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2025 General Election Resources


The League of Women Voters conducts election forums and interviews of candidates for both primary and general election races.  They provide opportunities to hear from candidates as they respond to questions from a moderator.  All candidates in contested races are invited to participate in forums and interviews.  Forums are guided by our board-approved Election Forum Policy.

LWVBWC policy requires a forum to be cancelled if there is only one candidate or if a candidate refuses our invitation or cancels.  The exception is when multiple candidates for similar positions (e.g., a council or school board) are participating in a forum together.  In that case the forum will continue as long as there are at least two candidates.  When a candidate declines our invitation, the reason provided will be posted on this page.

Note:  Candidate and moderator statements are presented complete and unedited, and without fact-checking.  Minor edits may be made if there are technical issues.  Any edits will be explained on this page.

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2025 Forums and Interviews

 

In collaboration with civics students at Bellingham High School, we will question all the candidates for Bellingham City Council at 7 p.m. on October 16 in the school’s main auditorium.  BTV will be there to record and carry the debate.  The public is warmly encouraged to attend.

 

Candidates for Whatcom County Council, the Port of Bellingham, and all the other city councils were questioned in forums on Zoom except as noted, and links to these recordings are posted below.

 

All candidates in contested races for the County’s seven school boards were invited to short interviews and the recordings are also available below.

 

Ballots will be mailed to voters on October 15, and must be postmarked by November 4 or placed in secure ballot boxes by 8 p.m. on that date.  Encourage all your friends to seek information about their candidates and to vote.  Local elections are not less important for our lives than national ones.  And national politicians may be looking to see what choices we make.  So voting is also a vote for democracy.

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Whatcom County Council

District 2 candidates:
Elizabeth Boyle
Maya Morales
District 3  candidates:
Jessica Rienstra
Kyle Christensen
At-Large candidates:
Barry Buchanan
Misty Flowers

Port of Bellingham

District 2 candidates:
Ken Bell
Carly James

Bellingham City Council

Ward 2 candidates:
  Leah Wainman Hollie Huthman Ward 4 candidates: Skip Williams Kerri Burnside Ward 6 candidates: Andrew Reding Michael Lilliquist
Scheduled for 10/16, 7:00pm, at Bellingham High School.
The public is welcome to attend.

Blaine City Council

Ward 1 candidates:
Eric Lewis Jiggy Sorrell Ward 2 candidates: Isaac Newland Ray Leone (failed to attend) Ward 3 candidates: Sukhwant Gill Don Enos (failed to attend) At-Large Candidates:
Mike Hill (failed to respond to invitation)
Sarbie Bains (absent for personal reasons)


Note:  A portion of the moderator's remarks was edited out for technical reasons.

Everson City Council

Position 1 candidates:
  James Wilson Eric Oettel

Per LWVBWC policy, this forum was cancelled because Candidate  Eric Oetell refused to participate.

Ferndale City Council

Positions 6 candidates:
Ian Harper
Robert Pinkley
Position 7 candidates:
Jon Mutchler
Steve Potvin

Sumas City Council

Position 2 candidates:
  Richard Postma Brett Egbert

Bellingham School District

Director Position 4
Candidate interviews 

Candidate Jenn Mason


Candidate Corinne Thorsen


Blaine School District

Director District 3
Candidate interviews 

Candidate Bob Feaster


Candidate Jim Shaver


Ferndale School Board

Director District 4
Candidate Interviews

Candidate Brian Lynch


Candidate Matt Beck

Ferndale School Board

Director District 5
Candidate Interviews

Candidate Jacob Rosenblum
Note: A portion of the moderator's remarks was edited out for technical reasons.


Candidate Peggy Uppiano

Lynden School Board

Director Position 5
Candidate Interviews


Candidate Nick Sawka

Candidate Kenneth "Spin" Owsley was "not interested" in being interviewed by the League of Women Voters.

Meridian School Board

Director District 5
Candidate Interviews


Candidate Jasmine Fast

Candidate Steve Corwin was unable to be interviewed.


Nooksack Valley School Board

Director District 2
Candidate Interviews


Candidate Connor Smith


Candidate Britt Lentz
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With the support of

 

BTV -Bellingham Community Television
City of Bellingham Logo

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Media Partners

Ferndale Record logo
KMRE 88.3 Community Radio Logo
Lynden Tribune
Salish Current
The Northern Light

PO Box 4041 Bellingham, WA  98227-4041
360-305-3523
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