City of Newcastle

Public school teacher Sun Burford is running for Position 1 on the Newcastle City Council. Burford is very active in bringing the Newcastle community together. She helped to organize the city’s first official Lunar New Year celebration, serves on the Newcastle Arts Council, and works with Friends of Newcastle Library.

Burford, an immigrant and working mom, is running a hopeful and inclusive campaign to bring a brighter future to Newcastle. If elected, she wants to uplift residents and the local economy while building community safety. Burford wants to protect our senior neighbors from rising property taxes so that Newcastle residents can retire with security and dignity. Her commitment to working hard on behalf of Newcastle residents has earned her a long list of progressive endorsements in this race, including from progressive elected leaders, community organizations, and the local Democrats.

Len Trautman is the other candidate vying for retiring Councilmember Linda Newing’s seat. Trautman is a retired contractor and electrician running on a platform that is not progressive. His vision of safety excludes community investments that bring all residents the resources they need to thrive, and instead, he wants to funnel more money into policing. Trautman has refused to accept endorsements in this race.

Sun Burford is the clear choice in this race and deserves your vote for Newcastle City Council, Position 1.
 

Deputy Mayor Arian Sherlock is running for re-election to the Newcastle City Council, Position 2. She is a professional chef and served as the PTSA president for her kids' school.

Sherlock is running on a platform of housing affordability, public safety, and fiscal sustainability. After the passage of the state Missing Middle Housing bill, she is eager to work with staff, council members, and the public to find ways to incentivize more affordable housing in Newcastle. She states that she has a good working relationship with the police chief and wants to find ways to prioritize safety within budget constraints. She is interested in exploring an emergency medical services levy or a transportation levy to provide critical new funding.

Sherlock faces a challenge from Amanda W. Li, who is a clinical pharmacist. Li states in her voters' pamphlet that she wants to bring the community together and expand services to seniors. However, she has not released a campaign website nor is any additional information about her platform or priorities available.

Sherlock's track record of leadership and strong endorsements make her the clear choice for Newcastle City Council, Position 2. 

Small business owner Allison Sweeney is running for Newcastle City Council, Position 3. She has lived in Newcastle for 17 years and co-owns the Frosty Barrel ice cream shop. Sweeney is also active in the community, serving on the Newcastle Elementary PTSA Executive Board and founding two Girl Scout troops. 

Sweeney is running for city council to support local small businesses, strengthen community connections, and ensure everyone in Newcastle feels safe. She believes some of the city's unused $1 million in federal funding should be used to support local businesses still recovering from the pandemic. She also wants to fund traffic safety improvements to keep our neighborhoods safe. She supports reforms to make housing more affordable and would work to improve walkability in Newcastle. 

Sweeney is challenging incumbent Tom Griffin for Position 3. Griffin, a retired accountant, is running on nearly a single-issue platform around financial management. However, as of mid-October, he has not released a campaign plan for how he would approach any of the other important issues facing the city like affordability, transportation, cultural events, parks and green spaces, and public safety.

Sweeney's impressive list of local endorsements and her commitment to serving the community make her the clear choice for Newcastle City Council, Position 3. 
 

Chris Villasenor is running to retain Position 4 on the Newcastle City Council. He ran and lost in the primary in 2021 and was subsequently appointed to fill a vacancy by the King County Council. Prior to serving on the council, he served on the city's planning commission. Villasenor is the first person of color to serve on the Newcastle City Council. 

Villasenor is running for council focused on affordability, public safety, and supporting small businesses. He takes a human-first approach to policing and wants to ensure first responders have the training and equipment they need to protect our community. Unlike his opponent, Villasenor is committed to maintaining events like the Art Fair and the Lunar New Year Celebration that bring the community together.

Villasenor faces a challenge from business executive Steve Tallman. He is a frequent critic of the current city leadership, unleashing angry rants at council members about taxes. He touts his frequent posts on Nextdoor about public safety but fails to offer concrete plans for how he would keep the community safe. 

Villasenor has earned strong endorsements from community leaders and deserves your vote for Newcastle City Council, Position 4.