One more round of Marianne’s Politiblog. I had intended to put the USPS warning at the very top, but got side-tracked by wanting you all to know about the upcoming candidate events. You’ll see my USPS warning below.
Candidate Events
If you want to see and hear the candidates themselves, here are some events which hopefully will shed more light on those candidates and their positions. We owe a big thank you to the League of Women Voters and the Clinton Community Forum for organizing these events. And Indivisible Whidbey has just put out notice of their candidate info spreadsheet. That is not available yet, but coming soon. Check out info@indivisiblewhidbey.org for updates.
October 10, 2026 10:00 – 11:30 am @ Sunshine Drip, Coupeville
Sheriff, Commissioner, Auditor, Clerk, Assessor, and Prosecutor candidates will be available
October 12, 2026 6:00 pm Camano Chamber of Commerce @ Camano Center
606 Arrowhead Road
Candidate Forum, Commissioner & Sheriff
October 13. 2026 6:30 pm Clinton Community Hall in person
They expect to interview:
LD 10 state rep, position 2
County commissioner
County clerk
October 15, 2026 6:00 pm League of Women Voters, on line
They will post a link on their “forums page” https://whidbeyislandwa.lwv.org/forums a few days before the event.
They expect to interview:
LD 10 state reps
County commissioner
Prosecutor
October 19, 2026 6:30 pm Clinton Community Hall in person
They expect to interview:
Auditor
Assessor
Sheriff
Prosecutor
October 22, 2026 6:00 pm League of Women Voters, on line
They will post a link on their “forums page” https://whidbeyislandwa.lwv.org/forums a few days before the event.
They expect to interview:
Assessor
Auditor
County clerk
Sheriff
I’ve been working for weeks on the blog, with all the computer problems that involves. Getting to Langley’s and the Port District’s requests for tax increases and finding myself angry and stressed at yet more demands on our diminishing income. I’m seeing the far broader situation as most of the people in the world are faced with increased prices and reduced income. Literally millions of people have been displaced by wild climate change induced weather and stupid insane wars. Not only is our climate heating up, but human stress levels are heating up. We’re all finding ourselves more tense, more easily upset, less easygoing or generous. I see clearly who/what has caused this situation. The question of course is how we cure it. The best I can come up with right now is to VOTE. Make what changes we can in government to try to lower that psychological temperature – and incidentally take back our democracy.
USPS Warning
Folks, you and your ballot need to avoid the USPS. I’ve read the stories and the lawsuits, and the bottom line is that the USPS is doing everything in its power to prevent your ballot from being returned to the elections office in time to be counted. In the August primary a full 20,000 Island County ballots were tossed because they arrived too late or were date stamped too late. Them’s a lot of ballots. And please don’t put your ballot in a drop box in Skagit or Snohomish county. It seems those counties collect them, put them in a box – and then mail that box back to Island County. In August USPS held onto those ballots until it was too late to count them. As for who’s in charge and what all those union USPS employees are doing, that’s not my charge right now. My concern is making sure 1) that you vote and 2) that your vote gets returned and counted.
People have expressed concern that they may not even receive a ballot. True. Good thing the Secretary of State and Island County Elections have got you covered. Took some doing, but I have finally found the link for downloading a ballot. https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Search?searchPhrase=download%20ballot&pageNumber=1&perPage=10&departmentId=-1
This is a Q&A page. One of the questions is “how can I get a replacement ballot?” It then offers a website: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/faq.aspx?qid=215. It follows with:
Once you are logged in, click on the “online Ballot” link under the “My Ballot” header and follow the prompt to print your ballot and mailing package.” Whew. Hassle, but doable. I don’t want to check it out myself because if/when you do, it automatically invalidates any hard copy ballot you return. Contrary to what we hear, only 1 ballot per voter will be counted.
Conditions at the federal level get worse by the day. We are incredibly lucky (and smart) to have the people in authority at the state level that we do. Governor Ferguson, Attorney General Brown, and Secretary of State Hobbs are doing some serious heavy lifting to keep Washington’s elections clean, honest, and fair.
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.
How to Vote
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 October 26. If all else fails, you can register in person at:
Island County Elections Office,
400 Main Street, Coupeville,
up to 8:00 pm on November 3, election day.
