EVERETT — With less than six weeks before the official filing week, a large number of new faces are indicating they’ll run for one of the five council seats up for election because of the city’s new geographic districts format shaking things up.
Candidate filing week in Snohomish County opens May 17.
For Council District 2, covering the eastern part of central Everett, newcomers Paula Rhyne and Greg Lineberry have set up campaigns. Lineberry is a captain in the Everett Police Department; Rhyne works as a legislative aide for County Councilwoman Megan Dunn.
For Council District 3, covering the western part of
central Everett, four people appear to be angling for the seat: Janelle Nixon-Burke, Craig Ollis, Lacey Sauvageau and Don Schwab. Schwab has accumulated more than $20,000 in contributions when most candidates have reported less than $1,000. Sauvageau ran for a state House seat last year which Emily Wicks defended.
For Council District 1, covering north Everett, two sitting council members and a challenger all want the seat. The newcomer is Mary Fosse, the former Delta Neighborhood chair who is making her first foray to be elected. Sitting Councilmen Paul Roberts and Scott Bader are both aiming for another term.
The new-for-2021 council districts system has them challenging each other. Meanwhile, a third sitting councilman living in the district, Scott Murphy, last week closed his council campaign to instead challenge for a seat on the Port of Everett commission against David Simpson.
For Council District 4, covering part of south Everett, Councilwoman Liz Vogeli has attracted Tommie Rubatino as a challenger.
In Council District 5, which covers southeast Everett, nobody has filed papers with the state to set up a campaign yet. Councilman Jeff Moore is the only sitting council member who could run for re-election from this geographical area. Attempts to reach him were not returned by press time to ask whether he’ll run for re-election.
The districts are for five of the seven assigned seats on the City Council. Councilmembers Judy Tuohy and Brenda Stonecipher are not in the mix as their council seats, No. 6 and No. 7, are at-large positions.
Everett voters approved changing to the council districts format two years ago. Everett’s district map was designed during last year to have approximately 20,500 residents living in each.
You can see which district you live in at www.everettwa.gov/districting.
