Kent City Council reelects Satwinder Kaur as president

Published 2:34 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2026

The Kent City Council unanimously reelected Satwinder Kaur as council president for two more years.

Councilmember Bill Boyce nominated Kaur and it was a quick vote during the Jan. 6 council meeting to keep Kaur as the leader.

“Thank you to my colleagues for choosing me for the next two years as council president,” Kaur said before welcoming Sharn Shoker to her first council meeting.

Voters reelected Kaur and elected Shoker in the Nov. 4 general election. Kaur received 62.5% of the vote against challenger Neet Grewal. Shoker narrowly defeated Andy Song with 50.46% of the vote to replace Brenda Fincher, who didn’t seek reelection after 12 years on council.

The council first elected Kaur as president in 2024. She replaced Boyce, who served as council president 2022 and 2023 and had the role six of the previous eight years. Toni Troutner was council president in 2020 and 2021.

The council president works closely with the mayor to see what kind of support the council will give to issues and proposals. The council president also serves as the official spokesperson for the council.

Kaur is starting her third four-year term. Voters reelected Kaur in 2021 when she ran unopposed. Voters first elected Kaur in 2017 when she defeated Paul Addis. Kaur worked as an executive assistant with the City Council in 2012 and 2013.

Kaur narrowly lost to Claudia Kauffman, of Kent, in the August 2022 Democratic primary race for the 47th Legislative District Senate seat. Kauffman then defeated Boyce, a Republican, in the November 2022 general election for the four-year term.

Troutner began her third four-year term this month on the council after running unopposed in November.

The rest of the council includes Marli Larimer, Zandria Michaud and John Boyd. Their four-year terms each expire Dec. 31, 2027.