The first round of results from Tuesday’s Aug. 5, 2025 primary shows a tight race emerging in Burien and the 33rd Legislative District, as voters narrowed the field for key local and state positions ahead of November’s General Election.

Leaders so far for Burien City Council include incumbents Sarah Moore (60.76%) and Hugo Garcia (43.37%), along with newcomers Sam Méndez (45.67%), Marie Barbon (32.52%) and Jessica Ivey (28.32%).

Edwin Obras (43.46%) and Kevin Schilling (32.09%) lead Daryl Jones (24.18%) for Legislative District 33 State Representative Position No. 1.

In the Highline School District, the contest for Director District No. 4 is extremely close, with Ken Kemp at 44.2 percent, narrowly ahead of Damarys Espinoza with 43.9 percent.

In the crowded race for King County Executive, Councilmember Girmay Zahilay leads with 40.4 percent, followed by Claudia Balducci at 30.3 percent.

Metropolitan King County Council District 5 sees SeaTac’s Peter Kwon ahead with 28 percent, followed by Steffanie Fain at 24.6 percent and Kim-Khanh Van at 20.8 percent. In District 7, longtime incumbent Pete von Reichbauer leads decisively with nearly 60 percent.

In perhaps the biggest surprise of the first round, progressive challenger Katie Wilson (46.21%) is leading incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell (44.86%) for the Seattle Mayor’s race.

The top two candidates with the most votes in each race advance to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Results will be updated around 4:30 p.m. on weekdays until votes are certified on Aug. 19. 

City of Burien

Ballots Counted: 4,823

* Registered Voters: 30,366 • 15.88%

Council Position No. 1:

  • Cameron Boosman: 321 • 6.99%
  • Hugo Garcia*: 1,991 • 43.37%
  • Jessica Ivey: 1,300 • 28.32%
  • Claudio Fernandez: 950 • 20.69%

Council Position No. 3:

  • Rashell Lisowski: 964 • 21.13%
  • Sam Méndez: 2,084 • 45.67%
  • Marie Barbon: 1,484 • 32.52%

Council Position No. 5:

  • Jamie Jo Skeen: 682 • 14.89%
  • Sarah Moore*: 2,782 • 60.76%
  • Gabriel Fernandez: 1,081 • 23.61%

*indicates incumbent

State

Legislative District No. 33 State Representative Position No. 1:

  • Kevin Schilling (Prefers Democratic Party): 4,084 • 32.09%
  • Darryl Jones (Prefers Republican Party): 3,077 • 24.18%
  • Edwin Obras (Prefers Democratic Party): 5,531 • 43.46%

Highline School District No. 401

Ballots Counted: 12,483

* Registered Voters: 78,908 • 15.82%

Director District No. 4:

  • Ken Kemp: 5,093 • 44.23%
  • Damarys Espinoza: 5,060 • 43.94%
  • Shirley-Nita Enninful: 1,279 • 11.11%

King County

Ballots Counted: 271,720

* Registered Voters: 1,435,977 • 18.92%

Proposition No. 1:

  • Approved: 184,256 • 70.09%
  • Rejected: 78,646 • 29.91%

Executive:

  • John Wilson: 23,897 • 9.33%
  • Amiya Ingram: 4,707 • 1.84%
  • Claudia Balducci: 77,590 • 30.28%
  • Bill Hirt: 4,701 • 1.83%
  • Don L Rivers: 2,674 • 1.04%
  • Derek Chartrand: 32,085 • 12.52%
  • Rebecca Williamson: 6,072 • 2.37%
  • Girmay Zahilay: 103,471 • 40.39%

King County Council District No. 5:

Ballots Counted: 20,558

* Registered Voters: 138,998 • 14.79%

  • Angela Henderson: 1,528 • 7.88%
  • Ryan McIrvin: 2,407 • 12.41%
  • Kim-Khanh Van: 4,035 • 20.81%
  • Steffanie Fain: 4,777 • 24.64%
  • Ahmad Corner: 1,095 • 5.65%
  • Peter Kwon: 5,422 • 27.96%

