2026 Primary election
Well folks, I’m chasing those ballots. I know I’m late getting the blog out. Sorry about that. Something about spending so much quality time up at Whidbey Health. Anyway, here we are, with Marianne’s relatively snarky take on the many candidates. Remember that this is only the primary, and that we’ll be back with the 2 finalists for (almost) all of these positions in November.
I need to shout out to Indivisible Whidbey which did an incredibly thorough job of researching all the candidates. I almost didn't write the blog, thinking I could just send people to them. Well, it doesn't work that way. But I do recommend strongly that you check out their work. Different approach. Mostly very similar conclusions. Check them out at https://docs.google.com/document/d/17_FwqXGWn0e1wjSPMGFtbMGiQ7Vh9MxZfAhTCIxTMok/edit?tab=t.0
I am pleased with and proud of our state officers who have fended off Dear Leader and his demands, and with our local elections officials who have plodded right along in spite of those threats. It looks like the USPS has in fact delivered our ballots – without matching lists or proof of citizenship. Please remember, though, that the USPS is no longer legally obligated to deliver the mail (yes, really. Thank you Supreme Court) so please use the convenient drop boxes.
I’m re-running once again Marianne’s minimum standards for any candidate:
1) be able to write a coherent sentence.
2) be able to articulate the job description of the post for which you are filing.
3) have sufficient internet know-how (or the funds to hire that know-how) to create an on-line presence.
So, on to the basics:
First, you need to know that you are registered to vote. To check, go to
https://weiapplets.sos.wa.gov/MyVote/#/
If you’re not registered, you can do that online or by mail until August 4. If all else fails, you can register in person at the Island County Elections Office, 400 Main Street, Coupeville, up to 8:00 on August 4, election day.
Ballots should have arrived on on July 17. Look for your ballot, and if you haven’t seen one by about July 22, contact the elections office at https://www.islandcountywa.gov/423/Elections-Voter-Registration
For more information call Election Supervisor Michele Reagan at 360-678-8290,
micheler@islandcountywa.gov or Voter Registration Coordinator Scott Works 360-240-5590, Elections@islandcountywa.gov
So, to make your vote count -
- Try not to use the US Mail. If you really have to use the mail, get your ballot in the mail by the
- Wednesday before election day, July 26.
- If you really can’t do it earlier, bring your ballot to the Post Office counter on Tuesday, August 4 during business hours – usually before 4:00 pm. No stamp is needed, but you need to ask the clerk to hand date-stamp the envelope.
- Best option: Drop your ballot in one of the official county ballot drop boxes before 8:00 pm on Tuesday, August 4.
They are located at:
Island County Elections Office
400 N Main Street Coupeville
Trinity Lutheran Church
18341 Hwy 525 Freeland
Ken’s Corner Shopping Center
4141 Hwy 525 (at Langley Road) Clinton
Langley Post Office, front patio
115 2nd Street Langley
Island County Camano Annex
121 N East Camano Drive Camano Island
Oak Harbor City Hall
865 SE Barrington Oak Harbor
And finally, to the actual ballot:
Sno-Isle Library levy
Do you like libraries? I really like libraries. All those books. Whole areas of interest you never even knew existed. Access to computers and the internet for those of us not permanently connected to iPhones. A functional printer. People who know about all sorts of esoterica and are happy to share their information. Kiosks where you can listen to music. Meeting rooms for all sorts of events, from pre-school reading to knitting to candidate forums.
You know what? It takes $ to keep all of that going. The Sno-Isle library system is funded by a property tax levy of $0.47/$1000.00 assessed value. And its time to renew that levy. They’re not asking for more, just the same as it was in 2018.
We get a whole lot of service and public benefit out of that tax levy. No, I don’t love paying taxes, but in this case it is going toward something I believe is doing all of us a great deal of good.
Last voted 2018.
There has been significant increase in use of library facilities and services, from wi-fi to checkouts to pages printed.
This levy restoration is intended to maintain current levels of service
The levy funds 91% of the library system’s budget
I will be voting YES on the library levy.
Federal – House of Representatives
WA district 2
Edwin H Feller, R
https://fellerforcongress.com
He “loves God, America, and his neighbors.” He claims that Rick Larsen does nothing but appear at ribbon cuttings and run for re-election. He espouses “common sense, responsible economics, and accountable public safety.” “We Washingtonians are in a competition with the rest of the country and the world, and the current leadership in our state and the 2nd Congressional District has us headed in the wrong direction.”
He “supports robust law enforcement, secure borders, fair elections, and balanced budgets.” He supports Title IX protections for women and girls. That translates to an anti-Trans position.
He believes in “Sovereignty” for the individual. That is of great concern, given that Whidbey has just experienced its first (recorded) arrest of a Sovereign Citizen. These are people who believe the local law does not apply to them. When someone uses that term, I want to know just what they mean. Mr Feller does not explain. He believes the affordability crisis is self-inflicted, caused by taxes and too much government.
He espouses “5 Pillars for Washington’s Future”
- Public Safety – in which he worries about terrorist cartels and wants to end sanctuary policies.
- Energy Sovereignty – he really likes that word. He wants to dismantle “radical” environmental mandates, streamline permitting for nuclear & hydro, and repeal federal carbon taxes.
- Protect women’s sports – this is his anti-trans “biological integrity in athletics”
- Protect our children – banning trans medical procedures for minors. I’m not sure that’s a thing.
- 5. Merit based immigration – prioritize nuclear families and a merit based point system.
Getting very little from his website or Facebook page, I revert to the Voter’s Pamphlet, in which he tells us that he has worked in the HVAC business for 60 years. He graduated from the Lynden Christian School in 1960. If he graduated at 18, he is now +/- 84. Given that 2 US Senators are now out of the picture because of age & health issues, his age alone seems a problem.
All in all, we’ve got a classic near-MAGA right winger who hates gays, Trans, and foreigners. Sorry, not my cup of political tea.
Tomas Scheel, D
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tomas-scheel-1
He believes that Rick is owned and operated by billionaires, and he is running to break their hold.
His mother is an Ecuadorian immigrant and he has spent time there. He joined the Air Force at 21. He now has a business building software systems. He provides bilingual assistance to community groups, and teaches English to Ukranians, as well as supporting aspiring software developers.
His issues: reject Larsen’s donor funded priorities
Justice: Pass a Uniform Code of Public Service Justice
Re: Epstein files, investigate and prosecute Pam Bondi and Howard Lutnick, and investigate ALL current and former officials who protected Epstein and his cohorts.
Re: government operations, pass term limits in Congress. Reform the Supreme Court by enlarging it, with cases decided by rotating panels, changing major precedent only with broad agreement.
Re: corporations, hold corporations and CEOs criminally liable. Increase accountability for major financial and environmental misconduct, with criminal prosecution.
Re: recalls, allow voters to recall sitting members of Congress if/when they violate their oaths of office.
Re: consumer protection, fully fund and empower CFPB, with stronger enforcement mechanisms.
Re: pardon power, support a Constitutional amendment to bar presidents from pardoning themselves, family members, members of their campaigns or administrations who have acted illegally on behalf of the president.
