The Myers - Kahn Race

History is happening. Women now have a total of 6 seats on the Dias, including the mayor. Varisha Kahn secured 6666 votes winning by 66 votes.

Credit/ Redmond Reporter

VARISHA M. KAHN

Voters' Pamphlet:
https://www.electvarishakhan.com/meet-varisha

Education:  Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication journalism, University of Washington.
Occupation:  Community Organizer; Former Political Action Committee Director, OneAmerica Votes.
Statement:  As a proud Redmond resident, I running to make Redmond a leader in solving issues we share across the region.  If elected, I will prioritize environmental sustainability solutions to reduce our carbon pollution an the face of climate change, and advocate for better, accessible transportation options so residents can get around with less traffic.  I pledge to make Redmond a more affordable place to live, work, and play and will up uplift our diverse vibrant communities through meaningful collaboration and inclusion. We need new leaders with the courage to put people's needs first,and that's why I'm the only candidate this race rejecting money from developers,  Proudly endorsed by: National Women's Political Caucus; King County 45 and 48 LD, KC Young Democrats; Planned Parenthood; State Senators Patty Kuderer and Mona Das; State Representative Vandana Slatter; City Councilmember Tanika Padye.  I would be honored to earn your vote.  Thank you!

HANK MYERS

Voters' Pamphlet:
 https://www.HankMyers4Redmond.com

Education:  Bachelor of Arts, English, California State University.
Occupation:  Transportation consultant.  Past clients include Microsoft's Award-Winning commute program.
Statement:  Hank Myers brings together the best of Redmond and is an energetic voice for compassion and fiscal responsibility. He is Redmond's advocate for salmon recovery and clean water in our region.  A leader in reducing the cost of government, he fights to keep property taxes affordable.  As former board chair for the Together Center, Hank served those in our community who need help.  From volunteer days in Redmond's parks events to events supporting our police officers, Hank is out with the public, listening to concerns and solving our problems.   Call him at 425-830-4265 and see for yourself. That approach earned him the support of police officers, environmental activists, small business owners, seniors, education advocates, and leaders in our diverse communities.  Redmond is changing and facing new challenges. Hank will represent what is best about our community today and for the future.

The Myers-Kahn race was possibly the closest recorded in Redmond history. Ms. Kahn is only 24 years old which could be a record as well. So what contributed to this loss?  For one, probably the rapid change in our demographics.   

Myers conceded November 25, 2019:  "With only 52 votes in doubt against a 64-vote lead, it is time to concede. My 15 years as a King County poll judge made that decision easy."  

  

31,140 registered voters.  46.92% ballots counted.     

Of Note:               
Angela Birney vs. Steve Fields. Birney won the mayoral position with 60.04% of the votes.
Vanessa Kritzer defeated Eugene Zakhareyev for the open seat with 70.98% of the votes.
Jessica Forsythe challenged Hank Margeson for Position 3 and won with 54.67% of votes.
Varisha Khan challenged Hank Myers for Position 1 and won with 50.15% of the votes.
Incumbent David Carson defeated Carlos Jimenez for Position 7 with 53.02% of the votes.
Steve Fields, Tanika Padhye, and Jeralee Anderson remain on Council.

-- Reported by Bob Yoder, December 6, 2019

Sources:  King County Official Local Voters' Pamphlet, November 5, 2019
               Public Disclosure Commission (PDC)  
               Candidate websites

Former Mayor Rosemary Ives Endorses Steve Fields

Steve is also a very likable guy!

Steve Fields' Leadership Style Sets Him Apart

In Redmond's "Strong Mayor" form of government our mayor is both CEO and Chief of Staff; Steve Fields will fill both those shoes. I know, because I watch council meetings almost every week and report on them in Redmond Neighborhood Blog.

Primed to excel as CEO, Steve is the only candidate who has led teams preparing large government budgets. As mayor, Steve will manage our city finances with integrity and accountability. He's completed multi-million dollar negotiations and led teams of people that improved operations. The Redmond urban centers have grown exponentially. As CEO, Steve will strategically implement projects to control this growth. He's assertive, likable, and doesn't need the popularity of the elite. Steve isn't bigger than life. He's grounded.

Steve's the best candidate to take the rudder and guide Redmond, both locally and regionally. Career experience has brought him toe-to-toe with Seattle and King County officials. He's connected. While engaging with neighbors he will cut expensive and ineffective projects like the 2-way conversion.

