Incumbents hold on to Monroe seats

Incumbents look like they will retake the four Monroe City Council seats in this year’s election. More than 2,000 Monroe’s voters weighed in by Tuesday.

As of Friday, Kevin Hanford had nearly 58 percent of the votes for Position 1, with challenger Todd Fredrickson taking about 42 percent.

Hanford and his wife have lived in Monroe for more than two decades. Hanford started out working in town for a small automotive business, and then was hired on at Boeing in Renton.

Together the couple raised three biological children and adopted four. All have attended the Monroe School District. In 2015, they started The Treasure Chest, a nonprofit that provides clothing donations to families like his own. This spring he will finish up his bachelor’s degree in organizational management.

Fredrickson works at the Monroe Correctional Complex, and is a novelist. He was raised in Snohomish, and he and his wife went through the Snohomish School District. They moved to Monroe about 18 years ago, after living in Stanwood. They have a daughter and a son together.

Incumbent Jeff Rasmussen had 60 percent of the Position 3 vote, while Jacob Walker secured nearly 40 percent. Their race received the most votes cast at just under 1,630 as of press time.

Rasmussen has served on the city council since 2014. He has been the director of the Monroe Boys and Girls Club for three years, following a 15-year career in banking and financial management.

Rasmussen and his wife are raising two young sons. The couple married about 14 years ago, and moved to Monroe in 2006. He said his passion for community service was instilled in him by his grandfather.

Walker helped found the debate club at Monroe High School. He grew up in the Woods Creek neighborhood. He attended Salem Woods Elementary School and Monroe Middle School. The 20-year-old currently works for eChurch, a Redmond-based company that develops smartphone apps for churches.

Kirk Scarboro led by more than 68 percent at press time, and challenger Kevin McDowell held at 32 percent for Position 7. The at-large position was previously a two-year term, and was increased to four years in 2016, to align with state law.

The incumbent is a retired U.S. Navy Seal and transportation supervisor for the school district. Scarboro and his wife moved to the city in 1994. He had said he is looking forward to continuing to work on issues like transportation, homelessness and revitalizing downtown Monroe.

McDowell serves on the Monroe Family YMCA Board of Directors. He and his wife moved their family from North Carolina to Washington nearly two decades ago. He has three children in the Monroe School District, and he worked for Microsoft for the past 19 years.

Patsy Cudaback ran unopposed and took nearly 97 percent of the votes.