Re: prisons, incentivize states to create prison work/education programs to teach marketable skills. Abolish the 13th amendment’s “exception” clause (that allows slave labor in prisons)
Re: LGBT, Trans, and other rights, support the Justice for All act to restore civil rights, fair housing, end age discrimination, and Title IX.
Oh, and impeach Donald Trump.
Boy, that’s just the start of his campaign issues. Can’t disagree with any one of his points.
I’m not going to enumerate every single point of his various subjects, but the next in line is:
Tax the Rich – with a number of points on how to accomplish that. He starts by proposing to tax mega-churches.
He’s got a section on the military and how it is financed. He is not happy with the cozy arrangements between the Pentagon and the industry. He wants to restore Trans people and women to the military, and impeach Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel.
On Health – he wants single payer, with optional supplemental insurance. Restore a functional, science based CDC, and impeach RFK Jr.
On worker rights – increase the minimum wage, eliminate the loopholes, protect the right to unionize, fully fund NLRB, revive the child tax credit, legislate universal free pre-K education.
and impeach labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
There’s a section on immigration which includes: DEFUND ICE, rebuild INS outside of DHS. There’s a lot more, all of it positive.
On Energy & enviro – he wants to hold all corporations accountable to protect public health, particularly data centers, mega farms, and industrial polluters. Protect private wells from microplastics. Increase incentives for solar, wind, and geothermal. Tighten regulations on fossil fuels. He wants to increase funding for local green infrastructure projects. He is picking a bone with Bonneville Power, which he says is mismanaged and not creating new sources of renewable energy. He wants to reorganize the power generation structure to increase state and local power. And he wants to impeach the whole bunch: Sect of Energy Chris Wright, EPA admin Lee Zeldin, and Sect of Interior Doug Burgum.
I’m running out of time and energy. He’s got more detailed sections on:
Housing & Transportation
Elections & Democracy
Education
Public Safety
Basic Rights
Tech & Privacy
Drug Policy
Farms & Food Security
Foreign Policy
Science, Research, & Media
I have not been able to find any campaign contribution information. As of March there were none.
If I have time I will get back to those points, but if they follow the pattern we’re seeing, this guy is great.
Devin Hermanson, D
https://www.devinhermanson.com
“Democracy belongs to us, not billionaires”
“WA-02 deserves a rep who will do more than send stern letters” He calls Rick a “Doormat Democrat.”
He’s a community organizer, with that organizer fire. “I won’t accept ANY donations. We’re going to thrive on the strength of our ideas.”
Gotta say, idealistic, but not very realistic.
- - Tax billionaires out of existence
- - Reform the Supreme Court
- - Refuse to fund Israel’s genocide against Palestine
- - Hold Trump and his whole corrupt crew accountable
- - Green New Deal
- - Medicare for All
- - Lower your costs
- - Tackle homelessness
- - Fentanyl crisis
- - Deliver high paying jobs
- - Protect the extraordinary natural resources that define this community
His mother was a single parent who died after losing her home to lenders.
He supports reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and equal rights.
Another great candidate. Not sure just how realistic he is if he’s not accepting any campaign contributions, but his ideas, philosophy, and politics certainly sound good.
Rick Larsen, D, incumbent
https://www.ricklarsen.org/
Endorsed by too many organizations to list, so I’m deleting them.
Well, Rick is Rick. He’s been in office for 26 years and is looking to be reelected to a 14th term. On the one hand, it is good to have people in Congress who have been there a long time and know the ropes. On the other hand, at some point we really do need new blood.
Rick started out as a bit of a contrarian. Years ago we experienced a major public showdown between Rick and Steve Erickson. Not sure who “won” that one, but it showed me that Rick really enjoyed tweaking people, even those with whom he agreed. I think that rough edge has been sanded down considerably with time. I’ve also seen him change what I considered unacceptable “mainstream” positions in favor of things we could support.
He supported the affordable housing bill which just passed in spite of Dear Leader. I am very ambivalent about his support for expanding broadband. He has taken a specific and laudable stand against Citizens United, the case which opened the floodgates of campaign cash. He touts 3 bipartisan bills for which he takes credit: The housing bill, one ensuring rural health care for military and tribal families, and a bill to rebuild infrastructure. He voted against ICE funding. He has worked against the tariffs. He touts his ability to bring home the bacon, in the form of $ for infrastructure repairs & updates. He opposes the Cuba blockade and threats to “take” Cuba. He introduced a bill to streamline flu research and provide vaccines to all. He joined with his House colleagues to inform the Supreme Court that Mifepristone should be universally available. He voted against the Farm Bill because it shafted farmers and cut off Food Stamps to many people. He’s in favor of free and fair elections.
Mainly what I see is that Rick is in the thick of legislating, cutting deals, and trying to get things done. I hold against him his support for Israel.
So, we’ve got a tried & true long time legislator who knows the ropes, knows (or thinks he knows) what is and is not possible, and has reshaped himself to be as successful as he can under those circumstances. And then we’ve got one non-starter and two rather interesting newcomers. I’m truly torn by those newcomers. Both of them have agendas which I support. After a great deal of thought, I’ve concluded that we are most likely better off with Rick again. I would strongly suggest to both of these newcomers that they not try to vault to the top of the ladder but rather start at lower steps – like running for city council or county commissioner. They are obviously well intentioned but completely ignorant of how to make themselves and their ideas known to voters. So, bottom line, I’ll be voting once again for Rick Larsen.
LD 10, position 1
Clyde Shavers, D, incumbent
Clyde has now served 2 terms. He is concerned about the economy. He has actually reduced property taxes for certain seniors and disabled people, along with increasing retirement benefits for teachers and public employees. He’s been involved in funding affordable housing.
He is 100% pro choice, and an environmental advocate (at least as he understands it). He’s been involved with developing affordable housing and protecting ag land from development.
He studied environmental law with NRDC, which is good. I want to see that education implemented for something other than nuclear, which is one of his hobby-horses.
For the most part, I’m sort of ok with his service. I’m still waiting for him to address issues around logging which we brought up to him when he first ran. Still waiting, Clyde.
Robert (Chili) Hicks, R
“On a mission to rescue Washington”
He’s a Navy Master Chief and a Stanwood City Councilman. He grew up in the Navy, and that outlook pretty much dominates his current agenda. His front page is very much people oriented, but does not raise any particular issues. Rather than issues, his website addresses ‘solutions.’
He claims government is bloated and there are endless regulations. His agenda is to reduce existing taxes and prevent new taxes. Of course he fails to mention just how government will be funded without those taxes.
He wants ‘accountability’ in how our taxes are spent. No argument there. I’m just wondering how he would evaluate whether a program is actually delivering results.
He insists that the state should ‘live within its means.’ Right. The question becomes, what vital programs does he propose to cut? We’ve been hearing the near-war in the legislature about how to reduce the budget without killing such things as education, emergency response, and more. And that’s it as to his agenda. He provides a lot of information about who he is and what he’s done, but not what he intends to do – other than cutting taxes and budgets.
Got it.
And it seems he gave MAGA school board candidate Gwendy Gabelein $3000 for “campaign management.” Kinda shows where his heart (and wallet) is.
Given the choice between the pretty good, not so bad incumbent and someone who seems only to want to cut funding, I’ll be voting for Clyde Shavers.