Ballots should arrive on or about October 16. Look for your ballot, and if you haven’t seen one by about October 20, 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 at 360-240-5590, Elections@islandcountywa.gov
So, to make your vote count –
Drop your ballot in one of the official county ballot drop boxes before 8:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3
.
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
My Take on Issues and Candidates
Looks like my disclaimer has disappeared, so here it is again: Far be it from me to tell you how to vote. I’m merely providing you with the conclusions of my research and telling you how I expect to vote. How you vote is very much up to you.
And finally, to the actual ballot. Items below are in the order in which you should find them on your ballot. First, initiatives.
IP26-645 (IP = Initiative to the People)
“Initiative Measure No IP26-645 concerns state and local taxes. This measure would repeal a 9.9% tax on annual individual income over $1,000,000; prohibit taxes measured by individual income and taxes on individual income or the receipt of individual income and define “income.” This measure would decrease funding for public k-12 education, higher education (including universities and community colleges), and human services (primarily healthcare).
Should this measure be enacted into law?
Yes
No
Remember my rap ahead of the primaries about Mr Brian Heywood? Well, this is his bought and paid for (word is he paid up to $5.00/signature) initiative to repeal the millionaire tax. Brian doesn’t like paying taxes. He thinks billionaires should be exempt. The fact is that Washington is bleeding resources in all directions because we have no personal income tax. Thank the state Constitution (and the people who wrote that clause). Its got to come from somewhere if we want those basics like functional schools and public services. And of course Heywood and his fellow billionaires are the ones who pay the least into the system which benefits them the most. Great gig if you can get it. The legislature agonized over this issue and finally passed it. And now Heywood wants to reverse/delete their work. I firmly believe the rich need to pay their fair share. This tax is only a small part of their fair share. Remember, this is an attempt to reverse/negate that millionaire tax. I will be voting a resounding NO.
IL26-001 (IL= Initiative to the Legislature)
Initiative measure #IL26-001 concerns parental rights relating to their children in public school.
This measure would repeal amendments to a statute listing certain rights of parents and guardians of public school children and re-enact the law as it was originally enacted by initiative to the legislature 2081.
Should this measure be enacted into law?
Yes
No
https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Parental_Right_to_Review_Education_Materials,_Receive_Notifications,_and_Opt_Out_of_Sexual_Health_Education_Initiative_(2026)
Here we go again. And who should be in the forefront? Why the very same Brian Heywood, with his Lets Go Washington PAC. He and his initiative are opposed by the WA State PTA and ACLU of Washington, among many others.
This is a re-run of an initiative that pops up every other year or so. One part of it is reasonable – notifying parents if/when a child is provided medical services at school. But then there’s the part that repeals the right of children to learn in an environment where discrimination is prohibited. So, proponents support discrimination against “protected class” people. You know: people of color, people with disabilities, gender divergent people. And it would repeal the right to file a complaint about harassment, intimidation, or bullying. And it would repeal the right to an annual public notice about a school’s language access policies.
Another reasonable part would restore the right of parents to review their child’s school records, textbooks, curriculum, and supplemental materials. I think those rights actually already exist. It would require notice to parents within 48 hours of allegations of sexual misconduct by a school employee.
And finally, schools would not be required to release health care or social work records to parents who are under investigation for abuse. Really?
Quite the mixed bag. A few good points buried by some seriously bad ones. So who does not love this initiative?
No Hate in WA State is leading the campaign
Rep Pramila Jayapal has signed on
Dem party of WA
ACLU of WA
Fuse WA
Gender Justice League
NW Progressive Institute
Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates of WA
Pro-Choice WA
Queer Community Network
WA Youth Alliance Action Fund
This is effectively an anti-LGBTQ initiative intended to keep kids in closets. Heywood and his buddies have now spent $8 mil on this. Those defending LGBTQ rights have raised about $2 mil. You have to wonder why it is so important to the Heywoods out there that gay kids not be allowed just to live their lives. I am offended by this initiative and will be voting NO.
Initiative Measure No IL26-638
This measure would prohibit students it defines as “biologically male” from competing in certain school athletic activities intended for female students only. It would require verification of biological sex by students’ healthcare providers.
Should this measure be enacted into law?
Yes
No
https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Sex_Verification_Requirements_for_Female_School_Sports_Initiative_(2026)
IL26-638 concerns participation in athletics at K-12 schools.
