Several islanders threw their hats into the political ring last week, filing with King County Elections to run for various elected posts on Vashon.
Five positions on public boards and commissions will be contested this fall, including all three open seats on the Vashon Park District board.
Elections will take place in November, with primaries in August. The deadline to withdraw from the election was Monday.
Current park district commissioner Lu-Ann Branch will run for reelection and is challenged by Stephen Evans, a patent lawyer who moved to Vashon last year, as well as Adam Ecevedo, a materials management analyst at Boeing.
John Hopkins, who was appointed to the park board last year after another commissioner stepped down, will run to be elected to the post. He is challenged by Scott Harvey, a small business lender who currently serves on the agency’s Oversight Committee. Jason Hoffmaster also filed to run for the seat, but withdrew his name.
Finally, two islanders are running to fill the position that will be vacated by parks comissioner David Hackett. Doug Ostrom, a semi-retired economics professor who grew up on Vashon and returned as an adult, will go up against Robin Magonegil, who works in the City of Seattle’s planning department and has been involved in youth sports.
One seat on Water District 19’s three-person board is also contested. Jenny Bell, a water consultant with graduate studies in administration of potable water, and Mark Graham, an employee of Burton Water Company and local musician, have both filed for the seat to be vacated by Steve Haworth.
On the Vashon Island Fire & Rescue board, one seat is open, vacated by commissioner Neal Philip. Camille Staczek filed for the position and will run unopposed. Staczek is a longtime registered nurse and nursing instructor who also volunteers with Vashon’s Certified Emergency Response Team, a group that partners with VIFR.
Vashon Island School District commissioners Bob Hennessey and Steve Ellison are both running unopposed for reelection. Jake Jacobovitch originally filed to run for Ellison’s seat, but withdrew his name.
Tim Lafferty is running unopposed for reelection to the board of Vashon’s cemetery district. Jay Hanson, who was appointed to the board last year and filed for the seat, is challenged by John Kimble, an arborist and senior gardener with Seattle Parks and Recreation.
All three members of Vashon’s airport district board are running for reelection, as are two members of Vashon’s sewer district board.
— Natalie Johnson
