Toni Troutner, Brenda Fincher retain Kent City Council positions

Published 9:13 pm Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Incumbents Toni Troutner and Brenda Fincher will each return for four more years to the Kent City Council.

Troutner received 59.23% (6,072 votes) of the vote while challenger Cliff Cawthon had 40.28% (4,129 votes),

according to King County Elections results posted Tuesday night, Nov. 2. Fincher had 75.32% (7,512 votes) of the vote while challenger Larry Hussey had 24.05% (2,399 votes).

Troutner was elected to a four-year term in 2017 when she easily defeated Tye Whitfield.

Cawthon had raised $46,521 to Troutner’s $36,832, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission website on Nov. 2.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan contributed $500 to Cawthon’s campaign. He also received $1,106 from Washington State Democrats and $1,000 from United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 21.

Troutner’s largest contributors included $2,000 from the Firefighters Political Action Committee Local 1747, $1,000 from the Kent Police Officers Association and $1,000 from Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla.

Cawthon’s endorsements included Congressman Adam Smith, D-Bellevue; former Democratic Gov. Gary Locke; State Sen, Mona Das, D-Kent; State Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, and challenger to Dow Constantine for King County executive; State Rep. Debra Enteman, D-Kent; State Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac; Kent mayoral candidate Dawn Bennett; and Kent City Council members Marli Larimer and Satwinder Kaur; Kent School Board candidate Awale Farah; the King County Democrats; the 33rd District Democrats; and the Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council.

Troutner’s endorsements included Kent Mayor Dana Ralph; Kent City Council members Bill Boyce, Zandria Michaud and Les Thomas; Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus; State Rep. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington; State Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines; Kent School Board Director Leslie Hamada; and King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn.

Cawthon is a Bellevue College political science professor and longtime community activist. There was no primary race because Cawthon and Troutner were the only two candidates.

Fincher had 79% of the vote in the August primary and Hussey had 13% to advance to the general election. Bradley Cairnes had 7% and failed to advance. Fincher was appointed by the council to a vacant position in 2014 and then defeated Troutner in 2015 and Russ Hanscom in 2017. Hussey works as a day trader and temporary worker.

Fincher raised $13,770, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission website. Hussey did not report any money raised or spent as he filed as a mini-filer, which means he raised or spent less than $5,000 and did not accept more than $500 from any one donor.

Fincher’s endorsements included Kent City Council members Satwinder Kaur, Marli Larimer and Zandria Michaud; State Rep. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac; State Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines; State Sen. Mona Das, D-Kent; State Rep. Debra Entenman, D-Kent; and State Rep. Pat Sullivan, D-Covington.

Kaur ran unopposed to retain her council seat for another four years.