City commissioner Jennifer Sutton has announced her candidacy for the Issaquah City Council, according to a release sent to media outlets Sunday.
Sutton will run for council position No. 2, held by Nina Milligan. Milligan announced in April that she would not run for reelection to the seat.
“I am committed to Issaquah, and am running because I believe in forging strong connections with Issaquah residents, in advocating for our community, and in leadership as a public service,” Sutton wrote in her announcement. “One thing I have learned over the years is that we all want what’s best for our community, and where we have differences is in how to get there. With that perspective as a starting point, I hope to advocate for a healthy Issaquah as a member of Issaquah’s City Council.”
Sutton serves on Issaquah’s Sister Cities commission as well as its Human Services commission, to which she was recently elected to the position of vice chair. She also serves as a board member for the King County chapter of Washington Conservation Voters.
She holds a Masters in public policy from Pepperdine University and previously worked as a political and public relations consultant, during which time she worked on policy issues with the city of Los Angeles, and state organizations in Washington and South Dakota. She currently works as a program manager for T-Mobile in Bellevue.
Sutton has been endorsed by both former Mayor Ava Frisinger and current City Councilman Tola Marts.
“I have known Jennifer for many years, and have always been impressed with her passion for good public policy and her practical attitude towards what can and can’t be accomplished by government,” Marts said in an email to the Reporter. “In recent years she has become more and more involved with local Issaquah issues and and organizations, and so she arrives at this election cycle very knowledgeable about the Council agenda.”
Sutton will hold a campaign kickoff 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hailstone Feed Store and historic Shell station on 232 Front Street North.