LD 10, position 2
Carrie Kennedy, R
https://carriekennedy4wa26.com
She ran for Congress against Rick Larsen in 2022. She also ran in 2020. Back then she told us she was an American Patriot, a Constitutionalist, a Republican. Back then she was praising Trump and quoting Dinesh D’Souza.
I’m a stickler for well written English, particularly spelling and grammar, and most particularly from someone who is spouting about education. This from her 2020 campaign literature fried me: “ . . . is imparitive about the ciriculium.” She supported a referendum to repeal R-90, the bill to protect gay kids. She campaigned to impeach previous governor Jay Inslee.
This time around she has avoided embarrassment by not stating an agenda. There are revealing tidbits however. She is “committed to protecting Constitutional rights and preserving the American values and way of life that make our communities and state strong.” Given that she does not define those “American values and way of life”, and given her previous MAGA slanted statements, Ms Kennedy does not inspire my confidence.
Ms Kennedy should not be considered a serious candidate.
Dave Paul, D, Incumbent
Dave is an educator. He loves to teach, to work with teachers, and to see young people reach that “aha, got it” moment. I really like that about him. I did a deep dive into Dave’s record 4 years ago (you can find that if you scroll down to 2022 in the Blog). Bottom line: he’s been doing a good job representing the interests of working people. His issues have not changed since then. They focus on health care, education, family wage jobs, environment, and supporting veterans. We could do a whole lot worse than Dave in the legislature.
Tim Hazelo, R
https://www.facebook.com/TimHazelo
In fact, here is that whole lot worse, running against Dave. Tim Hazelo has been challenging such basics as masking in the elections vote counting rooms, effectively demanding to be arrested by refusing either to mask or leave. This does not show a concern for the public health and safety. And it has left him a convicted felon.
He ran for county commissioner in 2022. Here’s a quote from his website back then:
“As your next Commissioner in Island County, I will personally help the auditor clean the voter rolls, ensure accurate counts, and fight for hand counting and in-person voting!”
Sound familiar? Heard this somewhere at the federal level recently?
He ran for Congress in 2020.
I may as well recycle what he said when he ran for commissioner: my favorite: he complained that the silent majority was going unheard.
“As your commissioner I will support our police, law and order, and especially personal property rights. We need to expand the sheriff’s presence on Camano and build a temporary holding facility there. Jails and incarceration need to remain an option for criminals to protect society and uphold law and order.” Yawohl, Herr Commissar.
He told us “We conservatives are compassionate. I’ve taken homeless people into my own home. We need to give them a hand up, train them, teach them, make them productive citizens. Housing first has failed nationally.” Not that he would have a patronizing superior attitude toward homeless people. And just by the way, Housing First has in fact been a spectacular success.
Checking his FB page, he touts “overwhelming support for IP26-645. This is the initiative to cancel the millionaire tax.
Hazelo, of course, has been convicted of election interference for his refusal to mask while in the small and crowded vote counting room. He has made this a cause celebre. He is as MAGA right wing as they come. He would be a disaster as a state rep.
Tim (and Tracy Abuhl) were found guilty of felony trespass, sentenced to probation and public service. He appealed. The matter was heard by the State Court of Appeals 5-27-26, case #881914. Hazelo & Abuhl are represented by attorneys for The Silent Majority. The facts are that they very deliberately set about creating a controversy and then defended their right to do so.
He likens rich people ‘fleeing’ WA because of “Dem tyranny during Covid” to people fleeing Germany in the 1930s. And Dave Paul is responsible for the exit of Starbucks and Google.
His current agenda:
- 1. No income tax on Washington State residents. No, there is not an income tax. There is a millionaire’s tax. I’m good with that. He’s against taxes. None of us love taxes, but we expect the many services those taxes support.
- 2. While he’s railing against taxes, he wants to ‘fix our ferries & infrastructure.’ One wonders just how we do that without tax funding. I strongly suspect that the people who do that work expect to be paid for their services.
- 3. He wants to lower housing costs by eliminating red tape and ‘overbearing government regulations.’ You know, the ones that insist a new house be properly insulated, properly wired, be connected to utilities. He says he’ll find ‘creative solutions.’
And that’s it for his current agenda. Kinda thin soup.
Bottom line: Carrie Kennedy is not a serious candidate. Tim Hazelo is a MAGA activist trying to insert his agenda into the legislature. We’ve got a very good representative in Dave Paul. We would be fools to trade him in for someone whose only plan is to bollix government as it exists. I will be voting for Dave Paul.
Assessor
Doug Stults, D
Mr Stults is an appraiser in the Island County Assessor’s office. He carries a fair number of qualifications in the field including Assessment Administration Specialist and Residential Evaluation Specialist. He cites these as demonstration of his expertise in many related fields, and his dedication to learning the whole practice. He speaks of accountability, including availability to speak with members of the public. He speaks of fairness, that all assessments be based on the same standard. And he’s got a section on ethics. He goes into detail about different parts of the job, but I’m not going to get into those weeds. I’m glad he is raising issues and defining jobs. I am very favorably impressed by his section on Ethics, Appearance, and Conflict.
At the LWV (big shout out to them) candidate forum, he pointed out that he wants to work with the office staff rather than overseeing them from afar. He wants to increase morale and bring back creativity. He wants to initiate a mentorship program to bring new appraisers up to speed. He wants the department to be able to explain to the public just what they’re doing and how they do it. He believes the Assessor’s office can do better, and he wants to do that.
I’ve asked him to respond to Kelly Mauck’s claims of protecting forests. He did indeed respond. We had a long conversation. He knew a fair amount about the various forest tax programs, but acknowledged that he did not know it all. He talked a fair bit about mapping “Critical Areas” (streams, wetlands, steep slopes, wildlife habitat areas, etc) so they could be factored into assessments. Love it! This is something we’ve been asking for. I’m not sure he realizes just how big a job we’re talking here, since an awful lot of those Critical Areas are not mapped. But it’s a great starting point. The basic premise is that if we want to protect these special places, we should not tax them as if they were developable. I love the idea of having an assessor who agrees with that concept.
Kelly Mauck, Ind
https://www.mauckforassessor.com
“Fair, accurate, accountable” (and non-partisan)
His website states his support for Forestry, Agriculture, Fair & Accurate Solutions, Senior & Disabled Exemptions, and Community First.
Given that forestry is an issue I deal with on a daily basis, I look with a bit of a jaundiced eye at Kelly’s claims. He says he has “worked to responsibly administer the Designated Forest Land program by supporting responsible forestry practices, protecting working forest lands, and ensuring the program is applied fairly and consistently.” He makes claims about maintaining heathy forests, preserving open space, and supporting environmental benefits for wildlife, water quality, and the overall character of our islands.
Methinks he doth take credit for too much.
I think Kelly has demonstrated himself to be a reasonably decent human being, but he’s been unable to provide us what should be basic information. We ended up building our own database and cleaning up a whole lot of strange stuff in the Assessor’s version. I believe they acknowledged that. No, the database is nowhere near as clean as it needs to be. I agree, a lot more work needs to be done.
Slightly aside, Kelly did post to me when he found out about my illness, and offered both support and a chance to talk. I have not been able to take him up on it. I give him credit for reaching out.