Protecting our environment, our health and our future is his highest priority. He wants to protect our streams, salmon and trees. He took the 5K Walk with NAMI to "bust" the stigma of mental illness. He wants to make our city more affordable for people who call Redmond home and for small businesses -- like he and his wife's coffee shop.

Our traditional small businesses simply can't afford the mixed-use box buildings. They are being driven out, just as workers have been driven out to find affordable housing. Steve wants to change this by navigating through government red tape to provide innovative housing options and tax incentives for our small businesses. For mobility, Steve will move light rail forward, encourage "smart technology" with traffic and parking programs, and design smarter and safer bike lanes.

I've spoken with and listened to the candidates on many occasions. Steve's management and leadership style is what separates him apart. Please vote "Yes" for Steve Fields this August 6th!

-- Bob Yoder

Primary Candidate's Explanatory Statements, On August 6th Ballot

City of Redmond, Mayor

• Angela Birney
• Andrew Koeppen
• Steve Fields

City of Redmond, Council Position 7

• Shad Ansari
• David Carson
• Carlos Jimenez
• Osama Hamdan

Lake Washington School District 414, Director District 5

• Siri Bliesner
• John Towers
• Susan Wilkins

Mayoral Candidate Election Guide

ELECTION GUIDE 

CLICK TO FIND THE GUIDE

Angela Birney's website:  https://electangelabirney.com/
Steve Fields' website:   stevefieldsformayor.com

Andrew Koeppen's website: www.redmondischanging.info

Angela's Facebook site:  https://www.facebook.com/ElectAngelaBirney/

Steve's Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/stevefieldsredmond/

  Andrew's Facebook site::  https://www.facebook.com/andrewkoeppenformayor/

 If you have any questions about campaign signs or the election e-mail info@redmond.gov 

- Bob Yoder

Primary: Mayoral Voter Election Guide

    Mayoral Election Guide

CLICK FOR GUIDE

Angela Birney's website:  https://electangelabirney.com
Steve Fields' website:   stevefieldsformayor.com

Andrew Koeppen's website: www.redmondischanging.info

Angela's Facebook site:  https://www.facebook.com/ElectAngelaBirney/
Steve's Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/stevefieldsredmond/

  Andrew's Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/andrewkoeppenformayor/

 If you have any questions about campaign signs or the Election e-mail info@redmond.gov 

- Bob Yoder

Mental Health Walk A Smashing Success - Candidates Steve Fields and Hank Myers Join In

The NAMI 5K Mental Health Walk to "bust stigma" was a smashing success!  Great people, great cause!  We were supporting EvergreenHealth's plans to open an outpatient mental health care clinic. Three councilmembers Hank Myers, Steve Fields, Tanika Padeya, and my wife are holding the banner. 

- Bob Yoder

"Seattle Times" article on mayoral candidates

Council President Angela Birney

  "People who have been here a long time feel left out. 

 I want to make sure their voices are heard."  - Birney

Councilmember Steve Fields

  "Our residents are the best city planners.  

We need to listen to them." - Fields

Small businessman Andrew Koeppen

 "Redmond has shown disrespect for Microsoft."  Mr. Koeppen likened it to "the 'rich uncle in a family' that the city should be thankful for." - Koeppen

-- Excerpts from The Seattle Times article  "Meet the woman and men who want to be Redmond's next mayor."  By Paige Cornwell, 5/28

"RE-elect LWSD School Board Director Siri Bliesner"

I believe that an excellent public education is a right for all individuals. A strong democracy requires an active, engaged community, and we achieve that with excellent public education. My extensive experience and the relationships I have built throughout the community combine to give me a strong voice to continue moving forward with the District’s initiatives and advance new, innovative opportunities for all of our students.

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) is an outstanding public school district with talented staff, teachers, and an involved community supporting the opportunities and achievement of our students.

It has been a pleasure to serve on the school board for the last eight years in a variety of roles – Legislative Representative, Vice President, and President. This has provided an opportunity to deepen my understanding of school organization and funding, as well as issues surrounding educational equity.

Jessica Forsythe challenges Hank Margeson for Position 3

Meet Jessica Forsythe 

---

Ms. Forsythe is challenging Mr. Hank Margeson for Position 3.  

