by David Mendez
[UPDATED NOV. 12]
King County government employee and local activist Valerie Snider has claimed victory over real estate agent and long-time civic volunteer Jack Malek in the race for Shoreline City Council Position 1.
Malek publicly conceded via social media post on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Thank you, Shoreline!
While the election results didn’t go the way I had hoped, I am deeply proud of the campaign we ran and grateful for every conversation, every door knocked, and every person who believed in the vision of a welcoming, thriving, and forward-looking city.
Congratulations to the winner. I wish you success as you serve our community.
I remain committed to Shoreline, the place I’ve called home for 24 years, and I’ll continue showing up, working hard, and doing my part for my City.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Jack
As of Nov. 11, when the most recent ballot count batch was published by King County elections officials, Snider (with 58.32% of the vote) holds a 2,851 vote lead over Malek (41.15%), widening the gap between the two in Shoreline’s only contested election this year. As of the Nov. 11 count, 17,830 ballots were counted in Shoreline elections.
“It’s exciting — it’s really, really exciting,” Snider said when reached for comment on Nov. 5, after the first set of votes was counted. “I was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, considering how much money was put into the two different campaigns,” she added. “But I felt that I connected with a lot of the voters with regards to the issues: affordability issues they’re experiencing, loss of tree canopy and the struggles our small businesses are facing. And it seems like I was right.”
Malek remained optimistic when reached on election night, saying he was keeping a “stiff upper lip” and waiting for more results to roll in before reacting one way or another. He and his advisors were expecting about 13,300 votes to roll in, following the final total of the Nov. 2023 election.
“I’ve been happy with the process overall,” Malek said on Tuesday night, after the first unofficial ballot count came in. “I really wanted to make a change,” he added, stating that he plans to continue his brand of advocacy for businesses and industries within Shoreline — though for now, with the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce. “I’m going to continue reaching out to biotech [firms], and I’m going to keep working through the chamber.”
Should this election not break in his favor, Malek has told The Osprey in a previous interview that he plans to run again. Three seats on Shoreline’s seven-member city council will be up for grabs in 2027, though one might come available sooner.
Keith Scully, who currently holds Position 2 on the council, has begun his campaign for one of two state representative positions in Washington’s 32nd Legislative District. Those seats are currently held by Reps. Cindy Ryu and Lauren Davis. Ryu is a former Shoreline Council Member — as is LD32 State Senator Jesse Salomon.
Should the election results hold, Snider will be ready to jump in on her priorities.
“I’ve been doing a lot of research on the [Multifamily Property Tax Exemption] and how it impacts the communities who are funding it,” Snider said. The MFTE program is intended to “encourage multifamily development and provide affordable housing," per the City of Shoreline, and offers tax exemptions to investors building or rehabbing four or more rental units. “I want to make sure the benefits warrant the cost.”