Three Puyallup City Council members file for state, federal offices
Puyallup’s mayor and two City Council members are seeking higher offices.
Mayor Julie Door filed as a Democrat for the District 25 seat in the state Senate ; Council member Cyndy Jacobsen announced as a Republican for a 25th District state Representative position; Council member at-large Dean Johnson filed to replace U.S. Rep. Denny Heck in Washington’s 10th Congressional District.
All three are running for open seats.
The Puyallup Herald asked each council member about their decision to run and platform.
Julie Door
Door announced her run before the coronavirus pandemic. She will face off against current state Rep. Chris Gildon with the Republican Party for the seat now held by Hans Zeiger, who is running for Pierce County Council member Pam Roach’s open seat.
“Folks in our state are hurting, and I want to go to Olympia to fight for jobs and the economy and to keep our communities safe and healthy,” she said.
Door became mayor in January after more than six years on the council. She said in an email if elected to the Senate, she would resign from the Puyallup City Council.
“I do not intend to hold both positions concurrently,” she said. “When I was confirmed as mayor last January, the world was a much different place than it is now.”
On council, she vocally advocates a new public safety building and the Safe Routes to School plan. When council was split on the former city manager who ultimately quit, Door supported him.
She owns Willows Chiropractic Clinic & Therapeutic Massage with her husband, Frank.
Cyndy Jacobsen
Council member Jacobsen wants to replace Gildon in the state House. She says as a mother of seven, her campaign is centered around families. Her priorities include low taxes, quality education and economic development.
“Most of my passion starts with families,” she said. “I believe in good government and getting out of the way of folks and letting them run their lives.”
She has served two and a half years representing Puyallup’s District 2. When city staff and organization leaders address the council, she is known to ask how a proposal will affect the budget and property taxes.
In her tenure, Jacobsen collected signatures for the strong mayor campaign and proposed a bidding process for Puyallup’s Farmers’ Market.
During the coronavirus pandemic, she has pushed for car dealerships to be allowed to open back up.
Jacobsen has not ruled out staying on City Council if she wins the state Representative seat.
“This is an unpredictable time and right now, the two positions are not incompatible — Puyallup City Council meets in the evenings,” she said.
Jacobsen teaches math at Pierce College Puyallup. She and her husband, Doug, have lived in Puyallup for over 30 years.
Democrat Brian Duthie filed to run for the seat as well.
Dean Johnson
Council member at-large Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the Federal Election Commission, he has filed for Washington’s 10th Congressional District as a Republican for the open seat.
In his council position, he was seen as the swing-vote on the strong mayor initiative, striking it down, and supported the bidding process for the city farmers’ market and more positions in the police department. In campaigning for re-election last year, he received record-breaking campaign funds.
Johnson works in sales at Nordstrom. Johnson and his wife, Deborah, have three grown children.
