

His priorities, if elected to another term, include bringing work for the Boeing Co.’s future 777X jet to the area, improving transportation infrastructure and developing well-though-out plans to accommodate population and business growth.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the new county executive and restoring a strong role of the county in regional and state issues,” Somers said. “We have some work to do to repair the organization, but I think that will happen quickly.”

Chris Vallo, a 55-year-old real estate broker from Lake Stevens, said he offers voters a better choice than Somers for stewarding the county’s economy, roads and public safety.

“It’s time to restore hope and serve the community with fresh leadership and new ideas, and I feel I can bring that to the people,” Vallo said.

Vallo said he’d like to focus on resolving transportation gridlock, and improving safety, on U.S. 2 and Highway 9. Property rights, the right to farm, public parks and the county-run Evergreen State Fairgrounds are other areas of interest.

The Republican has not held publicly elected office. Vallo lost a bid to become county assessor in 2011 against incumbent Assessor Cindy Portmann, who took nearly 68 percent of the vote.

Somers had reported raising more than $40,000 for his campaign as of Friday, the PDC reported. Vallo had about $1,800.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, left, introduces Xichitl Torres Small, center, Undersecretary for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a talk at Thomas Family Farms on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free

At a press conference Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene called the Direct File program safe, easy and secure.

Former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Jeremie Zeller appears in court for sentencing on multiple counts of misdemeanor theft Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 1 week of jail time for hardware theft

Jeremie Zeller, 47, stole merchandise from Home Depot in south Everett, where he worked overtime as a security guard.

Everett
11 months later, Lake Stevens man charged in fatal Casino Road shooting

Malik Fulson is accused of shooting Joseph Haderlie to death in the parking lot at the Crystal Springs Apartments last April.

T.J. Peters testifies during the murder trial of Alan Dean at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Bothell cold case trial now in jury’s hands

In court this week, the ex-boyfriend of Melissa Lee denied any role in her death. The defendant, Alan Dean, didn’t testify.

A speed camera facing west along 220th Street Southwest on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Washington law will allow traffic cams on more city, county roads

The move, led by a Snohomish County Democrat, comes as roadway deaths in the state have hit historic highs.

Mrs. Hildenbrand runs through a spelling exercise with her first grade class on the classroom’s Boxlight interactive display board funded by a pervious tech levy on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lakewood School District’s new levy pitch: This time, it won’t raise taxes

After two levies failed, the district went back to the drawing board, with one levy that would increase taxes and another that would not.

Alex Hanson looks over sections of the Herald and sets the ink on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Black Press, publisher of Everett’s Daily Herald, is sold

The new owners include two Canadian private investment firms and a media company based in the southern United States.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.