Election Preview 2024: Pierce County Executive

With the 2024 General Election coming this Nov. 5, Ryan Mello and Kelly Chambers will be on the ballot for Pierce County Executive. These interviews are not intended to take sides or advocate for any individual candidates but rather to incite a sense of involvement among voters and help encourage participation in our country’s democratic process on election day. 

Current Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier is termed out of running again, so Ryan Mellow (D) is campaigning to win the seat against Kelly Chambers (R). 

RYAN MELLO

Ryan Mello’s service in elected office began in 2005 when he ran for and won a seat on the Metro Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners. He remained in this position until 2009 when he was elected to Tacoma City Council and served from 2010 to 2019. From there, he moved on to the Pierce County Council beginning in 2021 and where he is currently council chair. 

When asked why he chose to run for county executive, he replied, “I have really come to understand that the issues facing our community – the opioid epidemic, the climate crisis, affordable housing and homelessness – these are issues that are best addressed at the regional level countywide in order to make the most impact on them.”

During Mello’s time on the Pierce County Council, Dammeier has blocked numerous progressive efforts that the council has tried to establish by ordinance under Mello’s leadership. Since early 2021, Dammeier has vetoed eight proposed Pierce County Council ordinances for which Mello was co-sponsor or prime sponsor. Last week, the Executive vetoed the council’s summer supplementary budget. 

Examples of Dammeier’s vetoes include hazard pay for grocery workers during the COVID pandemic; creation of the Pierce County Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commission; creation of a Community Needs Fund intended to enhance the quality of life for community members in every part of Pierce County; safe parking land use regulations for those experiencing homelessness; and a temporary Housing Community Land Use Code to allow tiny home villages in unincorporated Pierce County for those currently living unsheltered on the streets. 

Mello envisions a safer and more welcoming Pierce County by continuing his efforts to tackle homelessness and increase housing affordability.

“Another thing I want to do immediately as the next county executive is to bring cities and towns together to really address community safety,” he said, namely through expanding court-based diversion programs and therapeutic courts.

“Diversion programs and therapeutic courts are demonstrated to make our communities much safer by stopping the cycle of crime. I want to bring all the cities and towns together to ensure that no matter where you are, you have the same access to diversion programs and therapeutic courts.”

Mello said that for a long time, he has observed county government either not being at the table advocating and providing leadership at the state and federal level or talking about just transportation projects.

“Transportation projects are important but it’s not the only thing we need in partnership with state and federal government. We need a lot more partnership from them,” he said. “The county executive is uniquely positioned to galvanize the entire Pierce County community, all 23 cities and towns, 13 school districts, four federally recognized tribes, and the Port of Tacoma, to have a common sense of purpose and message to our state and federal delegations.”

Mello noted that his campaign platform reflects more key issues that he has long championed like reproductive healthcare, protecting servicemembers, and taking care of seniors. He has won the endorsement of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike. 

“I’m the only candidate for county executive that has Democrats, Republicans and Independents publicly supporting me because of the work we’ve done to try to address problems in a bipartisan way,” he said. “My opponent is Dammeier’s hand-picked successor so it would be more of the same. I want to bring my leadership and experience of bringing people together for the big challenges facing our region for progress to make this region more affordable, healthier, safer and more prosperous.”

Learn more at ryanmello.com.

Ryan Mello

 

KELLY CHAMBERS

As State House Representative for the 25th Legislative District, Chambers began serving in public office through this position that she won six years ago. Now she’s not seeking re-election there but wants to become the next Pierce County Executive. 

Why she is taking this path is due to, as Chambers said, “having enough years of elected experience to understand the budgets, how things work, what it’s like to work with people and get things done, the issues, and what the future of Pierce County is going to look like.

“I have 20 years of private sector experience running my businesses and six years of elected experience. I can bring those things to bear on behalf of the people of Pierce County.” 

Chambers said that priorities she has going into the office of executive were gleaned from doorbelling and talking to Pierce County residents at their front doors. 

“Public safety and homelessness are big issues but also the health of the economy of the county in context with housing, inflation and jobs. I have the experience of managing a multi-million-dollar budget and having to do that in a sustainable way. We’ve had great leadership with Bruce Dammeier in maintaining a sustainable budget and that means we live within our means and going forward, I would like to continue with that same sort of fiscal discipline.” 

As a state representative, Chambers was present for the legislature’s efforts at police reforms in 2021 that she said ended up causing more crime since, as one example, the state’s limits on vehicle pursuits hampered law enforcement’s ability to chase suspected criminals.

“I was front row for all of it and I think it was a deadly mistake to go down that path,” she said. “For one, it signaled to the criminal elements of society that anything goes, and we saw auto thefts triple in Pierce County, retail thefts and property crimes – it was the wrong signal to send.”

Through a citizen initiative, the legislature passed a new law that allows officers to pursue any drivers when the officers have reasonable suspicion that they have violated the law.

“I worked on the signature gathering for that and I was happy to see it reversed,” Chambers said.

She has concerns about the environment as well and opposes efforts to pass a statewide ban on natural gas use in homes and businesses. This November, Washington voters will decide on whether to support I-2066 and protect natural gas as an energy choice in the state. 

“My opponent and I are on different sides of that. I support 2066 and energy choice and not mandates that arbitrarily drive up the cost of living and that may not be attainable,” Chambers said. “An example is somebody having to convert their home to all electric. We don’t have the infrastructure at this point to support that. Mandating a transition before there’s adequate supply is short-sighted.” 

Chambers is also focused on housing shortages in Pierce County. “When it comes to housing affordability in Pierce County and across the state, we need more housing units. At the county level, we need to bring on more housing and all types of housing,” she said.

Learn more at kellychambers.org.