Want more affordable homes? Support pro-home building candidates
October 12, 2023
They say all politics is local. And when it comes to improving housing affordability, voting to support pro-home building candidates in local political races can make a big difference.
Washington needs more homes people can afford. Decades of restrictions, roadblocks and red tape have left our state in a place where nearly 88% of families can’t afford to buy a home. Your vote makes a difference.
While state and national politics get most of the attention, local elected officials make important local land use decisions that determine when and where new homes get built. Increasing housing supply will make housing more affordable for everyone so more families can enjoy the American dream of owning a home.
Support pro-home building candidates in your community
Many local home-building associations have interviewed and chose to support pro-home building candidates in their endorsements for local races across Washington. Find out who to support if you want more homes people can afford in your community. Be sure to check back. We’ll add new endorsements as they come in!
Clark County
The Building Industry Group (BIG), a non-partisan political action committee (PAC) associated with Building Industry Association (BIA) of Clark County, endorsed the following candidates in the upcoming general election on Nov. 7, 2023.
- City of Battleground Council Position No. 2 – Shane A. Bowman
- City of Battleground Council Position No. 7 – Eric Joe Overholser
- City of Camas Mayor – Steven C. Hogan
- City of La Center Position No. 4 – Myrna Leija
- City of La Center Position No. 5 – Elizabeth M. Cerveny
- City of Ridgefield Council Position No. 3 – Lee E. Wells
- City of Washougal Council Position No. 1 (Mayor) – David Stuebe
“In each general election cycle, the BIG PAC engages in discussions with Clark County candidates to establish strong connections and identify those whose positions align most closely with the building industry’s priorities and our community’s housing affordability concerns,” explained Eric Golemo, BIG PAC Vice Chair. “These interactions go beyond interviews; they represent an open exchange of insights and foster a deeper understanding of one another’s work and objectives.”
Island County
Skagit /Island Counties Builders Association endorsed the following for:
King County
The Master Builders of King and Snohomish Counties Affordable Housing Council endorsed the following for:
- King County Assessor – John Wilson
- King County Council District 2 – Girmay Zahilay
- King County Council District 6 – Claudia Balducci
- King County Council District 8 – Teresa Mosqueda
- City of Auburn Council Position 3 – Tracy Taylor Turner
- City of Bellevue Council Position 1 – John Stokes
- City of Bellevue Council Position 3 – Mo Malakoutian
- City of Bellevue Council Position 5 – Janice Zahn
- City of Bothell Council Position 2 – Mason Thompson
- City of Bothell Council Position 4 – Carston Curd
- City of Bothell Council Position 6 – Amanda Dodd
- City of Burien Council Position 2 – Linda Akey
- City of Burien Council Position 4 – Kevin Schilling
- City of Des Moines Council Position 4 – Jeremy Nutting
- City of Federal Way Council Position 1 – Lydia Assefa-Dawson
- City of Federal Way Council Position 3 – Susan Honda
- City of Federal Way Council Position 5 – Jack Walsh
- City of Federal Way Council Position 7 – Linda Kochmar
- City of Kenmore Council Position 1 – Melanie O’Cain
- City of Kenmore Council Position 7 – Corina Pfeil
- City of Kent Council Position 1 – Marli Larimer
- City of Kent Council Position 5 – Bill Boyce
- City of Kent Council Position 7 – Zandria Michaud
- City of Kirkland Council Position 2 – Kelli Curtis
- City of Kirkland Council Position 4 – Toby Nixon
- City of Kirkland Council Position 6 – Amy Falcone
- City of Mercer Island Council Position 3 – Wendy Weiker
- City of North Bend Mayor – Rob McFarland
- City of Redmond Mayor – Angela Birney
- City of Redmond Council Position 1 – Osman Salahuddin
- City of Redmond Council Position 7 – David M. Carson
- City of Renton Mayor – Armondo Pavone
- City of Renton Council Position 4 – Ryan McIrvin
- City of Renton Council Position 5 – Ed Prince
- City of Renton Council Position 7 – Randy Corman
- City of SeaTac Council Position 3 – Peter Kwon
- City of Seattle Council District 1 – Rob Saka
- City of Seattle Council District 2 – Tanya Woo
- City of Seattle Council District 3 – Joy Hollingsworth
- City of Seattle Council District 4 – Maritza Rivera
- City of Seattle Council District 6 – Dan Strauss