All of that said, I really like Mr Stoltz’s emphasis on ethics, an issue terribly important to me in all public officials (and private people as well). I think we could do a lot worse than to re-elect Kelly Mauck, but I’m also thinking I would like to see some new and different energy here, especially someone with a strong focus on Critical Area protection. I’ll be voting for Doug Stults.
Auditor
Barbara Fuller, D
https://ballotpedia.org/Barbara_Fuller_(Island_County_Auditor,_Washington,_candidate_2026)
I’m bothered that she does not appear to have an on line presence, but am pleased that she did in fact provide info to Ballotpedia. There’s a lot there. Her 3 key points:
- - Trusted, fair, accurate elections
- - Experienced, detail oriented public service
- - Transparent accessibility & non-partisan leadership
She wants to modernize the office, to move beyond the status quo.
She tells us that her work history and the job description fit seamlessly.
She raises the issue of continuity, given just how important Michele Reagan and Scott Works are to the elections office. Word is that Ms Reagan intends to retire at the end of the year. OMG! What are we going to do without her? Ms Fuller proposes to train current staff to step in if/when necessary. In fact, she proposes an entire program to ensure “seamless succession.” What a concept. She will also look for ways to cut costs. Good luck with that one.
One interviewer asked Ms Fuller about her thoughts on whether the position should be partisan at all. She responded that it should not be, but state law dictates that it must.
It sounds like she does indeed have the background and training to step into the position with a minimum of drama and training.
Terry Lacey, Ind
No on line presence
Well, I have searched all over, and have to conclude that Mr Lacey is a bit of a ghost. What little I have been able to find is that he is or has been a construction contractor, so knows about budgets and contracts. Ok. And he manages his local water association. Ok. He did list the various divisions of the Auditor’s office. He does say he wants to educate voters on how to vote. Why does that sound patronizing to me? He declined to be interviewed by The Record.
I’m just not ready to take Mr Lacey seriously.
Sheilah Crider, Ind
Evidently she has no on-line presence. Hmm. Either she doesn’t think she needs it or she hasn’t figured out how to make it happen. Either way, I’m a little surprised. Sheilah has been the Auditor for something like 18 years. She’s been around the block several times. For much of that time it didn’t seem to matter much who was in charge. But then things changed. Politics changed. Who was mailing ballots and counting votes became a major issue. And Sheila’s office rose to the occasion.
I have to give huge credit to Elections Supervisor Michele Reagan and Voter Registration Coordinator Scott Works. They have been doing a super job of keeping that part of the Auditor’s office functional and efficient.
Sheilah points out that the hiring process for replacements is long and complicated, and the low wage does not encourage a whole lot of candidates.
I want to give a shout out to Sheilah and the elections office crew over the invasion by Tim Hazelo and Tracy Abuhl. Sheilah did the right thing to protect her ballot counters by requiring visitors to mask. Hazelo and Abuhl decided to make a federal case of it and first refused to mask, then demanded to be arrested. Good on Sheilah, she called the sheriffs and had them arrested. As you’ll read elsewhere in this post, a decision on Tim Hazelo’s appeal to the State Court of Appeals is currently pending.
But that is just one part of the job. What I don’t know is how the other parts of the job are being handled.
- the maintenance of permanent public records,
- licensing vehicles and boats,
- managing financial services such as payroll, accounts payable, and annual financial reporting.
I have not heard or experienced any trouble with those departments, although we did go through a period when docs were unavailable because there was a software upgrade in progress. It was annoying, but we all survived.
Andrea Downs, D
https://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Downs-for-Island-County-Auditor/61579507291911/
She wants the auditor’s office to remain “grounded in the democratic process” and says local government should reflect the values of equity, integrity, and excellence.
“I’m excited to announce that I’m running for Island County Auditor. This campaign is rooted in a simple belief: public service should be grounded in integrity, transparency, and access for all. Our elections, public records, and licensing systems are foundational to community trust—and they deserve thoughtful, accountable leadership. In my public service, I’ve worked to lead with integrity, engage in difficult but necessary conversations, and ensure policies reflect fairness and inclusion. I’ve prioritized fiscal responsibility, strengthened oversight, and helped advance more equitable systems that better serve our whole community. As Auditor, I will focus on ensuring secure and accessible elections, transparent and efficient public services, and responsible stewardship of public resources. I look forward to listening, learning, and earning your support.”
She is endorsed by Clyde Shavers and former county commissioner Helen Price-Johnson.
Well, this one took a whole lot more work than I expected, but after examining the various candidates, it becomes clear that one stands out as having the background and education to step into the role relatively seamlessly. I will be voting for Barbara Fuller.
Clerk
Toni Adams, R
Her website is all about red, white, and blue, and she has a significant military background, which probably explains her logo of “Service before self.” She says she has a unique combination of military legal service and experience as a paralegal. She expects to run the clerk’s office with efficiency, integrity, and attention to detail.
Its hard to get a sense of a person from the skimpy information available. What I get about Ms Adams is that she is still intensely focused on the Navy and how things are/were done there. I think I would prefer someone with a broader background and more education.
Dierdre Butler, D
She’s worked in the Clerk’s office for 6 years as a deputy clerk and chief deputy. We may presume that she has some understanding of the department and how things work. She currently works in the Auditor’s office. I give her credit for regular references to residents of both Whidbey and Camano, and awareness that Camano get shorted regularly. When she worked in the health dept she went to Camano every week, so got to know the people and the issues. Good to remember that we are two islands. She speaks of operational excellence and compassionate leadership. She seems to have a focus on treating people kindly, with respect. She believes there is a need for more staff training. There is a major issue right now around e.filing of court documents and how that is to be done. She believes it is important for people to be able to come into the office and deal with human beings who help walk them through the process.
Maria Hazelo, R
www.mhazelo.com – but it is not an active website.
Her Voter’s pamphlet statement lists www.votemhazelo.com, but that leads to some rather interesting but irrelevant links.
She has no on line presence. I did find interviews with her. She is evidently currently employed by Island County as a court assistant in juvenile court. She seems to have a reasonable grasp of the job. She cites the high turnover rate as a problem to be addressed. She’s hardly alone in that. She agrees that there is no reason to have this be a partisan position.
I’m afraid I’m judging her by the company she keeps. Her husband chose to initiate a confrontation in the Auditor’s office, demanding to be arrested. We are currently awaiting the decision by the State Court of Appeals in his appeal of his conviction on felony charges. I find it very hard to separate Maria from Tim.
Amber Sewell, D
https://ambersewellforclerk.com
“Leadership you can count on.”
Army vet, worked 18 years in juvenile detention, earned BA, started a cleaning business. She has a “genuine passion for the court system and wants to build a long term career where she can continue to grow her knowledge and skills. She is backed by former Clerk Debra Van Pelt, who has offered to train her.
Both her website and her Voters’ Pamphlet statement seem rather general. She has somewhat of an idea of the job, but is a bit hazy on the specifics. Perhaps waiting for Ms Van Pelt to educate her as necessary.
All in all, there’s just not enough there there.
Gathering what information I’ve been able to find about these 4 candidates, the clear standout seems to be Dierdre Butler. I’ll be voting for Dierdre Butler.
