Election preview: Recap of Mercer Island candidate coverage

Published 5:15 am Monday, October 27, 2025

Nearly six months ago, a host of Mercer Islanders filed their declaration of candidacies with King County Elections (KCE), putting their names on the ballot for the Nov. 4 general election.

Since filing week, those applicants for Mercer Island City Council and Mercer Island School District board positions — along with contenders for a 41st Legislative District position — have been sharing their viewpoints on city, school and district issues with citizens by doorbelling, speaking at forums and public conversation events and more.

Now, it’s less than a week away before everyone learns of the initial round of results via the KCE website. Those early results will be posted by 8:15 p.m. on election night at the King County Elections website. Further results will be posted by 4 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 25.

On Oct. 15, KCE mailed more than 1.4 million ballots countywide for the election and is projecting 45% turnout, according to a press release. Locals can still mail their ballots (they must be postmarked by Nov. 4) or slide them into the KCE dropbox near the Mercer Island Community and Event Center (8236 SE 24th St.). The dropbox is open 24 hours, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. on election day.

KCE will post the final results and certification documents by 4 p.m. Nov. 25.

Following is brief recap of the Reporter’s election previews that it ran over the last two weeks and a quick rundown of Proposition 1, a city bond to build a public safety and maintenance facility.

CITY COUNCIL

Incumbent Lisa Anderl will face off with Johana Beresky for Position No. 6; Adam Ragheb and Julie Hsieh will compete for Position No. 7; and incumbents Ted Weinberg and appointed councilmember Daniel Becker are running unopposed for positions No. 4 and 2, respectively.

Anderl noted that important votes and decisions are forthcoming in the next four years on budget priorities, zoning, infrastructure issues and more. Beresky said the city must update its housing and growth plans to comply with state law while balancing its geographic and infrastructure constraints.

Through his years of city Planning Commission experience, combined with the analytical rigor of his work, Ragheb said he is set to contribute to updates on the city’s Comprehensive Plan and more. Some of Hsieh’s focus points will be working with the city’s police and fire departments to improve traffic and pedestrian safety, update e-bike regulations and more.

Weinberg said he will continue prioritizing public safety, protecting city parks and addressing the challenges of affordable housing and homelessness.

For Becker, he wants Islanders to work together and the city to have excellent public services, strong public safety and a lower political temperature.

SCHOOL BOARD

Julian Bradley will be running unopposed for Director Position No. 2, and Stephanie Burnett and Robert O’Callahan will run for Director Position No. 4.

Brian Gaspar, a former candidate for Mercer Island School District Director Position No. 2, announced in August that he was no longer running for the position.

All three candidates have spoken about the importance of student safety. Bradley said that every student also deserves a challenging curriculum that develops critical thinking and high expectations.

For O’Callahan, he feels that families deserve transparency, timely parent notifications, strong anonymous reporting with anti-retaliation protections and more. Burnett notes that it’s essential to rebuild community trust and Islanders should feel confident that their school board is respectful, civil and focused on collaboration.

LD 41

Janice Zahn and John Whitney will face off in the Nov. 4 general election for the 41st Legislative District state representative Position No. 1 seat.

In the housing affordability realm, Zahn is focused on advancing solutions that increase housing options that reflect the district’s unique neighborhoods and the environment. Whitney said he will champion a business environment where businesses thrive by reducing taxes and regulations, and will prioritize getting traffic flowing.

CITY BOND

In the bond sphere, the following for and against statements, in part, are posted on the KCE site:

Explanatory statement: “Proposition 1 authorizes the issuance of up to $103,160,000 of general obligation bonds and the levy of excess property taxes to repay the bonds over 25 years. This amounts to about $55 per month for a $2,000,000 home.”

For: “Proposition 1, unanimously approved by City Council, will fund a new Public Safety and Maintenance Facility to provide modern level IV earthquake-resistant workspaces for essential workers and equipment. It will help the city recruit and retain police officers and PWD (Public Works Department) staff, improving emergency and snow response.” (Written by Russel Federman, Robert Sulkin and Benson Wong.)

Against: “The proposed $103,000,000 bond will cost Island Taxpayers $174,000,000 with interest. For the median assessed valued home of $2,300,000, that represents a 46% annual increase in City Property Taxes, or $660/year. Over 25 years that’s additional taxes of almost $19,000.” (Written by Mike Cero.)

For a full rundown, visit: https://tinyurl.com/3rtxnw3p