In a stunning result, Mercer Island voters have elected a Federal Way aluminum siding company to the city council as a write-in candidate.
The latest election results for City Council Position #8 show Woodward Home Exteriors with 57% of the vote, Mercer Island Football Booster Club with 38% of the vote, and For Sale By Owner coming in third with just 5% of the vote.
Voters apparently mistook the company’s omnipresent roadside advertisements for campaign signs and were inspired by their upbeat messages. Said one voter: “‘Cut energy costs; Financing available’ really resonated with me as a campaign promise. It’s nice to finally have a candidate with a pro-environment, fiscally responsible message.”
While write-in candidates winning local elections is unusual, it does happen from time to time in the area, most recently in 2007 when I Lost 30 Pounds in 30 Days was elected to the Bellevue City Council. 30 Days subsequently resigned the seat to run for Lieutenant Governor, where it was defeated in the primary.