"I have been a small business owner and Creative Director of a design studio since 2006. I work primarily with non-profit organizations and clients whose core values revolve around serving and improving the community. My work has ranged from domestic and international LEED-certified large scale mixed-use architecture projects, like the ones popping up in downtown Redmond, to establishing the brand for the Seattle Symphony’s Grammy Award-winning record label. Being a creative thinker in these industries means taking a holistic approach and putting people at the forefront of all decisions; I hope to bring this kind of thinking to the Redmond City Council. 

Dayle ("Hank") Margeson BIO

Mr. Margeson holds Position 3 seat and is being challenged by Ms. Jessica Forsythe. Margeson lost.

Hank was honored to be elected to represent his fellow residents on Redmond's City Council in November 2007 and is now serving his third term. He has represented the City at the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee (SCA PIC) since 2009. During his tenure he served a term as the Vice-Chair and chaired the SCA PIC Nominating Committee until 2015. In December 2017 he was reelected to represent the Northeastern King County cities on the SCA Board of Directors for another two years, where he's served on the Finance Committee and Board Nominating Committee. Hank is in his seventh year on the Puget Sound Regional Council's Growth Management Policy Board, serving as the Board's Vice President and as the SCA Caucus Chair. He was appointed as a member of the King County Regional Transit Committee in 2018 after serving two years as an alternate representative. He currently represents the City on Redmond’s Disability Board, and he has represented the City and SCA on numerous other committees and boards during his tenure as Councilmember. 

He also serves as President for the Northwest Baseball Umpires Association board and is a former president of the Eastside Timebank board. Prior to election to the City Council he served on the Parks and Trails Commission and was the Vice-Chair for the Education Hill Citizens Advisory Committee. Hank works for Liberty Mutual (Safeco) Insurance as a Senior Compliance Analyst and holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Washington State University and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He earned his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter designation from the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters in 2003. 

Hank is married to Patti and they raised their two adult children in Redmond over the past 25 years. They recently completed adding an accessory dwelling unit onto their Education Hill home where their son, daughter-in-law and wonderful grandson now reside. He and Patti also own acreage in the Sammamish Valley where they keep their three horses. Active in local sports, he coached youth soccer, baseball, basketball and currently umpires local high school, youth and adult baseball games.

-- redmond.gov

City Council candidate Vanessa Kritzer celebrates

Elect Vanessa Kritzer for Redmond City Council:  "Yesterday, I celebrated my first mother's day with my amazing daughter and today I showed her how we make change as I filed to put my name on the ballot for the first time. We're officially on our way to bringing energetic, collaborative, and innovative leadership to the Redmond City Council!"

Three school board members are up for election - May 17th is the last day to file

If you have thoughts about running for a school board position May 17th is the last day to file.. You have to live in the District in which you want to run.  Questions?  Contact sparthemer@lwsd.org, Director of Communications and Community Engagement.

Mr. Carson, Mr. Lilabarte and Ms. Bliesners's terms end this year.

Chris Carson - DISTRICT 2  Kirkland area / West Lk. Samm. Blvd./ No. Bridal Trails (tan district color)

Christopher Carlson, Ph.D., was elected to the school board in November 2007. He is a faculty member in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Division of Public Health Sciences. His lab focuses on identifying correlations between genetic variation and disease risk for cancer, diabetes, and other common diseases, then identifying the biological mechanism responsible. Carlson is also an affiliate assistant professor with the University of Washington School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology. He holds a B.A. in molecular biology from Pomona College. His Ph.D. is in genetics from Stanford University.

Kritzer announces candidacy for Redmond council

Redmond planning commissioner Vanessa Kritzer announced she will be running for Redmond  City Council, 
Pos. 5.  Kritzer is a first-time candidate for office. Photo courtesy of Vanessa Kritzer Facebook.

Kritzer announces candidacy for Redmond council

She will run for Pos. 5 in the election.

• "Redmond Reporter"  Wednesday, February 20, 2019 8:30am
• NEWS

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Redmond planning commissioner Vanessa Kritzer has announced that she will be running for Redmond City Council, Pos. 5.

“I’m running for City Council because I want to ensure that as Redmond grows it can continue to be a thriving, accessible, and inclusive place for our children and future generations,” she said in a press release. “I will work to bring people together to make progress on building affordable housing, providing transportation options that meet all our needs, and protecting our environment. In my career, I have worked to drive innovation that empowers citizens and public sector organizations to take action for meaningful impact. On the City Council, I hope to continue that work and promise to ask tough questions, engage Redmond’s residents, and use a data-driven approach to policy making that helps Redmond become a truly smart city.”