Island County Commissioner, district 3
Satin Arnett, D
https://www.satinforthepeople.com/
She is a community activist focused on equity, accessibility, and community empowerment. She is chair of the WA state Dem Black Caucus. I do like her statement that “Island County is not a real estate portfolio. It’s a community.” Absolutely. Her focus seems to be keeping local people in their homes, not pushing them out for bigger/better/newer. I’m not sure to what extent that is an issue here, but if she’s raising it, maybe we do need to take a look. She is concerned (of course) about the budget, pointing out that cutting costs in one place, the budget, will increase costs elsewhere, on individuals and the public services they need no matter what the budget. She says that her job is to assure that county services actually reach the people they’re supposed to serve. Good point.
She tells us she’s a community organizer, a nonprofit leader, and an equity advocate. There’s a lot in her website and you should read it. She’s been doing a lot of good work. She’s got several position papers, which I would read if I weren’t already past deadline, but will need to look at: “A Smarter Way to Build the County Budget” and “Modernizing Short Term Rental Fees in Island County” are the ones that stick out for me.
I like what I see in Ms Arnett. I’m not sure she is quite the fit for Island County Commissioner. She is very people oriented. That is a good thing. But a commissioner needs also to focus on the land and all the other species which share these islands with us humans. I see no indication of her awareness of natural resource issues: forests, wetlands, shorelines, etc.
Grant Shaw, D
https://www.electgrantshaw.com
“Committed to responsible growth, protecting water, and practical solutions.”
He’s done an awful lot of volunteering, including as his community Well Association president, a job I would not wish on anybody. He is looking to provide “steady, solutions focused leadership.” He’s a 30 year Camano resident. “We live in a truly magical place.” Yep. Glad to see he knows that. “Our county works best when leadership listens first.” Again, agreed. He refers to the Growth Management Plan, an issue few people consider but one that is terribly important to how Island County develops. I disagree with him that our newly adopted GMA plan preserves rural character. That’s an issue we’ll have to argue about. He raises the issue of the need for a new jail. That’s going to be expensive, and its proposed locations all cause heartburn to somebody. How that is resolved will be one of his first challenges. I am very pleased with his concerns over drinking water (something to do with chairing a well association?). They’re not making any more of it, and we need a commissioner willing to take on the painful reality that some development just can’t happen if we want clean water.
A friend reported to me that she was favorably impressed that Mr Shaw helped organize a Camano Gay Pride event. Makes me think the man has some bandwidth. I am a bit concerned that all of his endorsements are from Camano people. The district covers a fair part of Whidbey and he seems a bit oblivious to that fact. Those north Whidbey people will need to be convinced that he will actually represent their interests as well as Camano’s.
Matthew Van Pelt, R
He tells us he’s for “Cooperation, Accountability, Results.” “Practical leadership that puts community before politics.”
My take: An Oak Harbor Republican with a lot of Dem connections in the family. He will pretty much automatically take the north Whidbey vote. And given that Camano is rather purple, I expect he will take a fair amount of that as well.
His 5 priorities:
- - Protect Island County healthcare – his focus is on Whidbey Health. But the county has nothing to do with that completely separate entity. Ah, I see. He wants the commissioners to lobby the state for increased funding for the hospital. Hmm.
- - Make housing attainable – this is an old saw. He claims that “non-essential” building codes are driving up housing costs. There may be value in reviewing those codes, but most of them have to do with health and safety for residents. Yes, there are codes which we believe serve only builders and developers. Maybe we need to review those.
- - Real public safety for Island County
- - Protect Island County’s tourist economy – “Tourism is the lifeblood of Island County.” And for him, that means “supporting infrastructure, public services, and community initiative that create a welcoming and enjoyable experience for visitors – while respecting the needs of residents.”
- - Retain the people who keep the county running. Yep, Island County has long had a problem holding on to employees. The single biggest reason is that it pays so much less than mainland counties. He advocates for prioritizing work-life balance, employee well being, and respect. Sounds good, but there’s no $ to pay people more.
He lives in or very near Oak Harbor. He is in fact a builder/developer, which I find very concerning. He complains that new state regs have increased the cost of developing. I’d want to know just what those regs are. I suspect it has to do with such things as increased insulation, better heating and more efficient appliances. There’s an old saying I learned long ago: You can pay for it up front, or you can pay far more for it over many years. That is true of housing in particular. If more $ is spent to do it right up front, there will be no need later to replace broken septic lines or assure that no structural parts are in contact with the ground, or having to deal with the mold that has built up for lack of a moisture barrier. Its that old “ounce of prevention.” The question becomes who has to pay for that ounce of prevention. Evidently Mr Van Pelt doesn’t think he should have to.
And at the LWV candidate event he said “I travel all over Whidbey, not so much Camano.” One had the impression that he thought of Camano as some exotic place to be visited rather than part of Island County deserving representation.
My concern is that Mr Van Pelt is the classic Oak Harbor ex-Navy construction contractor. I’ve been here long enough to remember previous commissioners who were Oak Harbor ex-Navy construction contractors. It did not go well. We’re still picking up pieces and having to clean up the mess left behind by some of those contractors. I just don’t want to have to deal with that mindset again.
Opposed to Mr Van Pelt are 2 good people who are awfully Camano focused. One, Grant Shaw, has good ideas about such basics as GMA, comp plan, and water. The other, Satin Arnett, is focused on equity and inclusion. Those are important issues, but they are somewhat aside from the job description of a county commissioner.
My concern, for both Grant Shaw and Satin Arnett, is that their focus is Camano. In fact, 1/3 of district 3 is north Whidbey. I’m beginning to understand the huge chip Camano people have on their shoulders toward Whidbeyites. They feel like the forgotten step-children of Island County. And in district 3, north Whidbey folk feel like the forgotten step-children in their district. Its one of those unfortunate pieces of political reality that districts have to have roughly equal populations, and Camano just doesn’t have that many people, so north Whidbey was made part of the district. Very different people. Very different attitudes. If you want to carry district 3, you’re going to need to campaign on north Whidbey.
It’s a real question between two good candidates. In the end, because of his environmental awareness, I will be voting for Grant Shaw.
Coroner
Shantel Porter, Ind
Well, no opposition, so no point in commenting.
Prosecutor
Greg Banks, Ind
A person has, at this late date, announced his intent to run as a write-in. Because I like Greg, and because I don’t like this kind of last minute disruption, I’m not posting the name of the write-in. If that person should reach 1% of the ballots cast in the primary, you will find their name on the general ballot.
So, yes, I’ll be voting for the man I think is doing a very good job as Prosecutor, Greg Banks.
Sheriff
Tavier Wasser, D
https://www.wasserforsheriff.com/
He was a registered R in 2024. We’ve not heard what prompted his change of heart.
In conversation, he declared himself a “Warrior Archetype.” Unclear what he means by that.
He did not support the bill to protect gender divergent youth.
He claims to have support of Dems – and judging by their donations and the lobbying phone calls I’ve been getting, he does, at least some of them. In fact, I’m getting just a bit testy about the intense pressure I’m feeling from those lobbying phone calls. Rumor has it that one or more Rs asked him to run. He received $1k from former R county Treasurer Wanda Grone & husband. He received a smaller amount from super MAGA Morgan Cooper.