Well, this one at least is open. I strongly suspect that if this passes girls’ sports will be greatly diminished. Have to prove you’re female? “Line up, girls. Pull those pants down. Gotta check your parts.” Are they crazy? Talk about sexual abuse. I am so deeply offended I don’t even know where to start.
And what a surprise to discover that this is yet another Brian Heywood special. He really does seem to hate kids.
Check out the Ballotpedia discussion. I just can’t even go further with this. Just leave the kids alone. Don’t turn playing ball into a sexual encounter. I will be voting a resounding NO.
Board of Island County Commissioners advisory vote regarding the use of consumer fireworks in unincorporated Island County.
The Island County Board of Commissioners adopted Resolution No C-62-25 calling for an advisory election to determine whether the people residing in unincorporated Island County support a ban on the use of consumer fireworks within unincorporated Island County.
Should the Island County Board of Commissioners amend Island County Code Chapter 9.08A – Fireworks to end the use of consumer fireworks in unincorporated Island County?
Yes
No
Well, if you’ve been reading the news for the last year or two you know that Island County has been in a drought and that there have been serious burn bans each year. And we’ve had catastrophic fireworks “incidents” each year. Last year it involved an entire house exploding and one person dead. This year it was a house exploding near Lagoon Point and thankfully no deaths – just a number of very unhappy neighbors whose homes have been severely damaged. And there has been the odd grassfire here and there. We are now learning (yeah, I know, its far from Island County) that the massive Chelan fires were caused by yahoos shooting fireworks into the forest. Guess what? Dry trees catch fire and burn. They do that on Whidbey as well as around Chelan. Yeah, the bright lights are pretty. And that’s why we have professional displays, preferably on/over the water. Not everyone has to have their own backyard fireworks party. Passing this measure will save Island County (and that’s your tax $ and mine) a whole lot of time, energy, and $, and potentially lives. For all I know it may even reduce your home insurance premium. I will be voting a supportive YES.
Congressional District 2, US Representative
Rick Larsen, D, incumbent
He’s endorsed by just about every progressive group, human rights group, union, you name it.
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. In this case I don’t thing we’re to that point yet.
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 anonymous 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 held against him his support for Israel – and now he’s changed his tune. He sees the genocide and sees that we US taxpayers are supporting that financially. He has withdrawn his support and now opposes sending $ or weapons to Israel. Yay Rick!
Edwin 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. Which tells me he’s not looking very carefully. 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 recently 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. In a way he’s right. If Dear Leader would govern – as in bomb other countries – less, maybe the price of gas wouldn’t be through the roof. I don’t think that is what Mr Feller had in mind.
He espouses “5 Pillars for Washington’s Future”
- 1. Public Safety – in which he worries about terrorist cartels and wants to end sanctuary policies.
- 2. Energy Sovereignty – he really likes that word. He wants to dismantle “radical” environmental mandates, streamline permitting for nuclear & hydro, and repeal federal carbon taxes.
- 3. Protect women’s sports – this is his anti-trans “biological integrity in athletics.”
- 4. 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. So either he started work when he was 10 years old or he is well into his 70s and maybe 80 years old. Given that several Senators are now out of the picture because of age & health issues, his age alone seems a problem.
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. On the other side, we’ve got a classic near-MAGA right winger who hates gays, Trans, and foreigners. Sorry, not my cup of political tea.
I’ll be voting once again for Rick Larsen.
State Representative, 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 (Natural Resources Defense Council), which is good. I want to see that education implemented for something other than nuclear, which is one of his hobby-horses. He has become downright aggressive about the cost of living, working to reduce those costs where he can. Good on him.
For the most part, I’m 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, such as the sales tax, the “death tax”, 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 talks about “public review of every major budget, independent audits to expose waste, and performance based funding.” I’m wondering, with taxes cut, just who is going to pay for those reviews and audits.
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, affordable housing, health care, and more. He doesn’t mention any of those. In fact, 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.
He gave MAGA South Whidbey school board candidate Gwendy Gabelein $3000 for “campaign management.” Kinda shows where his heart (and wallet) is. And re-reading his website I see why. He is all in favor of those anti-gay, anti-trans Heywood initiatives. That alone is enough to put me completely off.
Given the choice between the reasonably decent, working for us incumbent and someone who seems only to want to cut funding and hurt gay kids, I’ll be voting for Clyde Shavers.
