Candidates have filed for election

Washington State Representative Alicia Rule (D-Blaine) has thrown her hat in the ring for Whatcom County Executive, challenging incumbent Satpal Sidhu and Whatcom County Council chair Barry Buchanan for the four-year, nonpartisan position. Also running are Misty Flowers, Dan Purdy and Sukwant Gill. Rule announced her bid on May 15, following Buchanan’s bid in late April. Sidhu publicly said he would run for a second term in January and filed on Monday, May 15. 

Whatcom County Council District 5 commissioner Ben Elenbaas has company in the race as well. Blaine resident Jackie Dexter filed on May 16. Atul Deshmane, Jon Scanlon, Hannah Ordos and Jerry Burns filed for council at-large Position B. Blaine school board district 2 have Tana Perkins Reneau, Ben Lazarus and Dean Berkeley facing off in the August primary. Lazarus was a former owner of Westwind Marine Services in Point Roberts. Kimberley Akre and Erika Creydt, running for District 5, will battle in the November general election.

Blaine police chief Donnell “Tank” Tanksley will face undersheriff Doug Chadwick for county sheriff.

Other races aren’t as competitive. Port of Bellingham district #3 commissioner Bobbie Briscoe is running unopposed as is Point Roberts fire district commissioner Norm Katz, Point Roberts water district commissioner Scott Hackleman, Point Roberts hospital district commissioner Noel Newbolt and candidates for the Point Roberts Parks and Recreation District Alison Calder, Bill Zidel and Stephen Falk. Zidel and Calder are current appointees to the district while Falk is running for the seat currently held by parks chair Mitch Friedman who, along with Michael Cressy did not file for election.

Filing week closed at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 19.