The Deer Lagoon (3%) Grange endorsed Lane Campbell (a far right deputy) last time, and Tavier this time. He keeps some really strange (dare I say creepy?) company. His lobbying supporters claim he only visited the Grange twice.
He supported MAGA candidates Gwendy Gabelein, Morgan Cooper, & Stina Wenziak when they ran for office – which either shows poor judgement or a rather far right viewpoint.
At a Deer Lagoon Grange event he announced that he was a “Constitutional Sheriff.” A whole lot of more mainstream people gasped at that statement. He later claimed he did not know what that meant, and was only saying that he supported the Constitution. One Dem who lobbied me insisted that Tavier was trying to make clear that he was on good terms with the entire spectrum of the community. Well, he’s certainly on good terms with the 3% Grange folks. And when was the last time he appeared at an Indivisible event? His “entire spectrum” seems just a bit off center.
I have to conclude that Tavier is terribly tone deaf and has either been living under a rock for the last 20 years, or he really believes that Constitutional Sheriff stuff but now realizes that he can’t say it out loud. I have serious concerns about how he would respond to an ICE arrest, for instance. Would he respect Washington law and protect the victim, or would he accept MAGA/ICE and aid in the arrest?
Given his flip-flop wishy-washy language, I am not able to trust him. This is not the straightforward person we want in the position of sheriff, even if he is a nice guy.
Rick Felici, Ind
He has served 2 terms as sheriff, and from all I see, has been doing a good job. Being sheriff is not about cowboying out there chasing bad guys. Its about keeping a department functional, with all the deputies in all the different divisions doing their jobs.
His commitment: “to provide fair, professional, and unbiased law enforcement services to every member of our community.” He sees that there is unfinished business to be dealt with.
The new jail. This is a big one. It is going to cost a ton of $, and its location is currently being debated. There are 3 options. 1. put it right where the old jail is now, 2. Put it next to the Human Services Bldg in Coupeville, or 3. in Oak Harbor at the solid waste transfer site. He wants to modernize the emergency dispatch system. I gather that these get outdated every time some new tech appears, so they’re always playing catch-up. And as ever, he wants to “strengthen staffing, training, and organizational culture.” He says that with turnover the average age in the Sheriff’s department is significantly lower, and he sees himself as the elder who can bridge that generational gap to bring those younger folk up to the highest standard of training.
He’s got more certifications than I want to read, and he’s on a whole lot of boards I never even knew existed but sound important, involving things like boating safety, ICOM-911, and Firearms Background Check, among others.
Painfully, he is endorsed by everyone except the Island County Dems. That’s their choice. I think they are misguided on this one.
I’ve been dealing with Rick Felici since before he became sheriff. He is straightforward, wants what is right for all of the people, and runs a large department with not enough time or $ surprisingly well. We could do a whole lot worse that Rick Felici.
I will be voting for Rick Felici.
Treasurer
Tony Lam, Ind
Another uncontested candidate. For what its worth, he’s a nice guy, a total tech nerd who loves numbers and spreadsheets. Perfect guy for the job. Perfect job for the guy.
State Supreme Court
Given my link bloop last time around, I’m re-running this section. Makes it easier to have it all in one place.
WA State Supreme Court
Most people don’t think a whole lot about the State Supreme Court. They know, vaguely, that such an institution exists and that it probably does – something. And most of the time that’s ok.
This year that is not ok, and here’s why. There are 9 seats on the State Supreme Court, just as the federal court. But the state court has some really stringent rules: there are term limits and a mandatory retirement age at 75.
Those 2 factors have combined to put us in an unusual situation. 5 of the 9 seats on the court are on the ballot this year. As it is, we’ve got a pretty functional court making reasoned decisions. One can disagree with individual decisions, but there is generally reason and logic behind them.
And this year, who sits on the court will have a serious impact on a whole lot of issues. Remember the Millionaire Tax? That one is headed for a ballot initiative this fall, and if that doesn’t work, its off to the State Supreme Court.
There’s a man named Brian Heywood, one of those private equity billionaires who has unfortunately imposed himself on Washington. He’s got an operation called Lets Go Washington. He is rather far right, hating LGBTQ and Trans people, sponsoring initiatives to limit and harm them. We’re expecting 2 of those initiatives to appear on the November ballot, along with the anti-Millionaire Tax initiative. And just to be sure, if all else fails, he has bought himself a roster of candidates for the State Supreme Court.
The reality is that fully 1/3 of voters leave State Supreme Court positions blank because they don’t know any of those names. Another 1/3 of voters toss a dart. That leaves a mere 1/3 of the voting public who actually vote for people they recognize and whose ideas, positions, and histories they support.
That reality is dangerous and I’m out to change it. I have done a whole lot of homework to find out about the various candidates, who they are, what they’ve done, what they stand for. I want to share that information so you and all your friends, relatives, co-workers, and acquaintances will have the information to make reasoned choices for the very important positions of State Supreme Court justices.
What makes these evaluations so hard is that state law prohibits candidates from discussing anything that might come before them as judges. Which is why all we get are generalities. So I look very closely at each candidate’s history and who supports them.
I just realized that this entire entry runs nearly 4000 words. I won’t take it amiss if you skip all the discussion and just look for the names highlighted in red.
So, to the candidates:
Position 1
Colleen Melody hello@melodyforjustice.com
https://melodyforjustice.com/
https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=melody
As of 6-12-26 she has raised $175,519.81, most of it from attorneys and judges.
Her website header: “upholding the rights of Washingtonians with integrity and fairness.”
She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Ferguson 1-1-26, so is running as an incumbent. For 11 years she was the chief of the Attorney General’s civil rights division. She has led many civil rights cases against federal abuses. She has received many awards for her civil rights work. She worked through college at Casa Latina Day Workers’ Center helping immigrant workers. She interned as a public defender in King County. And evidently she is already doing good things as a Supreme Court justice, working to make access easier for people east of the mountains, among other things. The Solicitor General has issued his “strongest recommendation.” The state Republican Party wants her to recuse herself from the coming millionaire tax issue because of her previous work in the Attorney General’s office. “Melody is endorsed by (Governor) Ferguson, (Attorney General) Brown, every other sitting Supreme Court justice, former Governor Jay Inslee, other state executives, and several lawmakers.” If we went searching for someone to fill this job, Justice Melody would stand right out.
Scott Edwards info@votescottedwards.com
Votescottedwards.com
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $24,500.00.
From his website:
“upholding the rule of law”, “bring independent judgment to every case – focused on the WA constitution, the statutes, and the people we serve.”
Independence – no politics or pressure (except that he has an anti-tax agenda)
Rule of law – clear principled reasoning
Principled – respectful process, equal treatment, due process
Experience – decades of complex litigation experience & disciplined analysis
His focus is tax law, and that’s the red flag
He is a partner at Ballard Spahr, in Seattle
He teaches state and local tax law at UW
He claims to be truly non-partisan and really wants to be a judge.
He wants to “Help protect an independent judiciary” – this of course begs the question: is the current court somehow not independent?
From his law partners: “Scott helps clients minimize the tax costs of doing business.”
He argued against the capital gains tax, and lost.
He challenged Seattle’s income tax, and lost.