- City of Seattle Council District 7 – Andrew Lewis
Kitsap County
The Kitsap Building Association Government Affairs Committee endorsed the following for:
- Bremerton City Council District 2 – Denise Frey
- Bremerton City Council District 6 – Anna Mockler
- Poulsbo City Council Position 1 – Rick Eckert
- Poulsbo City Council Position 4 – Doug Newell
- Port Orchard City Council At Large – John Morrissey
- Port Orchard City Council Position 4 – John Clauson
- Port Orchard City Council Position 5 – Cindy Lucarelli
- Port of Silverdale Commissioner – Rick Slate
- South Kitsap Fire and Rescue Commissioner Position 3 – Robert McGee
Kittitas County
The Affordable Housing Council of Central Washington endorsed:
Matthew Lundh for Mayor of Cle Elum
Mason County
Olympia Master Builders (OMB) represents companies located in Thurston, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason and Pacific Counties. In Mason County, the Affordable Housing Council (TAHC) for OMB endorsed the following for:
Pierce County
Master Builders Association of Pierce County Affordable Housing Council endorsed the following for:
- Auburn City Council, Position 3 – James Jeyaraj
- Puyallup City Council, At-Large – Renne Gilliam
- Tacoma City Council, Position 7 – Kristen Wynne
- Tacoma City Council, Position 1 – John Hines
- University Place City Council, Position 7 – Melanie Grassi
- Bonney Lake City Council, Position 7 -Dan Roach
Skagit County
Skagit /Island Counties Builders Association Political Action Committee (PAC) endorsed the following for:
- Mount Vernon Mayor – Peter Donovan
- Mount Vernon City Council – Navor Tercero
- Mount Vernon City Council – Mark Hulst
- Sedro Woolley City Council – Kevin Loy
Snohomish County
The Master Builders of King and Snohomish Counties Affordable Housing Council endorsed the following for:
- Snohomish County Executive – Dave Somers
- Snohomish County Treasurer – Brian Sullivan
- Snohomish County Council District 2 – Megan Dunn
- Snohomish County Council District 3 – Strom Peterson
- City of Arlington Mayor – Don Vanney
- City of Everett Council Position 6 – Scott Bader
- City of Everett Council Position 7 – Judy Tuohy
- City of Lake Stevens Council Position 4 – Kymm Shipman
- City of Lynnwood Council Position 5 – Julieta Altamirano Crosby
- City of Lynnwood Council Position 6 – George Hurst
- City of Marysville Mayor – Jon Nehring
- City of Marysville Council Position 1 – Peter Condyles
- City of Mountlake Terrace Council Position 5 – Bryan Wahl
- Alderwood Water District Commissioner Position 4 – Pat Peck
- Port of Everett Commissioner District 2 – Tom Stiger
Spokane County
Spokane Home Builders Association Political Action Committee (PAC) endorsed the following for:
- City of Spokane Mayor – Nadine Woodward
- City of Spokane, Council President – Kim Plese
- City of Spokane Council District 1 – Michael Cathcart
- City of Spokane Council District 2 – Katey Treloar
- City of Spokane Council District 3 – Earl Moore
- Mead School Director District 2 – Alan Nolan
- Liberty Lake Council Position 1 – Phil Folyer
- Liberty Lake Council Position 3 – Larry Marshall
- Liberty Lake Council Position 4 – Jed Spencer
- Spokane Valley Council Position 2 – Rachel Briscoe
- Spokane Valley Council Position 3 – Arne Woodard
- Spokane Valley Council Position 6 – Rob Chase
- Spokane Valley Fire Commissioner Position 5 – Rick Freier
Thurston County
The Affordable Housing Council (TAHC) for OMB endorsed:
- Vivian Eason for Thurston County Commissioner, District 4
- Bill McGregor for Port of Olympia Commissioner, District 1
- Rose Chiu Gunderson for Port of Olympia Commissioner, District 4
- Troy Kirby for Port of Olympia Commissioner, District 5
- Dontae Payne for Mayor of Olympia
- Linda Gotovac for Mayor of Tenino
- Stephanie Kangiser for Yelm City Council, Position 1
- Lenny Greenstein for Lacey City Council, Position 2
- Ed Kunkel for Lacey City Council, Position 3
- Andrea McGhee for Tumwater City Council, Position 7
- Frank Durocher for Olympia School Board Director, District 2
Yakima County
The Affordable Housing Council of Central Washington endorsed:
- Holly Cousens for Yakima City Council, District 7
- Rick Glenn for Yakima City Council, District 5
- Patricia Byers for Yakima City Council, District 3
- Leo Roy for Yakima City Council, District 1
At a time when Washington needs more than 250,000 more homes to meet the current demand, the people we choose as our next county commissioners, city council, port commissioners and mayors must understand the connection between housing supply and affordability. And families who want to own homes they can afford must help get them elected.