State Representative, LD 10, position 2
Dave Paul, D, incumbent
https://votedavepaul.com
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).
He has been writing and passing bills to reduce costs of meds and other health care. Bottom line: he’s been doing a good job representing the interests of working people. His issues have not changed since he was first elected. They focus on health care, education, family wage jobs, environment, and supporting veterans.
I’m a bit put off by his repeated statements that he is bi-partisan. Actually, I sort of understand. Neither party can really represent all the people and issues we’re dealing with. And since there is no third party option, Dave calls himself bi-partisan. I call myself ‘none of the above.’ This speaks to a need for a multi-party system, but that’s a whole other issue for another day.
It gets kind of amusing that every issue, he’s definitely on the right side, but he is able to bring all of them back to education. Got a law enforcement problem? Improve and increase training academies. So what else would you expect from a dedicated educator?
We could do a whole lot worse than Dave in the legislature.
Tim Hazelo, R
https://www.votehazelo.com/meet-tim
https://www.facebook.com/TimHazelo
And here’s that whole lot worse.
Checking his FB page, he touts “overwhelming support for IP26-645. This is the Heywood 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 Foundation. I just checked their website and now I feel like I need a shower. The facts are that Hazelo & Abuhl 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. I take great personal offense at this comparison as my family was part of those who fled in the 1930s. And he claims that Dave Paul is responsible for the exit of Starbucks and Google. Huh?
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 cites Dem Governor Gregoire, who governed 2005-2013, who evidently said the state had a spending problem. 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, have access to clean water, be connected to utilities. He says he’ll find ‘creative solutions.’
And that’s it for his current agenda. Kinda thin soup.
He doesn’t mention these things on his website, but his facebook page shows that he supports all 3 Heywood initiatives. Obviously he hates the millionaire tax, but he also appears to hate gay and trans kids. And no surprise, his Summer Freedom Fest requires an RSVP to Heywood’s “Lets Go Washington”. Ok, not that we didn’t know before, but this sort of ices that cake.
Bottom line: Tim Hazelo is a MAGA activist trying to insert his agenda into the legislature. We all see just how well that is working at the federal level. 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.
Island County Offices
Island County 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 just checked his website again, and he now has a detailed program on how to deal with the very large oops reported in August. I like redundancy in the review process. He’s also got a whole long page on the newly expanded senior exemption program. I may just qualify.
I am very favorably impressed by his section on Ethics, Appearance, and Conflict.
At the LWV (big shout out to them) candidate forum in July, 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 Todd Mauck, no party preference, incumbent
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. On the other hand, the state regulations are not exactly forest friendly. At least he is no longer demanding people log their land to retain their beneficial tax status. That's an improvement.
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.
More recently Mr Mauck has contacted me to complain about my calling him a “reasonably decent human being.” I explained to him that in my culture that is actually a form of praise. And he wanted to talk to me about forest issues. Fair enough. Wish I had the band width to take him up on his offer.
All of that said, I really like Mr Stults’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.
Island County Auditor
Sheilah Crider, Independent, incumbent
I just checked again, and she still 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. Note that this is one of the 3 criteria I ask of all candidates. 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 in 2024. 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, boats, and marriages
- 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.
Barbara Fuller, D
https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraFullerforIslandCountyAuditor/
She’s been in Island County since retiring from law enforcement in California after an injury. We spoke before the primary and I leaned on her to have at least some on-line presence. I like to think I had some effect on her. She now has a Facebook page (see link above) which provides good information and her basic philosophy. She meets my 3 criteria. Her writing is clear and coherent. She lays out the job description, and she now has an on-line presence. That’s more than I can say for long-time Auditor Sheilah Crider. She lays out the different divisions of the job: elections, accounting, licensing, and recording of documents. And now I see in the Voter’s Pamphlet that she has in fact taught these very subjects at the college level.
Island County has had the very good fortune to have Michele Reagan and Scott Works running the elections part of the office. That leaves those other functions: accounting, licensing, and recording. There have been some problems with the accounting, with state auditors not happy with results. As far as I know licensing has worked pretty well.
