City of Kenmore

Melanie O'Cain is running for re-election for Kenmore City Council, Position 1. O'Cain was first elected to the council in 2020 and was appointed deputy mayor in January 2022. She serves on the King County SeaShore Transportation Forum and the Water Resource Inventory Area #8 Salmon Recovery Council. Outside of public service, O’Cain works in accounting and records management for the Port of Seattle, where she has been for more than 20 years.

In office, O’Cain has been a strong leader on environmental protections and clean air, affordable housing, and emergency crisis response. She's proud of her work helping implement Kenmore's Climate Action Plan and for testing the asphalt plant over air quality concerns. Now, she is running to continue bringing a progressive, community-oriented response to the city’s challenges with transportation, housing, and the environment. In particular, she wants to work with voters to purchase the Lakepointe Property and turn it into an environmental innovation hub for the region with green space and mixed-use sustainable development. 

The other candidate in this race is Kara Macias, a project manager for a construction company. Macias is running on a more right-wing platform in this race with a focus on business and little mention of the most pressing issues that Kenmore residents face. She wants to protect local ecosystems but only in the service of commerce, development, and tourism.

Melanie O’Cain deserves another term on Kenmore City Council, Position 1 because of her unwavering track record and staunch, progressive endorsements. She is the clear choice in this race. 

Valerie Sasson is running for Kenmore City Council, Position 3. The seat is currently held by Angela Kugler, who is not seeking re-election. Sasson is a retired midwife who previously co-owned her own birth center serving Washington families and taught at Bastyr University. Additionally, Sasson was the director of the Midwives Association of Washington State board.

Sasson is running on a progressive platform to make Kenmore a thriving place for all. She lists affordable housing, efficient public transit, and a walkable town center as some of her top issues. If elected, Sasson wants to steward responsible growth that prioritizes equity and climate mitigation. In this race, Sasson has been endorsed by the outgoing Councilmember Kugler herself, as well as county and local Democrats, community leaders, and progressive organizations.

Sasson is facing Josh Kurcinka, a marketing and brand management professional. He has worked for a variety of large companies such as Amazon, Kellogg's, and Noom. Kurcinka is running on a vague platform to bring positive change to Kenmore through downtown growth and affordability. He also wants to engage the voice of residents but he lacks a background in community or elected leadership.

We recommend Valerie Sasson for Kenmore City Council, Position 3 because of her strong community support and progressive vision for the city.

Technology analyst Jon Culver is running for Kenmore City Council, Position 5. Culver is a small business owner, five-term Democratic precinct committee officer, former legislative PTA co-chair, and UFCW Local 400 union member. 

He has organized several local projects, including Pride art at city hall and a local fire proposition, earning him the endorsement of the local firefighters. He now wants to bring that energy to the city council with a focus on truly affordable housing, climate action, and more. He wants the council to carefully track emissions to meet goals, ensure safety for marginalized community members, and continue to empower residents to engage with city government. 

Culver is challenging local business owner David Baker, who is running for re-election to Position 5. He has been a council member since 2003 and has also served as mayor during that time. Baker also sits on numerous local and regional committees, including serving on the board of Sound Transit and as caucus chair for the King County Regional Transportation Committee.

Baker has had his share of controversies this term on the council. He was one of two council members who voted against tenant protections last year in a 5-2 vote. This legislation limited late fees to 1.5 percent of one month's rent and required landlords to provide between 120 and 180 days notice of rent hikes, dependent on the cost. He also made heated comments in a discussion of the purchase of a warehouse for a public works facility that was later determined to have significant community and cultural value. Baker stated, “I think it’s absolutely disgusting that the community has stooped to levels like this" during resident testimony about the importance of the site to them. He later apologized after his fellow council members and residents said his comments were irresponsible and devaluing, and even potentially worthy of a recall vote against him.

Culver has picked up a large number of endorsements, including from unions, environmental groups, local Democratic leaders, and more. He is the more progressive choice in this race. 

Electrical engineer Han Tran is running for Northshore School Board, Director District 3 to replace David Cogan, who is not seeking re-election. Tran is an active community advocate, previously running for Bothell City Council in 2021 on a strong progressive platform. In addition, she participated in the school district’s Ethnic Studies Work Team and served as a Washington Human Rights Commissioner.

As an immigrant and a working mother of Northshore district students, Tran wants to champion equity and inclusion, empower educators, and bring a holistic and progressive approach to addressing the district’s needs. She would work to close opportunity gaps by implementing targeted academic support, culturally responsive teaching, and accountability metrics. Tran also believes in empowering staff with high quality professional development and data-informed decisionmaking. The rest of her campaign priorities are equally detailed and community-centric, reflecting her deep knowledge of the issues and the district. In this race, Tran has received an impressive list of progressive endorsements from unions, Democratic organizations, and elected officials.

Myriam Juritz, a substitute teacher with a Doctorate in Engineering in the Northshore School District, is running against Tran for the District 3 director seat. Juritz serves on the board of the Northshore Schools Foundation, and has also served with the Natural Leaders program, NSD Parent Advisory for Student Success, and more. She is a Spanish-speaking immigrant and credits her upbringing in political unrest as motivating her to run for local government to ensure that community needs are met. Juritz has also volunteered in the district extensively to help improve the Dual Language program, English Language Arts, and the Wellness and Safety Task Force. Her campaign platform emphasizes improving academic excellence and student health, both mental and physical. She states that fact-based education, resilience, and long-term fiscal responsibility is core to improving schools and education. However, her available platform is not as detailed as Tran’s, nor has she earned as many community endorsements.

Tran is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for Northshore School Board Director, District 3.