Kent elections looking to be quiet – only a few races

Except for mayor and one City Council position, few political races are expected this year in Kent because of a lack of candidates.

As of Wednesday, two of the three Kent City Council positions, two Kent Municipal Court judgeships and the District 5 King County Council spot had only one candidate apiece.

Filing week for candidates started Monday and ended Friday.

Jim Berrios, who last month announced plans to run for mayor, filed to challenge incumbent Suzette Cooke. Cooke has filed to seek her second, four-year term. Berrios is president of the Kent School Board and owner of the Golden Steer restaurant on the East Hill.

The mayor of Kent earns $102,192 per year.

Dana Ralph, 37, a Kent small business owner, filed Wednesday to challenge Dennis R. Higgins for City Council Position No. 4.

Higgins, 38, announced his campaign last month. A Kent resident since 1995, Higgins works as an information technology manager for the King County Geographic Information Systems.

Ralph serves as chairwoman on the city of Kent’s Land Use and Planning Board. She also is the chairwoman of the Kent Arts Commission.

“I’ve lived in Kent my whole life and I’ve been involved in the city the last five or six years,” Ralph said in a phone interview Thursday. “I feel I would be a good representative for the citizens of Kent. I feel I can make some good changes.”

Ralph employs three others at Advance Billings Systems, a medical billing office she has operated in Kent for 14 years. She has never run for an elected office before.

The other candidates for City Council include Jamie Danielson for Position No. 2 and incumbent Elizabeth Albertson for Position No. 6.

The Council appointed Danielson last summer to replace the late Councilman Bob O’Brien, who died of cancer. Higgins and Ralph were each finalists for the appointed position.

Councilman Tim Clark decided not to run again for Position No. 4.

Bailey Stober, a Green River Community College student, filed last month with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission to run for Clark’s position. As of Wednesday, Stober had not filed with the King County Elections division. Stober could not be reached for comment on whether he plans to file by Friday’s deadline.

The Council members are paid $13,752 per year for their part-time positions.

If three or more candidates file for a position, they will be on the primary election ballot Aug. 18. The two with the most votes will move on to the general election ballot on Nov. 3. If there are only one or two candidates, the position will appear on the general ballot.

Kent Municipal Court Judges Robert McSeveney and Glenn Phillips each filed to be re-elected to four-year terms. Each judge is paid $134,628 per year.

“I grew up on the West Hill of Kent and I like it here,” McSeveney said about his decision to run again in a phone interview Tuesday. “I love the job.”

McSeveney, 57, has served as a judge since Kent started a municipal court in 1994 to handle criminal misdemeanors such as petty theft, simple assault, prostitution and other similar cases. Kent used to contract with King County to handle criminal misdemeanors.

Phillips, 54, started with the Kent court in 1994 as a commissioner before the City Council appointed him as a full-time judge in 2002. He was elected to the position in 2005.

“The city of Kent is a great place to work,” Phillips said in a phone interview Monday. “Robert McSeveney and I have known each other for about 25 years and worked here 15 years. And it’s a great staff here.”

McSeveney received 64 percent of the vote in 2005 to defeat challenger Jeffrey Keck. No candidate challenged Phillips in 2005.

Patterson, of SeaTac, filed for her third term as the District 5 County Council representative. District 5 includes most of Kent.

“I’m very excited to continue my work on behalf of South King County to provide a regional voice for the people,” said Patterson, who plans to focus on transportation issues as well as human services. “I want to provide a strong voice for that part of the county because sometimes our voice isn’t heard.”

Patterson received 65 percent of the vote in 2005 to defeat challenger Orin Wells.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

File photo
Man sentenced in Federal Way rock throwing death

Judi Kilma retrieved a fist-sized rock after a man punctured one of the tires on Kilma’s bicycle.

t
Kent Police Blotter: March 11-25

Incidents include commercial burglary, DUI arrest

Flowers for slain trooper Chris Gadd begin to collect outside Washington State Patrol District 7 Headquarters on Saturday, March 2 in Marysville. (Ryan Berry / Sound Publishing)
Lynnwood man pleads not guilty in crash that killed WSP trooper

Raul Benitez Santana arraigned Tuesday on vehicular homicide charge in Trooper Chris Gadd’s death.

Captain Ron Mead and Corporal Alexis Robinson embrace during a memorial for Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Gadd on Tuesday, March 12 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / Sound Publishing)
Man was reportedly driving 112 mph before crashing into Trooper Gadd

Charging documents reveal details of March 2 crash that killed Kentlake High graduate

t
Kent apartment shooting injures man, woman on East Hill

Incident began Sunday, March 24 as domestic dispute; woman’s brother gets involved and shots are fired

Chase Wilcoxson, father to Matilda, 13, and Eloise,12, places a family photo at the roadside memorial dedicated to his daughters, Buster Brown, 12, and Andrea Hudson, 38. Photo by Bailey Jo Josie/Sound Publishing.
Families forgive Kent suspect involved in fatal crash near Renton

High-speed collision March 19 killed four; families of victims call to make the roads safer

t
Kent mayor plans to keep fighting for sales tax to hire more police

State of the City address also touches on new restaurants, roundabouts and walking paths

t
Crews to begin work on $13.8 million final phase of 76th Avenue upgrade

Street to be raised above Mill Creek floodplain, paved with concrete; bridges to replace culverts

t
Smoke alarms help Kent family of five escape house fire

Firefighters rescue one male from roof in March 19 fire on East Hill

File photo
Victims identified in ‘mass casualty’ collision that killed four near Renton | Update

Detectives say the collision was caused by an 18-year-old driver.

t
Semi-truck rollover blocks Green River Bridge in Auburn

Traffic had to be diverted from State Route 18; heavy impact on Kent streets

t
Seattle church’s donation to cover asylum seekers bill at Kent hotel

Group to remain at Kent Quality Inn for two more weeks