Kritzer lives in downtown Redmond with her husband and young daughter, according to the release. She has worked for environmental and human rights nonprofit organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters. She currently works at Microsoft, where she has focused on public sector technology that helps make cities and communities healthier, safer and more sustainable, the release states.

Kritzer holds master of business administration and master of public administration degrees from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, according to the release. During graduate school, she was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve as the student member of the University of Washington board of regents.

Kritzer is a first-time candidate for office. In addition to her position as a Redmond planning commissioner, she currently serves on the board of directors for the Anti-Defamation League – Pacific Northwest and the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington.

###

Vanessa Kritzer's campaign website.

Vanessa Kritzer's campaign Facebook page

Council President Angela Birney is running for Mayor

Council President Angela Birney began serving her first term on Council in 2016.  Prior to Council she chaired the Parks and Trails Committee.  Among many other activities, she represents the City of Redmond on the Cascade Water Alliance, the King County Board of Health, and King County Regional Policy Committee and Redmond's Disability board.  She also serves as an alternate representative on the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee and the Eastside Transportation Partnership. Find her candidate website and Facebook page here.

Source:  redmond.gov

Small business owner Andrew Koeppen is running for Mayor

Mr. Koeppen has lived in Redmond 19 years and has been a U.S. citizen for one year.  Andrew was the first to announce he's running for Mayor of Redmond.  He's attentive to community safety, publishing a popular Facebook disaster preparedness site called "Eastside Ready."  He organizes community "disaster preparedness" events held at the library.  He's actively involved with police and fire safety.  He's especially upset by the city wasting electricity by leaving the lights on at City Hall.  Here is his website and facebook page

-- Bob Yoder

Redmond Council member Hank Margeson named Treasurer of Sound Cities Association

Redmond Councilmember Hank Margeson has been selected to serve as the 2019 Treasurer of the Sound Cities Association (SCA), which represents 38 King County cities and provides a regional voice for more than one million people. He will be one of five individuals to serve on the SCA Executive Committee.

“Councilmember Margeson will help SCA continue to be an important regional catalyst in addressing the challenges and opportunities that face King County communities,” said Deanna Dawson, SCA Executive Director. “He has a tremendous track record in creating innovative partnership and initiatives that create solutions to local and regional issues. We look forward to his leadership in the coming year.”

“Councilmember Margeson has a long history of leading on regional issues and I am pleased that he has been elected Treasurer of the SCA Board,” Councilmember Claudia Balducci, King County Council. “In my experience, he shows up, he pays attention, and he asks hard questions. All of which make him a great choice to help lead SCA. I look forward to working with him in his new role and wish him great success.”

Hank Myers BIO

Hank Myers
Credit/Redmond Reporter

Hank has served on Redmond’s City Council since January 2008 and is now serving his third term. He has served on advisory boards for Metro Transit and the Bellevue School District. Councilmember Myers is a Transportation Economist working in all modes of transportation including experience in commercial aviation, public transit, and passenger ferry service. Hank began his professional career with Hughes Airwest as a regulatory affairs specialist before moving to the northwest to become Director of Government Affairs and Pricing for Alaska Airlines. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English from California State University. Hank currently represents the City on the Local Hazardous Waste Management Coordinating Committee (LHWMCC) and on the Water Resource Inventory Area 8 (WRIA 8) Salmon Recovery Council. A 42-year resident and living in the Viewpoint area of Redmond, Hank is married to Christine and has two grown children. He likes to spend time volunteering with Green Redmond and at the Center for Wooden Boats.

Council President Angela Birney is running for Mayor

I'm experiencing technical difficulties in posting Angela's headshot.  Regrets.  To see her picture "Read More"  

Angela Birney's Experience

Local

Redmond City Council President
Redmond City Councilmember
Redmond Parks and Trails Committee Chair
LWSF Junior High Science Grants and Grant Review
Norman Rockwell PTA
Lake Washington School District Boundary Review

Regional
Hopelink Board Chair
King County Board of Health, Sound Cities (SCA) Caucus Chair
Regional Policy Committee, SCA Member
Cascade Water Alliance Board, Secretary/Treasurer
Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Advisory Committee
Eastside Transportation Partnership
SCA Public Issues Committee Alternate
Redmond Nourishing Networks
Governing for Regional Equity and Inclusion Working Group Member
Education
BAE Biology, MEd Professional Development
Leadership Eastside Class of 2017
Leadership Eastside Executive Insight 2018