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Election season is here and this guide will take you through what candidates and proposition the constituents of Issaquah will be voting on come Nov. 3.
Issaquah and the surrounding areas are part of District 8, and Legislative Districts 5, 41, 45 and 48. These cities include Ames Lake, Auburn, Black Diamond, Carnation, Cottage Lake, Covington, Duvall, Enumclaw, East Renton Highlands, Fairwood, Fall City, Hobart, Issaquah, Kent, Lake Holm, Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Lake Morton-Berrydale, Maple Heights-Lake Desire, Maple Valley, Mirrormont, North Bend, Ravensdale, Redmond, Renton, Riverbend, Riverpoint, Sammamish, Shadow Lake, Snoqualmie, Union Hill-Novelty Hill, Wilderness Rim in the eighth district.
Voter pamphlets have been delivered and ballots will arrive 20 days before the election.
Ballots must be dropped off by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, there is a drop box at Issaquah City Hall, 130 E Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027.
Proposition 1: Parks and open spaces bond.
The Issaquah City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3142, concerning bonds for parks, trails, and recreation projects.
If approved, this proposition would authorize the City to: Complete various projects, including sports fields and courts, new trails, trailhead improvements, restoration of Confluence Park’s Ek House, playground improvements, a new dog park, and related capital improvements; issue no more than $18,000,000 of general obligation bonds maturing within 20 years; and levy annual excess property taxes to pay and retire such bonds, all as provided in Ordinance No. 3142.
In favor:
“This is a renewal—not a new tax—and an investment in the parks, trails, and gathering places that make Issaquah a great place to call home.
After years of planning and community input, residents identified clear priorities: three turf fields with sustainable cork infill at Issaquah Valley, Clark, and Grand Ridge elementary schools; a rebuilt mountain trailhead; new Cougar & Squak Mountain trail loops; a restored Ek House gathering space at Confluence Park; an all-abilities playground and dog park; and new pickleball courts. Maintenance is built in from the start.”
Opposed:
“The Issaquah Strategic Park Plan is in place. Thisspecific proposed bond fails because it only asked what we could do, but did not ask to prioritize projects that will achieve our stated goals and outcomes. This needs to happen before selecting $18.5M, and will show measured progress. It uses 20 years of future Parks bonding capacity, but not that it best meets our citywide 20 year goals. It is good that there are many aspirational goals, outcomes, and values in our Parks plan: Connectivity. Vibrancy. Resiliency. Balance. Peaks to Creeks Plan. We need to prioritize before spending if we want to show progress. Develop and implement benchmarking and Level of Service (LOS) measures that will inform and prioritize funding decisions and projects.”
United States Representative: Congressional District 8
(Prefers Democratic Party)
The incumbent, Schrier has been representing the eighth district since 2019. The pediatrician has passed 18 bills into law during her political career.
• Spencer Meline (Prefers Republican Party)
As the challenger, Meline has yet to hold elected office. Meline is a small business owner from Edmonds, Washington.
Legislative District No. 5
State Representative Position No. 1
• Zach Hall (Prefers Democratic Party)
Hall, the incumbent, was appointed to replace Victoria Hunt in June 3, 2025. Hall was also on Issaquah City Council for six years. Hall went to the University of Washington and is from Issaquah graduating in 2013.
• Michelle Bennett (Prefers Republican Party)
Bennett, the challenger is a former law enforcement officer.
Legislative District No. 5, State Representative Position No. 2
• Lisa Callan (Prefers Democratic Party)
Callan, the incumbent, has won back-to-back elections for this same position. She was also on the Issaquah School Board, and served as president. Callan was born in Arizona but has lived in the Issaquah Highlands since 2003.
• Patrick Peacock (Prefers Republican Party)
Peacock, the challenger, has been a part of a long lineage of Hobart residents dating back to 1887. Peacock served in the U.S. Army for 23-years and currently the Vice Chair of the King County GOP.
Legislative District No. 41, State Representative Position No. 1
• Janice Zahn: (Prefers Democratic Party)
Zahn, the incumbent, was appointed the position in Jan. of 2025 and was elected to retain her position in November of the same year. Zahn was also on the Bellevue City Council for over seven years. Zahn is an immigrant from Hong Kong and has lived in Bellevue for over 30-years.
• Elle Nguyen: (Prefers Republican Party)
Nguyen has yet to hold elected office, but her dad served as legal council to the president of South Vietnam. Nguyen is a Mercer Island resident according to her campaign website.
Legislative District No. 41, State Representative Position No. 2
• My-Linh T Thai (Prefers Democratic Party)
Thai, the incumbent, was elected to this position back in 2019. Thai was a refugee from Vietnam when she was 15. She attended the University of Washington and was also the Director and Board President of Bellevue Schools.
• Michael Rosen (Prefers Independent Party)
Rosen, the challenger has not held elected office in his political career. Rosen is a fourth-generation Washingtonian and is a certified Washington nutritionist.
Legislative District No. 45 State Senator
• Manka Dhingra (Prefers Democratic Party)
Legislative District No. 45, State Representative Position No. 1
• Roger Goodman (Prefers Democratic Party)
Goodman, the incumbent, has been involved in public office since 2007. Goodman is from Kirkland and continues to live there with his family.
• JoAnn Tolentino (Prefers Republican Party)
Tolentino, the challenger, has never held elected office. She has taught private music lessons.
Legislative District No. 45, State Representative Position No. 2
• Vanessa Kritzer (Prefers Democratic Party)
With Larry Springer withdrawing from the election, there is no incumbent in this race and Kritzer earned the most votes in the primary. Kritzer was a Redmond City Council Member for seven years prior to her run as state representative.
• John P Gibbons (Prefers Republican Party)
Gibbons took second in the primary election. He has no website with further information on his campaign.
Legislative District No. 48 State Senator
• Vandana Slatter (Prefers Democratic Party)
Legislative District No. 48, State Representative Position No. 1
• Osman Salahuddin (Prefers Democratic Party)
Salahuddin, the incumbent, was elected Student Body President while attending the University of Washington. Salahuddin went to public school in the Lake Washington School District and was appointed to the Washington State House Jan. 7, 2025 to replace Vadana Slatter.
• Jeffery Poppe (Prefers Republican Party)
Poppe has not held elected office, he has done a lot of his work in California, as a former CPA he has audited Fortune 500 companies, Los Angeles Grand Jury and others. Poppe has lived in the 48th district for 16 years.
Legislative District No. 48, State Representative Position No. 2
• Amy Walen (Prefers Democratic Party)
Walen, the incumbent, won narrowly in the primary by just 17 votes in the primary. Walen was elected to Kirkland City Council in 2009 and served as Mayor in 2014. She is originally from Oregon, before moving to Kirkland in 2005.
• Jessica Forsythe (Prefers Democratic Party)
Forsythe, the challenger, was elected to Redmond City Council in 2019 and served as president in her first terms. Forsythe is originally from Northeast Ohio and attended Kent State University.
More information can be found here about the 2026 midterm elections.
