Burien City Council candidates who led after the first round of 2025 primary ballots largely maintained their positions in Wednesday’s updated results, with Hugo Garcia, Sarah Moore and Sam Méndez holding onto their leads as the second round of results were released.
Council Position 1 incumbent Hugo Garcia leads with 45.6 percent, while Jessica Ivey sits second at 27.4 percent.
For Burien’s Position 3 seat, Sam Méndez is leading with 46.7 percent, followed by Marie Barbon with 31.8 percent.
Position 5 incumbent Councilmember Sarah Moore is cruising to reelection, holding at nearly 62 percent. Gabriel Fernandez was at 23.4 percent.
In the hotly contested race for the state House in the 33rd Legislative District, Rep. Edwin Obras maintained a lead with 44.8 percent of the vote, while Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling held onto second with 31.7 percent.
In SeaTac, Bedria Abdullahi slightly edged out Michael Sanford with 41.5 percent to 40.1 percent in the City Council Position 6 race.
Kent’s crowded Council Position 6 race saw Sharn Shoker pulling ahead with 33.2 percent of the vote. Andy Song sits second with 18.8 percent, followed by Logan Evans at 16.4 percent.
In Tukwila, Jane Ho took a commanding lead with 46.4 percent in the race for Council Position 7. Gina Bernhardt Nielsen followed with 24.4 percent, ahead of Krysteena Mann at 18.7 percent.
For the Highline School Board District 4 seat, Damarys Espinoza held a narrow lead with 45.5 percent, just ahead of Ken Kemp at 43.1 percent.
Turnout across King County so far is just under 22 percent of registered voters casting ballots, and in Burien is at about 20 percent.
The top two candidates with the most votes in each race will advance to the November General Election.
Election results will continue to be updated daily until certification on Aug. 20.
City of Burien
Ballots Counted: 6,066
* Registered Voters: 30,366 • 19.98%
Council Position No. 1:
- Cameron Boosman: 377 • 6.53%
- Hugo Garcia*: 2,632 • 45.60%
- Jessica Ivey: 1,580 • 27.37%
- Claudio Fernandez: 1,155 • 20.01%
Council Position No. 3:
- Rashell Lisowski: 1,201 • 20.93%
- Sam Méndez: 2,681 • 46.72%
- Marie Barbon: 1,827 • 31.83%
Council Position No. 5:
- Jamie Jo Skeen: 814 • 14.14%
- Sarah Moore*: 3,563 • 61.89%
- Gabriel Fernandez: 1,349 • 23.43%
*indicates incumbent
State
33rd District Representative Position No. 1:
- Kevin Schilling: 4,846 • 31.73%
- Darryl Jones: 3,551 • 23.25%
- Edwin Obras: 6,842 • 44.80%
Highline School District No. 401
Ballots Counted: 15,446
* Registered Voters: 78,908 • 19.57%
Director District No. 4:
- Ken Kemp: 6,137 • 43.16%
- Damarys Espinoza: 6,477 • 45.55%
- Shirley-Nita Enninful: 1,531 • 10.77%
Looks like we’ll end up with a 5 moderate, 2 far left council like we have now unless Garcia can get more votes in the general.
Depressing results.. Looks like Burien is turning back to the bad years where crime and lawlessness ruled. Drug addicts and homeless peddling, crime spikes, less policing and constant proposals of governing that defeat it instead of strengthening it.
Looks like voters in Burien and the 33rd LD are rejecting the divisive, dehumanizing policies of Mayor Schilling and his bloc on the council.
Mr. Schaefer.. SMH.
What you call “rejecting divisive policies” is actually voters being duped into embracing dysfunction under the guise of compassion.
You’re applauding policies that actively weaken public safety, burden communities, and hand the reins over to chaos. Calling basic accountability “dehumanizing” is a dishonest dodge, it’s not dehumanizing to expect laws to be enforced and public spaces to be safe.
( Your most honorable quote below after you were voted off the Burien Planning Commision)
– “Any free time I now have as a newly private citizen is being directed at obstructing the city manager.”
Please tell me more about this basic accountability. Mayor Schilling wanted police to enforce a law prior to its constitutional review. Our police force held the council accountable, and were vilified for it. Do you only want accountability for people you disagree with? That’s not democracy.
That isn’t how laws work. If a law passes and someone wants to challenge its legality they can do so. But it gets enforced until there is a ruling OR a judge issues an injunction pending a ruling.
The police chief’s job is to enforce the laws, not interpret their constitutionality. You know why? Because they aren’t legal scholars, which was evident here since the law was upheld as passed.
Also, the department didn’t revolt. They wanted to enforce that law. The Chief and two of his lieutenants (Hayden and McLaughlin) didn’t want to enforce it because they didn’t like the city manager. Funny thing… all 3 of those guys are now gone and the department has been running great since then.
Tom T. only wants Democracy to fit his views and just continues to ignore how the Judicial system actually works, I also haven’t heard a negative peep out of the Police Department since those departures as well.
Governing based on emotion is reckless. Feelings are fleeting, subjective, and easily manipulated. Policy needs clarity, consistency, and tough decision making. Compassion without logic leads to chaos, virtue signaling, and short-sighted laws that feel good but it almost always fail. You don’t run a city or a country like a therapy session.
For some of the smug comments, take a breather. This is called a primary election for a reason. It isn’t final. Many people don’t vote until the real election. It might be a wake up call. If the chaos and insanity that existed here for a while over a year ago works for you; go for it. If unions and misleading flyers control your thinking; go for it. If you don’t care about small businesses and crime; go for it. Otherwise, think long and hard a bout what you are doing to all of us. While you are at it, take a drive past the low barrier drug house downtown.
“Go for it” you say? Um how about: no, don’t invite dysfunction into politics or governing. There’s a reason liberals are typically never elected. Nobody wants a wishy washy, undecisive leader, who allows dysfunction.
Some people are thinking long and hard, just not in the echo chamber you’re yelling from.
“There’s a reason liberals are typically never elected.”
I’ve got news for you: pretty much everyone who gets elected in Burien is a liberal. Darla ran three times and lost each time, as you I’m sure are well aware.
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The trouble with running the rat race is that even if you win, you end up still being a rat.
Thank you to the B-Town Blog for continuing to report election results. It is difficult to find up-to-date election info anywhere else.