Who’s running for re-election to Lacey City Council this year? And who’s still undecided?
Four Lacey City Council members are up for re-election this year. They are Andy Ryder, Carolyn Cox, Michael Steadman and Robin Vazquez.
In addition, the race has attracted two potential new candidates, according to state Public Disclosure Commission data. Maren Turner is exploring a run and so is Ryan Siu, although both have yet to identify an opponent, the information shows.
When does it get real for these candidates? Filing week at the Thurston County Auditor’s Office is May 5-9.
The Olympia reached out to all about their plans, except for Siu who apparently is traveling in Japan, according to his campaign manager Rob Richards.
Carolyn Cox
Of all the incumbents, Cox was first out of the gates, announcing about mid-March that she was running for a third term.
“I feel like I’ve got more to give,” said Cox after a recent council work session. “There are so many exciting things on the horizon that I really want to see to fruition, such as this Metropolitan Park District that we’re looking at.”
The MPD, if approved by voters in August, would levy a property tax to fund and maintain the city’s parks.
Lacey is also expected to grow, she said. Cox, originally from Florida, said growth was not handled well there in the 1980s.
“That is really seared into my brain how important it is to plan for smart growth, and we’ve seen some conflicts between residential and commercial light-industrial development in northeast Lacey,” she said. “I’ve asked our planning department and Planning Commission to try to look down the line as we’re doing our comprehensive plan now, to do what we can to head off these conflicts.”
Housing and homelessness also are important issues for Cox.
“The housing and homeless situation has been, I guess, the biggest part of my work on the council and Regional Housing Council, and it still feels like there’s an awful lot more that needs to be done there as well.”
Andy Ryder
Ryder is one of the longest-serving council members and mayors in the city’s history. He has decided to run for a fifth term. If elected, though, this will be his last term on the council, he said.
He also wasn’t sure about running for a fifth term.
“This has been a decision that I have not taken lightly,” he said.
Before he made up his mind, there was his health to consider because he recently announced he was cancer free after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
But when he considered the uncertain times that we live in and heard from local and regional leaders urging him to run, he decided to seek re-election.
“In these uncertain times it’s really scary for a lot of communities,” he said. “Stability is so important and the leadership I bring now is really important for Lacey.”
“Leadership is important to show that government still works,” Ryder said.
Robin Vazquez
Vazquez said Wednesday she has not decided on whether she will run for a second term.
“It’s a difficult decision for me,” she said, adding that she’s just started a new job, plus she has two small children. Include her duties on the council and it feels like having two, full-time jobs, Vazquez said.
She currently is the acting HR director for Pierce County, a county that is three times the size of Thurston County.
And because she is a public employee and an elected official, she is careful to avoid any conflicts of interest. But regularly making that effort can be work, too.
“It wears on you,” she said.
Michael Steadman
The Olympian caught up with Cox after a recent council meeting and Michael Steadman, too.
But all he said then was that he was “probably” running again. If he decides to run again, it will be for a fourth term. He was first elected in 2013.
Maren Turner
Turner, who is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, lived in several states before moving to Washington state a few years ago. She has lived in Lacey for about three years, Turner said.
She works as a gerontologist. Although this would be her first run for elected office, she has been talking about doing it for decades, she said.
“I love living in Lacey,” Turner said. “There are a lot of great things here, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that we can’t do better.”
Safe and affordable housing is an important topic for Maren. And not just to make homes more affordable, but also what housing means for our health and behavioral health.
“Health is so tied to our housing,” she said.
Other issues: aging and quality of life issues for the city’s residents. But it doesn’t stop there, she said.
“I would be interested in anything that comes before the council,” Turner said.