Barbara raises an issue with recording. I became aware of that issue earlier this year when several people filed legal claims to large pieces of south Whidbey. I read the claims, talked with various people about it, and the prosecutor looked into it. But the issue remains. It is possible for just about anybody to create and record a document which claims that they own your property. Barbara has done some research on how to deal with this issue and cites several other counties which have come up with safety measures. She proposes that Island County research and consider such safety measures. I appreciate that she took the issue seriously and did the research.
Altogether, I find someone who dives deep, seeks and finds relevant information, and has plans for using that information to improve the office. By contrast, Sheilah is pretty much coasting on her long years in the position. I think its time for new blood. I’ll be voting for Barbara Fuller.
Island County Clerk
Dierdre Butler, D
Her talking points are: operational excellence, fiscal responsibility, and compassionate leadership. 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 gets 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. Amen to that. Been there, done that. Could have used some help.
Maria Hazelo, R
https://www.facebook.com/people/Maria-L-Hazelo-for-Island-County-Clerk/61591767063198/
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.
And now I see why. Her Facebook page features her recommendations for State Supreme Court justices – and every single one of them is one of Brian Heywood’s anti-tax, anti-gay candidates. And she urges people to vote “YES” on all 3 of Heywood’s initiatives, the ones I oppose.
She promises to modernize court record systems, reduce wait times, improve public access and carefully guard confidentiality. Good as far as it goes, but the baggage she carries as shown in her FB page puts me completely off.
Even if she were not as well qualified as she is, I would still vote for Dierdre Butler over a dyed in the wool MAGA Maria Hazelo. I will be voting for Dierdre Butler.
Island County Commissioner, District 3
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.
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. He keeps referring to Island County Hospital. I don’t know what it is he’s wanting to protect, but the only hospital of which I am aware is Whidbey Health. Maybe a little more homework & fact checking?
- • - 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 do need to review those. But that is only one small part of the affordable housing problem. I’ve written about the many other avenues for providing and maintaining affordable housing. He does not address any of those.
- • - Real public safety for Island County
- o He worries about the shortage of sheriff’s deputies and how to increase their numbers. And, of course, how to finance any increase in numbers.
- • - 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.
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 told me about the massive spreadsheet he’d been given by a consultant, into which he entered every single nut, bolt, pipe, fitting, connection, and other part, complete with date of purchase, date of installation, price, expected replacement date, and much more. The point here is that he was comfortable with that vast collection of information and able to draw reasonable conclusions from it. I’d say his water association is in good hands.
He also talked about having reviewed the county’s budget. I’ve looked at the pages and pages of spreadsheet and it could be in Chinese for all I can gather from it. I am very favorably impressed by someone who can draw reasonable conclusions from that.
I asked him to tell me about the job description and did not get quite the thorough answer I was looking for. He talked about responsibility to all the residents of Island County while I was looking for a list of committees and departments. Still, given the detail orientation I heard in our conversation, I think he’s got it.
He readily admitted that he was not particularly familiar with Whidbey, and that when people referred to a particular location, it did not bring up an image or a back story. But he also said that he hoped to be able to learn from the many people he was meeting here, so that when someone says “Ledgewood Beach” he will know they’re talking about an area that was an early victim of sea level rise and climate change. A characteristic I found in Mr Shaw was the expert’s open willingness to say “I don’t know. Let’s find out.” We find that amateurs or half-baked pros can’t bring themselves to say “I don’t know.”
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. We talked about that, and he agreed the issue needed to be addressed. Again, he was open to new information. 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.
I will say that in conversation he said a number of times that he was not an environmentalist, but that he understood the basics: we take care of our environment, it will take care of us.
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. Our long conversation convinced me on that point.
In the end, because he’s a genuine decent human being, has a vast grasp on details and is willing to dive in to learn more, and because of his environmental awareness, I will be voting for Grant Shaw.
Island County Coroner
Shantel Porter, independent, incumbent
Well, no opposition, so no point in commenting. I haven’t heard a single complaint from any of her clients.
Island County Prosecutor
Greg Banks, no party preference, incumbent
https://www.reelectgregbanks.org/
I’ve been watching Greg do the work of Island County Prosecutor for all these years. Before he was prosecutor he was our personal attorney – against Island County. He served us well, charged us far less than his work was worth, and helped us keep our property. Once he became prosecutor, we had “that conversation” in which he told us that his responsibility was now to Island County and that he would have to defend the county against our many lawsuits. And he did just that. But he also recognized when the county was going to lose big time and convinced the commissioners to cut their losses.