He is endorsed by, among others, the WA Women’s Rights for Firearm Ownership
I conclude that this is one of Heywood’s anti-tax candidates. I’m sure he does help clients minimize the tax costs of doing business. Doesn’t sound particularly neutral to me.
Laura Christensen Colberg info@laura4position1.com
As of 6-12-26 she has raised $12,355.70, most of it coming from herself and people with the same last name.
She has spent 30 years in family law and claims that no current judge has that background
She commits to the text of the Constitution, not to any ideology
She’s a Jesus Christian, but not too obvious about it. I do wonder how that colors her ideas about family law and other cases.
She sounds like a decent human being, but a bit narrow in focus.
This does not sound like a serious candidate.
Anne Melani Bremner no obvious contact info, had to go to Wikipedia
She’s a TV commentator and sexual abuse attorney
She describes her younger self as “a liberal, an idealist, and a Democrat,” who opposed capital punishment. Her ideas have moderated since then. She does not tell us in what direction they have moderated.
She worked at Stafford, Frey, Cooper in Seattle
It seems she’s been representing cops vs ACLU, which is not a recommendation in my book
She seems awfully pro-cop and pro-publicity. Not sure she’s got the gravitas for this job.
Given the options, and given the fact that we have an incumbent who, by all accounts is doing a very good job, I will be voting for Colleen Melody.
Position 3
Jaime Michelle Hawk info@judgehawk.com
As of 6-12-26 she had raised $152,020.96, including from several elected officials.
She’s a former public defender and ACLU attorney, currently a King Co superior court judge.
She serves on the State Supreme Court’s minority & justice commission
She’s running in reaction to federal abuse of the courts
She is endorsed by a whole lot of judges, politicians, and labor unions
She sounds competent and reasonable.
She is endorsed by retired justices Mary Yu and Helen Whitener, and Governor Bob Ferguson. She is supported by labor and Dems, Pramila Jayapal, state treasurer Patty Kuderer, about ½ the legislature, and a whole lot of other people, including many judges. Her focus appears to be on keeping a female majority on the court.
She sounds like a reasonable candidate. She certainly has a lot of good people behind her.
But then she decided to bad-mouth her opponent, Mike Diaz. I don’t like bad-mouthing.
Mike Diaz info@diazforjustice
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $212,512.86, a lot of it from attorneys, some judges, and a lot of family.
He was appointed by then-governor Jay Inslee in 2022 to the State Court of Appeals. He’s a former King Co Superior Court judge and DOJ assistant US attorney. He founded the US attorney’s office civil rights program. He has received many high awards. He teaches civil rights and constitutional law at Seattle U. He sits on many prestigious and useful boards, including chair of the Interpreter Commission. He does lots of Spanish language pro-bono work. He was brought to US from Peru as an infant.
He is endorsed by a whole slew of politicians, judges, and activists, among others.
He was nominated to the federal bench by Obama and stymied by Senator Mitch McConnell.
His agenda: “protecting workers’ rights, holding corporations accountable, keeping the public safe.” He has worked to expand access to justice, promote fairness, accountability, and public trust. He sits on the Commission on judicial conduct – to ensure ethical conduct by judges.
He advocates for juvenile justice, defends service members’ rights, workers, and fair pay.
He is endorsed by former governors Jay Inslee, Gary Locke, and Christine Gregoire, Attorney General Nick Brown, retired Supreme Court justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis , current Supreme Court justice Sheryl Gordon-McCloud, former Seattle PD chief Kathy O’Toole, activist Fe Lopez Gaetke, 9 former Supreme Court justices, 26 appeals judges, 100+ superior court and other judges. Seems like pretty much everybody supports judge Diaz.
There’s a really friendly feel to his on line presence which appeals to me.
David Stevens davidforjustice@yahoo.com https://www.judgestevensforwa.com/
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $23,716.65
He has received the maximum donation by the Council of Police Political Support, the WA Council of Police & Sheriffs, along with donations by Mason County Republican Women’s Club and Mason County Republicans. Almost no attorneys, and no judges have donated.
Judge Stevens is a Mason County Superior Court judge who quotes his heroes, Supreme Court justices Scalia and Alito. He says he would emulate justice Clarence Thomas. He tells us he is “proud to be endorsed by Richard Sanders”, the libertarian former state Supreme Court justice who regularly bollixed the court’s works. He is endorsed by WA Women’s Rights for Firearm Ownership, Mason County Republican Women, and WA Republicans. He claims “the current court is made up of activist judges.” His “hot potato” issues: law enforcement leadership standards and the Millionaire tax. He claims the court has a history of never saying no.
Of the 3 candidates, its obvious to see which is the Heywood sponsored one. David Stevens is up front in saying he opposes the millionaire tax. That in itself is disqualifying, since judges are not allowed to express an opinion on issues likely to come before them. Ms Jamie Hawk sounds interesting, and if it were between her and Stevens, I would vote for her. But we have Mike Diaz on the ballot. He is head and shoulders above the other candidates.
This is where it gets a bit ugly. Ms Hawk has accused Mr Diaz of misrepresenting his record. She has gone to some lengths to detail what she claims is his wrongdoing. So I contacted the Diaz campaign. They responded with lightening speed and posted a number of relevant documents. I waded through them, compared them with Ms Hawk’s accusations, and conclude that she is wrong. I very much do not like smear campaigns and I hold this heavily against Ms Hawk.
I will be voting for Mike Diaz.
Position 5
Theo Angelis info@justiceangelis.com
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $210,642.03. A lot of small donations and a fair collection from attorneys and judges.
He is a newly appointed incumbent as of 4-4-26, when he was appointed by Governor Ferguson. He is considered good by court watchers. He has a history as an appellate and intellectual property litigator. He has many credits, including “author & editor of leading treatise on WA law.” He worked for K&L Gates for 26 years. He’s done a massive amount of pro-bono work. He believes all lawyers have a duty to poor & underserved people. He has represented children denied counsel, vets wrongfully detained, refugee small business owners, and homeless people, among others. He co-authored a white paper, the founding document of the World Justice Project. He edited the WA Lawyers Practice Manual. He’s on a ton of committees, foundations, & associations, all of them good. Too many to list, but also fought for the rights of Christians in Turkey, his mother’s home country.
He’s got the usual very long list of endorsements, from a lot of people I respect.
Governor Ferguson: “colleagues praise his legal expertise, humility, and integrity.”
Judge Angelis: “When I chose the law as my calling I promised myself that I would always focus on how to use the law to help those in need.”
“I pledge to you, as a justice, I will be prepared and thoughtful,” Angelis said. “I will approach each case with passion and dedication. I will care deeply, always, about how every decision impacts people in Washington, and I will respect everyone who appears before this court.”
His father is Greek. His mother is Turkish.
Sharonda Amamilo electsharondaamamilo@gmail.com
As of 6-12-26 she has raised $24,000.55. Surprisingly, a significant donation from retired justice Mary Yu – who also donated to other candidates and has cross-endorsed. Is something happening with Justice Yu?
As a Thurston County Superior Court judge, Ms Amamilo presides over child welfare cases. She is the first person of color on that court. She advocates for “fairness, accountability, and compassion, particularly in cases involving children and families.” She was in the Army for 25 years. It is unclear if she is still in the US Army Reserve. She achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer, She’s an American Legion member. She grew up in the rural south. One has the distinct impression that she overcame a lot of adversity to reach her present position.
