The Board of Directors of Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) has named the following Democrats Blue Star Candidates. Washington‘s Election Day is next Tuesday, November 2nd. We encourage you to look into these candidates and provide them moral and material support in this final week.
Jennifer Gregerson in her race for Mukilteo Mayor
Incumbent Mayor Jennifer Gregerson has led the city of Mukilteo through the pandemic, enforcing public health standards and keeping businesses afloat. She plans to continue creating good jobs, revitalizing the waterfront, and expanding public safety efforts. Gregerson faces a Republican former state representative and mayor, striking clear stakes between a progressive leader and a conservative. You can learn more at jennifergregerson.com.
Dexter Borbe in his race for Bellevue Council Position 2
Dexter Borbe intends to bring greater equity to Bellevue. His opponent is an incumbent on the city council, a Trump supporter who has stood in the way of more affordable housing. With Bellevue slated to host a new set of offices for Amazon, what happens there will be a bellwether for the future headquarter towns of other tech giants. You can learn more at electborbe.com.
Adrienne Fraley-Monillas in her race for Edmonds Council Position 3
Fraley-Monillas has saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, kept taxes stable, and stood against coal trains on the waterfront. You can learn more at adriennemonillas.com.
Karl de Jong in his race for Sedro-Woolley Council
Karl de Jong is the only Democrat on the council in an R+16 district. He is a member of the DMO Policy Council, and his voice in elected office is a valuable dot of blue in an ocean of red. You can learn more about the race at karlforsedrowoolley.com.
Zack Zappone in his race for Spokane Council, District 3
As a teacher at high-poverty schools, Zappone saw that no matter how hard some students worked, they continued to face insurmountable obstacles outside of school — unstable housing, unsafe transit, mental health and substance abuse, and low paying jobs for their parents. Now he is running for City Council to be able to impact students’ lives beyond the classroom. The Spokane City Council’s progressive supermajority is at stake in this election, and with it the future of Washington‘s second largest city. With a conservative mayor and outside special interest money threatening the race, Zappone has an opportunity to not only reinforce the blue wall of local government, but represent Spokane as its first openly LGBTQ lawmaker. You can learn more at zackzappone.com.
Jacquelyn Belock in her race for Cheney Council, Position 3
Cheney is a rural college town within the larger Spokane Metro area, and Belock offers the opportunity to shift the council blue. You can learn more at electbelock.com.
Danny Herrera in his race for Yakima Council, District 2
Danny Herrera is an educator and a lifelong resident of District 2. He is running to ensure the community can see themselves when they look to public office. If elected, he would be the first BIPOC council member to represent the majority Latino district. You can learn more at www.mrherreraforyakima.com.
Krystal Marx in her race for Burien Council Position 7
Burien was a deeply red until 2017, even as an adjacent suburb of Seattle. While some might assume the suburbs to be safely blue, they are in fact at risk of Republican takeover, and can serve as stepping stones for far-right candidates. Krystal Marx plans to continue her progressive work and hold the line against Republican encroachment. You can learn more at krystalmarx.com.
Mohamed Egal in his race for SeaTac Council Position 4
SeaTac is a majority minority city that currently has a Republican majority city council. Egal is running in part to take back the city for Democrats. He intends to truly represent the people of SeaTac, and defeat an incumbent who was at the January 6th insurrection in Washington, DC. You can learn more at egalforseatac.com.
Naghmana Sherazi in her race for Spokane Council, District 1
Naghmana Sherazi identifies herself as part of the working poor. She has a Master’s degree, works full time, yet only brings home $18.27 an hour. Her story is familiar to a growing number of voters. She stands to bring the voice of a renter to the city council, representing a diversity in economic circumstances that we need in local government. Sherazi is running a unionized campaign, and would be the first Muslim on the Spokane City Council. You can learn more at peoplefornaghmana.com.
Nicole Thomas-Kennedy in her race for Seattle City Attorney
Major cities across the United States have elected a slate of progressive prosecutors, who seek to reform traditional law enforcement and root out the injustices built into our legal system. Thomas-Kennedy would join this cohort if elected Seattle’s next city attorney, bringing a focus on restorative justice and intervention to the office. She believes that everyone in Seattle deserves to live in safety, and you can learn more at ntk4justice.com.
Tameika Isaac Devine in her race for Columbia, SC Mayor
While not a resident of Washington state, we would be remiss in not mentioning DMO Board Member and South Carolina State Chapter Chair Tameika Isaac Devine, whose election is also this coming Tuesday. Isaac Devine has a lasting record of delivering for the community, has a reputation on the council as an elected official who gets things done, and serves on the Executive Committee of the National League of Cities. She represents not only an opportunity to make sure a Democrat takes the mayor’s office, but to ensure Columbia’s next mayor comes in with a proven track record of experience and the enduring support of the city. You can learn more at devineformayor.com.
Blue Star Candidates
The DMO serves to connect, engage, and empower elected officials who identify as Democrats. Democratic Municipal Officials initiated the Blue Star Candidate program to draw national attention to Democratic candidates who have the opportunity to make a major shift in a mayor’s office, council majority, or similar municipal election. These candidates have been vetted and recommended by the DMO Board of Directors.
Your Next Race
Are you up for reelection facing steep Republican opposition? Are you vying for a seat that would reclaim a mayoral seat for Democrats, or flip a council majority blue? Reach out to DMO at Jesse.Maldonado@NationalDMO.