I have seen him battle it out with Commissioner Jill Johnson, who did not like his legal reasoning so tried to hire an outside attorney in one case. Greg was having none of it and ended up winning, with a higher court telling Jill she could not simply hire an outside attorney.
I am proud to see that Greg does not shy away from the painful truth of the prostitution of lawyering at the federal level. He sticks to the rock bottom principles and refuses to grant any leeway to those who do not.
Along the way he’s earned a great deal of recognition and credit for his work in training other attorneys. The one and only case we actually settled with Island County was done under Greg’s oversight of an assistant attorney who actually worked with us to achieve that settlement. That is a good prosecutor’s office.
Andrew F Scott, D
https://scottforprosecutor.org/
Mr Scott jumped into this race at the last minute, running as a write-in. He received sufficient write-in votes (1%) to appear on the November ballot.
His background is as a long-time prosecutor in Missoula, Montana. He came to Whidbey in 2016 and established a practice in Freeland.
I’ve now read his statement on how he would charge defendants, and it sounds good. Much of what I see about this man sounds good. What I have not seen is why, at the last minute, he decided to run for the office of prosecutor. I would be most interested to discover that.
I’m surprised Greg hasn’t taken the easy way out and retired. But I’m very glad that he is running again.
So, yes, I’ll be voting for the man I think is doing a very good job as Prosecutor, Greg Banks.
Island County Sheriff
Rick Felici, independent, incumbent
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. Not clear who has the final say. I presume the commissioners. 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.
Tavier Wasser, D
https://www.wasserforsheriff.com/
He was a registered R in 2024. We’ve not heard what prompted his change of heart – or registration, since his heart does not appear to have changed that much.
In conversation, he declared himself a “Warrior Archetype.” Unclear what he means by that. Makes me think of Pete Hegseth.
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 the primary I got all manner of pressure and phone calls interfering with my work. 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 Grange, taken over by the MAGA 3% crowd, endorsed Lane Campbell (a far right deputy) last time, and Tavier this time. A group of people have been doing some deep research and their work indicates that those 3% folks, Rufus Rose and his “Old Goats” and other far right groups appear to be Tavier’s favorite friends.
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. Given his support for and buddy-buddy relationship with far right folk, I’d say it reflects his opinion – which I consider poor judgement.
At a Deer Lagoon Grange event – and evidently in a whole lot of situations - he announced that he was a “Constitutional Sheriff.” Mainstream people gasped at that statement. He later claimed he did not know what it 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 he really believes that Constitutional Sheriff stuff but now realizes that he can’t say it out loud. Research indicates he really does believe it. He has been cited repeating that phrase many times in many places. And now we know how he would respond to an ICE arrest. Would he respect Washington law and protect the victim, or would he accept MAGA/ICE and aid in the arrest? When asked about ICE he responded “They’re just doing their job.” Yeah, their job is to harass, harm, abduct, and even kill people who are just trying to live their lives. Sheriff Felici by contrast has said he will respect Washington law and not cooperate with ICE.
Given his flip-flop wishy-washy language, and given the information that has been discovered, I am not able to trust Tavier. This is not the straightforward person we want in the position of sheriff, even if he is a nice guy.
As mentioned above, being sheriff is not about cowboying and capturing bad guys. It is about being a good manager - of both people and money. Sheriff Felici has been doing that rather well. Tavier Wasser has given no indication that he understands the job or has any background to be able to carry it out. By contrast, Rick Felici is reported to run one of the most progressive sheriff’s departments in the state and wants to keep doing what he’s been doing.
I will be voting for Rick Felici.
Island County Treasurer
Tony Lam, independent, incumbent
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
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 on the ballot this fall, and if that doesn’t work, its off to the State Supreme Court.
You’ve read my previous references to Brian Heywood, the private equity billionaire 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 the initiatives to limit and harm them which are on this ballot. And just to be sure, if all else fails, he has bought himself a roster of candidates for the State Supreme Court.
And there are other right wing groups throwing big money into those Heywood candidates. 4 of the 5 challengers are endorsed by the state Republican party. Boy is that non-partisan. And big money is coming from Concerned Taxpayers of Washington State and the Building Industry Association of Washington. And of course the biggest donor is Heywood’s Lets Go Washington.