Dave Larson campaign@larsonforjustice
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $180,148.74
Donors include Gig Harbor Republican Club, “anonymous contributions”, Brandi Kruse (right wing podcaster), Richard Sanders (libertarian former Supreme Court justice), a fair number of investors, money managers, and developers – and a very large number of retired people. Almost no attorneys or judges. “Recommended” by WA Republicans.
Mr Larson is an anti-tax retired municipal judge who touts “41 years of experience”. This raises an issue with the mandatory retirement at age 75. Given his age (he was born in 1957) if elected he would take office at age 70 – and have to retire in 5 years, before the end of his 6 year term.
His watchwords are “Trust, neutrality, objectivity and independence.”
He created “How Freedom Works”, a program which he presents in schools around the state. He is big in Federal Way Kiwanis.
He is the former commander of McChord AFB Composite Squadron, also Civil Air Patrol.
His web page does not show endorsements. I had to search for those. I found he is endorsed by WA State Republicans, who support “diversity of thought” and by the WA Women’s Rights for Firearm Ownership.
In 2024 he was endorsed by WA Council of Police & Sheriffs
The Everett Post reports that he is “coming out of retirement again.” He is a perennial candidate – he ran in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
He believes “the court needs additional perspectives.”
He was a civil trial attorney for 23 years, with a focus on addiction & mental illness
Well, another one of Heywood’s anti-tax candidates. He actually came painfully close to winning in 2024.
Greg Miller millerforjustice@gmail.com
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $7920.11 and has spent all of $104.60. His donations come from 2 attorneys and a corporate CEO.
He has very little on line presence. I had to find him via Ballotpedia, which is very non-specific
He works with/for Czrney, Badley, Spellman, where his focus is health law, representing doctors in contract & medical practice issues. He has worked in administrative, civil & appellate procedure, statutory construction, commercial, contract, constitutional, criminal, medical malpractice, probate, and family law.
This appears to be a competent attorney, well intentioned, who might even make a good justice. He just doesn’t seem to understand how one runs for office. He has not raised any significant funds, solicited endorsements, built an on line presence, or made his platform known.
So, we’ve got recently appointed incumbent Theo Angelis, with piles of law credits. We’ve got Sharonda Amamilo, who seems like a solid, if slightly militarily leaning, judge. Not sure she’s quite ready for prime time. And we’ve got perennial candidate and Brian Heywood guy who says up front that he hates the millionaire tax, Dave Larson, and Greg Miller, who seems to have wandered in out of the ozone. No problem here. I will be voting for Theo Angelis.
Position 7
Debra L Stephens debra@debrastephenslaw.com
https://justicestephens.com/
https://ballotpedia.org/Debra_Stephens
As of 6-12-26 she has raised $44,963.38. Almost all of her donors are attorneys.
She seems to be running a very low key campaign. Not sure if that is because her challengers are so unimpressive or if she is a bit overconfident. Not sure this is the best approach.
She is the incumbent Chief justice. She’s been on the court since 2008, currently serving her 2nd term as chief justice. It appears that Chief Justice terms are for 1 year each.
She grew up in Spokane and took her law degree at Gonzaga University. She then taught constitutional law, community property, and appellate advocacy. She has appeared before the State Supreme Court more than 125 times and has also practiced before the US 9th Circuit and the Supreme Court. She’s also worked internationally, back when we had USAID, to train judges on judicial independence. She’s received a number of awards for her work. She volunteers for several youth services, food security, health care, and civic engagement organizations.
I like the “National Judicial College, Dividing the Waters program”, which supports judicial education on science & water law. She wrote the opinion upholding the Capital Gains tax. She is strongly supported by Washington Education Association, which the Everett Post denigrates as “advancing trans and LGBTQ inclusive agendas.” I’m good with that.
Her principles:
Protecting access to justice (she earned an award for this one)
Defending judicial independence (keeping them free from political pressure)
Bring eastern Washington’s voice to the bench (she’s from Spokane and retains strong ties)
Advancing judicial and civic education (leading in science and water law education programs)
Investing in the next generation (works with community groups and schools to teach law to young people)
There’s a rap supporting each of these headings and I find all of them good and useful. Also, I think I am seeing Justice Stevens adhering to the requirement not to express opinions on issues which might arise before the court.
There’s so much more to say about Justice Stevens, but there’s only so much room. She is very good at what she does and she’s been doing it well for nearly 20 years.
Todd Bloom electtodbloom@gmail.com
As of 6-12-26 he has raised $2786.85, all of it his own money.
He ran for state Supreme Court in 2024 – and lost. When he ran in 2024 he refused to answer any personal/biographical questions. His MA comes from the military. His “master of Laws” from UW is specialized in taxation. He was in the Navy reserve 1997 – 2002, active duty 2002-2013. He has worked as a senior manager in mega accounting firms. He’s had 20 years’ experience in financial planning and tax services.
He ran for US Representative in 2016 and 2022 in WA 06 (the Olympic peninsula), as a Republican and lost both times. He’s a member of the Louisiana bar. Hmm. He is endorsed by WA Women’s Rights for Firearm Ownership
Karim A Merchant karim@win4wa.com
He declared his candidacy on 5-8-26 and has raised precisely $0.00.
He’s a King County defense attorney with a single attorney law office, working in criminal defense. He has over 17 years’ courtroom experience. His Facebook page features a demonstrator holding a sign “Dude, where’s my $30 tabs?” That would be a reference to a Tim Eyman (right wing initiative operative) and his campaign to cut back on auto registration fees. Eyman actually won that one, and the state lost a huge revenue source. There’s a comment on his Facebook page by another attorney: “hey man, just saying you may want to avoid making overt comments on how you would decide a case. It could run you afoul of the Judicial Conduct Commission. They do look directly at conduct during campaigns.” He responded “opinions on past supreme court opinions are fair game. I make no future promises.” It seems the Supreme Court failed him by not deciding in his favor on the issue.
There’s a long, rambling, poorly edited piece on his #1 Supreme Court justice, Tom Chambers. “A sensible guy. Sad to see his name on the McCleary decision” That was the decision requiring the state to fund schools adequately. He finds McCleary an example of judicial activism. I’m bothered by his poor use of language and failure to self-edit.
He expresses a wish for lower taxes. And he tells us honestly: “I’m such a rookie at this campaigning thing.”
He supports “Win Back Washington, “ a Republican campaign to take political power, which did not get off the ground.
He appears to be against the millionaire tax on procedural grounds. He cites an “excellent breakdown by Rob McKenna,” former Secretary of State and a well known Republican activist.
David R Shelvey david@davidshelvey.com
He has raised $0. Makes me wonder just how serious he is.
He ran for state Supreme Court, position 2 in 2024.
He either works for the Cowlitz Law Group and the Birch Bay Law Group as an attorney and tax accountant or he is a solo practitioner at Rockcraft PLLC. His on-line presence leaves a fair amount to be desired. His focus appears to be family law and tax law. He also has an MBA. On the side he appears to represent musicians and will gladly sell you a Rockcraft T shirt.
Its hard to take this candidate seriously.
Given the dross being offered, the choice is very easy. I will be voting for Debra Stephens.