City of SeaTac

Ballots Counted: 1,985

* Registered Voters: 15,597 • 12.73%

Council Position No. 6:

  • Michael Sanford: 783 • 41.23%
  • Marianne West: 348 • 18.33%
  • Bedria Abdullahi: 761 • 40.07%

City of Tukwila

Ballots Counted: 1,527

* Registered Voters: 11,572 13.20%

Council Position No. 7:

  • Max McCallum: 142 • 9.78%
  • Krysteena Mann: 254 • 17.49%
  • Jane Ho: 675 • 46.49%
  • Gina Bernhardt Nielsen: 363 • 25.00%

City of Seattle

Ballots Counted: 98,339

* Registered Voters: 501,438 • 19.61%

Mayor:

  • Joe Mallahan: 4,640 • 4.82%
  • Ry Armstrong: 996 • 1.04%
  • Isaiah Willoughby: 473 • 0.49%
  • Bruce Harrell: 43,160 • 44.86%
  • Clinton Bliss: 1,275 • 1.33%
  • Thaddeus Whelan: 424 • 0.44%
  • Joe Molloy: 402 • 0.42%
  • Katie Wilson: 44,457 • 46.21%

Since 2007, The B-Town Blog is Burien’s multiple award-winning hyperlocal news/events website dedicated to independent journalism.

11 replies on “ELECTION RESULTS 1: Moore, Méndez and Garcia lead in Burien City Council contests; Obras & Schilling will move on”

  1. Here we go again…instead of going forward it looks like we are going backwards again. I just can’t believe there’s this many people who think the previous years were good!

  2. So stupid, people don’t realize that these candidates have no issues with a tent encampment outside your business or home and addicts just need more time to make a decision about quitting. Just another nail in the Burien coffin and loss of property values and businesses.

  4. Amazing how the loudest voices are always anonymous. These nameless accounts throw out fear and outrage but never offer a single real solution.

    They complain about tents and unions and the downfall of everything but won’t even sign their names. What exactly are they afraid of? That someone might ask them to stand behind their ridiculous positions in public?

    Meanwhile, the people actually showing up, doing the work, and listening to the whole community, rich, poor, housed and the unhoused are winning because voters are paying attention.

    If things are so terrible, name one real solution to one real problem. Just one.

    Until then, it’s just noise from the sidelines.

    1. I wouldn’t get too far ahead of yourself. For one, this the first drop in a primary. Second, Hugo looks less than safe and Rocco will have an uphill battle against a well known incumbent. The progressive slate would have to win all four of those elections to have a majority, highly unlikely. If Kevin wins his race, which seems likely given the results so far (his votes plus Jones equals >50%), I believe the current council would still pick his replacement? If so, I’m sure it would be someone ideologically aligned to the current majority.

      I wouldn’t view this as some kind of referendum. It’s just a lot of motivated activists in an off cycle primary. The normies will start to pay attention and even this out come November.

    2. Here’s one – relentless enforcement of the camping ban / stop the enabling of junkies, squatters. I bet you would have a different view had an encampment set up out side you’re own business on 153rd, but it’s ok elsewhere right? I’m not anonymous, that’s my name.

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  5. We dont need any more of Hugos crying or Sarah inability to pay attention. This will be a big blow for Burien having these 2 still in office. Burien needs something different than what is already there, because that is not working. At least Jimmy is leaving especially after that DESC debockle

    1. Take over the blog make it use a system that you have to login with your social security # and your finger print and a current urine sample . So you make sure to use proper grammar on the blog and agree with jj on every thing . If you disagree with him then your wrong and should not be allowed to post online . You also should not be able to vote in America unless if you agree with jj political thought’s %100 .

      I think jj’s plan here is to sit and wait for someone on the blog (collect there information) that needs a home inspection done . So he can use his position in life to have the state take your home from you so he wins the upper hand in your online conversation .

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