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/names 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 won’t take it amiss if you skip all the discussion and just look for the names highlighted in red.
Position 1
Colleen Melody, incumbent
https://melodyforjustice.com/
https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supreme/bios/?fa=scbios.display_file&fileID=melody
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 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
Votescottedwards.com
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 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.
I prefer a former civil rights litigator to a tax accountant. I’ll be voting for Colleen Melody.
Position 3
David Stevens
https://www.judgestevensforwa.com/
He has received the maximum allowed donation by the Council of Police Political Support, the WA Council of Police & Sheriffs, WA Women’s Rights for Firearm Ownership, Mason County Republican Women, and WA Republicans along with donations by Mason County Republican Women’s Club and Mason County Republicans. And that’s it. No attorneys or judges have endorsed.
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 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.
FUSE WA interviewed Mr Stevens. I quote: “In a candidate pledge, Stevens represented extreme right wing views on an array of issues. He advocated for the “sanctity of life” from conception onward, insisted marriage is between one man and one woman, expressed support for abolishing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and advocated for the US to withdraw from the UN.”
David Stevens is up front in saying he opposes the millionaire tax. That, and the other opinions he has expressed, is in itself disqualifying, since judges are not allowed to express an opinion on issues likely to come before them.
Jamie Michelle Hawk
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 has defended people grabbed by ICE.
She has defended voting rights.
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. The choice is between a reasonable judge and someone who loves justices Scalia, Alito, and Thomas. Not exactly a difficult choice.
I will be voting for Jamie Michelle Hawk.
Position 4
Ian Birk
“He possesses a considerable intellect, accompanied by an empathic nature, and a dry, self-effacing wit.” He’s from Edmonds, skipped high school and went straight to UW. His major donations come from WA Education Association PAC, AI transparency coalition, several fishing groups, and pretty much all the rest are attorneys.
He’s been serving as a judge in the State Court of Appeals, one step below the Supreme Court.
Because he got his JD so young, he has been able to spend 20 years as an attorney and still be young coming onto the appeals court bench in 2022. He is very much the bicyclist. And he is very fond of classical music.
It looks like he is endorsed by every labor council, Dem organization, and Indivisible. The list of endorsing judges goes on for pages, as does the list of political figures and half the attorneys in the state.
As an attorney he represented individuals, families, and small businesses – often against powerful corporate interests – in cases involving insurance claims, consumer protection, workplace discrimination, and complex civil litigation. He volunteered with King County Neighborhood Legal Clinics, providing free assistance to people who couldn’t afford an attorney.
And to remind us that he is human there is a photo of him with his wife and their bicycles at the top of Washington Pass in the Cascades.
Sean O’Donnell
https://www.odonnellforjustice.com/
Ah, and here is where we get the info. While he has received donations from a fair amount of lawyers and judges, the most and the largest donations are from real estate, insurance, financial advisors, and other large financial/real estate corporations.
He is endorsed by a whole lot of police and corrections guilds, the farm union, a builder’s PAC, the Association of Washington Business.
He’s been 13 years a King County Superior Court judge
What focus I could find (and it was hard) is on victims’ rights, courthouse security, making courts relevant and accessible.
His website appears to be focused entirely on endorsements. He’s endorsed by a whole lot of Superior Court judges all over the state, and a lot of lower level politicians. What I’m not seeing is any statement of principles. That definitely bothers me. He claims he always puts people first and will never be influenced by special interests. I wonder how that relates to the large sums donated by all those big business interests. And he's endorsed by Heywood's Lets Go Washington. 'Nuff said.
Given the options – someone with no stated philosophy and an awful lot of big business supporters vs a real human with a focus on people, I’ll be voting for Ian Birk.
Position 5
Theo Angelis, incumbent
He is a recently 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’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 (and if you don’t understand the implications, look up the relations between Greece and Turkey).
Dave Larson
campaign@larsonforjustice
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. 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.
Given the choice between an incumbent with a passion for championing the underdog and an aging perennial right wing candidate, I will make the obvious choice and vote for Theo Angelis.
Position 7
Debra Stephens, incumbent
https://justicestephens.com/
https://ballotpedia.org/Debra_Stephens
Almost all of her donors are attorneys.
She seems to be running a very low key campaign. Not sure if that is because her challenger is 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)
Bringing 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 A Bloom
https://www.electtoddbloom.com/
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, which makes sense now that I have found his JD comes from Tulane University. He is endorsed by WA Women’s Rights for Firearm Ownership. I have foumd no other specific endorsement for him – other than Heywood’s Lets Go Washington and its adherents. He touts his military service and being a FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) arbitrator.
I listened to his interview with the League of Women Voters and then read his responses to questions from The Circle Square. Boy is he good at whiffing. Never quite answered, talked about how his background meant he would understand the issues, but absolutely stated no opinion on any subject. Which means he did not violate the rule about not expressing an opinion on an issue which might come before the court. He’s good.
Given the choice between a sitting Supreme Court Chief Justice and someone who may even be a decent individual but comes across as just a bit too slick for my comfort, and just happens to have a background in taxes, and is promoted by Heywood, I’ll be voting for Debra Stephens.
District Court Judge
Ronald A Costeck
I’ve been seeing big billboard sized signs for Judge Costeck since long before the primary. Even back then I thought it was kind of strange, since he is running unopposed for a position he already holds. Seems like a decent enough person just rolling over the job. He’ll get the job whether you vote for him or not, so – your choice.
Local Measure
City of Langley, Proposition No 1
Governmental Services and Technology Levy
The Langley City Council adopted Resolution 877 concerning a proposition to provide for continual governmental services and update the City’s operating and electronic technology to better serve the community. This proposition would permanently increase the City’s regular property tax rate to $0.648544721 to a total authorized rate of $1.66 per $1000 of assessed value for collection in 2027 and annually thereafter, and provide for an exemption for senior citizens and persons with disabilities under RCW 84.36.381
Should this proposition be
Approved
Rejected
So – there’s Langley asking for money again. Why am I not surprised? Way back in 2019 (I think) I advocated against the bond issue to upgrade and repair the city’s sewer system. I asked the city to commit to 3 things before I would endorse: 1) a hydrogeological study to find where the water is under the city and where its moving. 2) a bluff stability study and 3) a bluff vegetation management plan. I endorsed – and then the city reneged on its promise. They did a partial bluff stability study and seem to be operating under a bluff vegetation management plan. We still don’t have that desperately needed hydrogeological study.
The project went forward and Public Works director Randi Perry has admitted that parts of the project were unnecessary and counterproductive. She said it was in the contract so they had to do it. All of this demonstrates to me that the city is not managing itself and its funds very responsibly.
I understand that part of the problem is Mr Eric Hood, who has made a lucrative career of trying to bankrupt small jurisdictions with his Public Record demands. I feel eternal guilt for having taught him how to do that and wish I knew a way to stop him.
And then there’s the decision to allow development of the Coles Road property at a scale which will all by itself push the city far into the red. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And now we have the gas station proposal, with the City offering permits out of order. I suspect they fear the threats of lawsuits by the developers. That is not a good way to run a city.
Luckily I don’t live in Langley so don’t have to make that decision. The choice is between an angry NO, cutting off my nose to spite my face, or a reluctant YES, and watching my tax dollars be mis-spent some more. There needs to be a way to make demands on the city in exchange for this tax increase. Wish I knew how to make that happen. You’re on your own on this one.
Port District of South Whidbey Island
Propositon No 1
Levy for Renovation and Modernization of Port Facilities
The Board of Commissioners of the Port District of South Whidbey Island adopted Resolution No 2026-06 concerning a property tax increase to renovate and modernize District facilities. This measure would authorize the District to increase its levy rate by six centos from $0.109 to $0.169 per $1000.00 of assessed valuation for collection in 2027. Thereafter such dollar amount will be uses as the base to compute limitation for subsequent years as allowed by Chapter 84.55 RCW.
Should this proposition be approved?
Yes
No
Yet another tax increase request. I’m getting a bit testy about these. I’m wondering how it is that the Port District somehow failed to consider all of its holdings and what work each would need over a given period. I’m thinking about that spreadsheet candidate Shaw talked about. It feels like the Port District has not done its homework so now we all have to pitch in to bail it out. How and why has it not done that basic homework? What other unpleasant surprises might pop up? I feel like a hijacking victim. If I recommend a no vote, we’ll see important public infrastructure fall apart. If I recommend a yes vote, we’re all stuck with that tax increase. I want to see more responsibility on the part of the Port commissioners. I will be voting a crabby and reluctant YES.
